, who would not "allow" her to
re-establish her prestige in a righteous cause? The word "righteous" is
used advisedly, because in the early stages of the controversy nobody,
not even Russia nor Servia herself, denied the justice of Austria's
demands. The writer is informed that even the liberal English press
found no fault with the course taken by Austria, although it commented
adversely on the language used in the note.

What would have been the result of peace bought by Germany at such a
cost? It would have alienated her only faithful friend without laying
the foundations for a lasting friendship with her opponents. This at
least was Germany's honest belief. She may have been wrong. History more
probably will call her right. To desert Austria might have postponed the
war, but when it would have come Germany would have stood alone, and,
worse, she would have lost her self-respect.

This claim may sound strange in the ears of those who have just
witnessed and will never forget the suffering of that beautiful little
country, Belgium. They hold that, since Germany invaded Belgium, it is
Germany who broke a treaty and who is to blame.

Mr. Beck considers this to be so self-evident that he deems it
unnecessary to advance any proof. He quotes the Chancellor's speech,
and, moving for a quick verdict, declares his motion of guilty carried.
The matter, however, is not quite so simple for the man who is seeking
for the whole truth. Let us look at the facts.

Belgium was a neutral country, just as any country has the right to
declare itself neutral, with this difference: that in 1839 she had
promised to five powers--Great Britain, France, Russia, Austria, and
Prussia--that she would remain perpetually neutral. These five powers in
their turn had promised to guarantee her neutrality. She was, however, a
sovereign State, and as such had the undoubted right to cease being
neutral whenever she chose by abrogating the Treaty of 1839. If the
other high contracting parties did not agree with her, it was their
right to try to coerce Belgium to keep to her pledges, although this
would undoubtedly have been an infringement of her sovereignty.

The Treaty of 1839 contains the word "perpetual," but so does the treaty
between France and Germany, in which Alsace and Lorraine are ceded by
France to be perpetually an integral part of the German Empire. Does
this mean that France, if the Allies should win, could not retake these
provinces? N