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From that time Belgium rested tranquil, in the assurance that her safety was assured by the sacred promise of three great and honourable neighbours. It is only of recent years that a certain disquietude came over her, as the result of a suspicion that German honour was not a thing to be trusted, especially when it became manifest that German railway systems on her border were of a military and menacing character.
For purposes of self-defence she raised a small army and built some forts on the Gernian border. Still Belgium trusted Germany, and though she could have afforded to build forts which would have proved as impregnable as the French eastern forts have done, and though she could have maintained a much more formidable army to bar the way of Germany, she did not do so.
For the same reason, France, on her borders towards Belgium, only meagrely fortified her positions. France, too, trusted Germany's honour to preserve the neutrality of Belgium, as also of the adjoining Duchy of Luxemburg, which Germany had covenanted to respect. France, therefore, did not fortify herself as strongly on the borders of Belgium and Luxemburg as she did elsewhere, but she erected strong fortifications on her eastern border where her territory abutted on that of Germany. These French fortifications have proved impregnable, for the Germans have been unable to break through them.
When War was imminent the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Edward Grey, following the example of 1870, asked both France and Germany whether they meant to maintain the Treaty for the protection of Belgium. France immediately responded in the affirmative; Germany refused to reply.
Two days later, on August 2nd, 1914, Germany sent an ultimatum to Belgium, demanding to be allowed to pass her troops through Belgium, in order to attack France, and promising, if Belgium did not resist, to render compensation at the end of the War. Was ever such a demand made of a country? What did it involve?
Let us see.
It meant that immediately German troops entered eastern Belgium, French troops must push forward into Southern Belgium, and once more Belgium must become the battlefield of the two nations. The inevitable result would be her ruin. Moreover, what guarantee had Belgium that, even if Germany were victorious over France, she would withdraw her troops and give indemnification for the bitter sufferings endured? If Germany could tear up her treaty for the protection of a small nation like Belgium, what was her word worth in regard to any future withdrawal and compensation? Nay, it had become a matter of suspicion, if not of certainty, that Germany bad resolved to annex Belgium itself, and to sieze its Cougo possessions in Africa. Aud, finally, of what nature would the honour of Belgium have been if she had accepted such a proposal? Her honour as a nation would have been defiled for ever; she would have ceased to exist as a nation, and her people been ground into German shape under the iron pressure of the Prussian heel.
Either way lay death, but better death with honour than death in the gyves and fetters of Prussianism. The latter death was death eternal; the former death had in it at least hope of a resurrection. Did Belgium choose wisely? At present her beautiful cities are
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masses of ruins, her glorious Cathedrals, ancient Schools of learning, and magnificent public buildings erected by splendid builders hundreds of years ago, lie destroyed by Prussian vandalism. At present her people, men, women, and little children lie murdered in tens of thousands, great multitudes of her living people are starving, multitudes are in exile in Britain, France, and Holland, very many are prisoners in Germany, and all are in the very dregs of misery. Did Belgium choose wisely? Would it not have been better to endure the servitude of Prussia? What man who has not the soul of a slave will say "yes"? What man who loves his country will not say: "Well done, Belgium**?
At present Belgium, with the aid of the British, holds on to a corner of her land, only a corner, but her King and army have not yet been utterly driven forth, and in that corner of her land lies the hope and certainty of a glorious recovery. Is Belgium dead? Never! She will rise again to a better life than ever before, and be remembered with honour when Prussianism is accursed by every honourable man on God's earth.
And England, what other could England have done? What would China have said about England if she had broken her pledged word and stood aside white Belgium was beaten to pieces? For England to have allowed Belgium to be crushed would have been against all her traditions and to her eternal infamy. Germany knew this, but she thought England would hesitate to pay the terrible price, and that having only a small land army she would be incapable of much material help on land. She little imagined that the young men of Britain, and of her great colonies, would rise as one man to maintain the nation's honour. The British Navy has destroyed all the German Navy which did not skulk in its harbours, it has destroyed Germany's maritime commerce, it has helped to feed, clothe and arm the Belgian Army, and is training and sending against Germany two millions of the finest fighting men in the world, a number which will be still further increased if these be not enough. She has saved France from complete invasion, has saved a corner of Belgium for the Belgian army, has helped to push back the Prussian host, and has declared her resolve not to stop till the Prussian armies are driven out of France and Belgium, and Belgium restored and indemnified.
VI. Germany and Public Law.
The rise of humanity out of barbarism begins with the commencement of law. With the advent of Fu-hsi, her first law-giver, China began her advance in civilisation, From the period when men lived in trees and wore no clothes, to the period when Fu-hsi laid down laws, is a tremendous step forward. Law is the very basis of civilisation, and the more perfect the law and administration of a nation, the greater its advance in civilisation. If national law is the basis of a nation's safety and prosperity, in like manner International Law is of prime importance to the safety and prosperity of the civilised world.
The nations of the world have agreed to maintain certain laws known as International Laws, and have got so far as to arrange a regular Conference to be held at the Hague in
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