Page:Great Speeches of the War.djvu/85

Rh We entered into this treaty, a solemn treaty, a full treaty, to defend Belgium and her integrity. Our signatures are attached to the document. Our signatures do not stand alone there. This was not the only country to defend the integrity of Belgium. Russia, France, Austria, and Prussia — [hisses] — they are all there. Why did they not perform the obligation? It is suggested that when you quote this treaty, it is purely an excuse on our part. It is our low craft and cunning, just to cloak our jealousy of a superior civilization—[laughter] — we are attempting to destroy.

Our answer is the action we took in 1870. [Cheers.] What was that? Mr. Gladstone was then Prime Minister. Lord Granville, I think, was then Foreign Secretary. I have never heard it alleged to their charge that they were ever Jingo. What did they do in 1870? We called upon the belligerent Powers to respect that Treaty. We called upon France, we called upon Germany. At that time, bear in mind, the greatest danger to Belgium came from France and not from Germany. We intervened to protect Belgium against France exactly as we are doing now to protect her against Germany. We are proceeding exactly in the same way. We invited both the belligerent Powers to state that they had no intention of violating Belgian territory. What was the answer given by Bismarck? He said it was superfluous to ask Prussia such a question in view of the treaties in force. France gave a similar answer.

We received the thanks at that time of the Belgian people for our intervention in a very remarkable document. Here is the document addressed by the municipality of Brussels to Queen Victoria after that intervention:


 * "The great and noble people over whose destinies you preside have just given a further proof of its benevolent sentiments towards this country. The voice of the English nation has been heard above the din of arms. It has asserted the principles of justice and right. Next to the unalterable attachment of the Belgian people to their independence the strongest sentiment which fills their hearts is that of an imperishable gratitude to the people of Great Britain."

[Loud cheers.]

That was in 1870. Mark what follows. Three or four days after that document of thanks the French army was wedged up against the Belgian frontier. Every means of