WHO ARE THE HUNS?

14 The Neutrality of Belgium.
land in the spring of 1914, and, as the representative of the
Triple Entente, had undertaken to create a league among the
neutral states of Europe in order completely to isolate Germany.
This plan was wrecked by the resistance of Holland. Thereupon
the King despatched a message to the King of England behind
the back of the Belgian ministry, beseeching him to protect
the neutrality of Belgium.
However this may be, one thing is absolutely certain. If
ever there was a case in which one of the guarantors of Belgian
neutrality was justified in abrogating this neutrality, it was
in this instance.
The hypocrisy of the entire behavior of England and
Belgium in this question of neutrality may, for example, be
seen in the following characteristic Belgian expression of opinion :
In the "XXe Siècle" of Brussels, of August 20th, 1914,
the leading article is a lecture given by the Abbé de Lannoy,
before the "Faculté de Philosophie et Lettres de L'Institut
St. Louis" in October 1913, that is* to say, ten months before
the outbreak of the war. The neutrality of Belgium is the
subject of this lecture. After a general survey of the history
of the development of this neutral state, the Abbé de Lannoy
sought to make clear that to-day this neutrality was threatened
only by Germany. This neutrality was first conceived as a
protective measure against France in 1850, since England would
under no conditions have permitted it to possess Antwerp: but
now the positions were changed. England would defend Antwerp
against Germany. Under these changed conditions, Belgium
had no longer any further interest in adhering to its neutrality...
In diplomatic parlance, Belgian neutrality will still remain a
sort of formula to which everyone will appeal according to his
immediate interests, and which everyone will interpret according
to his own desire, until that day when tragic events will make
clear that it was only a formula.. .."
"From this it appears that England could no longer Confine
herself to merely being the defender of our independence. //
England intends to defend us, it will not be as a guarantee power,
but as a belligerent power."
De Lannoy, with prophetic vision, is thus able to foresee
that England would in all events participate in the war, and