24 TOWER— RIGHTS AND DUTIES [April 23, 



Therefore, Great Britain entered into a separate treaty with 

 Prussia, in August, 1870, by which it was agreed that:^ 



" If during the hostilities the armies of France should violate the neu- 

 trality of Belgium, Great Britain would be prepared to cooperate with Prussia 

 for the defence of the same in such manner as may be mutually agreed upon, 

 employing for that purpose her naval and military forces to insure its ob- 

 servance, and to maintain, in conjunction with Prussia, the independence and 

 neutrality of Belgium." 



And Great Britain entered into a separate treaty with France, at 

 the same time, making provision in the same terms for the coopera- 

 tion with her for the defence of Belgium in case that Belgian ter- 

 ritory should be invaded by the armies of Prussia. These separate 

 treaties were made binding in each case upon the parties during the 

 continuance of the War of 1870, and for twelve months after the 

 ratification of the treaty of peace. Thus Belgium was protected 

 against invasion or disturbance during the Franco-Prussian War ; 

 though since that time both her independence and her neutrality 

 depend upon the old agreement between the five powers, made in 

 1839. 



But, as an old French writer has well said : " With such neigh- 

 bors there is always a chance for trouble." The unfortunate situa- 

 tion of Belgium leaves her always open to danger when her power- 

 ful neighbors begin to fight over her head. She has her defence 

 in the old agreement of the powers, it is true. But will that be a 

 sufficient defence when either or all of the powers, engaged in a 

 desperate conflict amongst themselves, find that their own self-inter- 

 est, then of prime importance to each of them, places the considera- 

 tion of Belgium in the background? Evidently not; and in this re- 

 spect all the powers appear to be alike. 



For instance. Sir Edward Grey in his great speech in Parlia- 

 ment, on the 3d of August, 191 4, whilst advocating the neutrality 

 of Belgium in the present war, pointed to the interests of Great 

 Britain as the determining factor in the observance of the guarantee 

 entered into by the powers, in 1839.** He quoted to the House the 

 speech which Mr. Gladstone had made in Parliament, upon the 

 same subject, in 1870, when he said, in regard to Belgian neu- 

 trality : 



5 Hertslet, " Map of Europe," III., p. 1886. 



6 The Times, London, August 4, 1914. 



