independent neutral state.  This recognition was embodied in the Treaty of the Twenty-Four Articles signed at London in October, 1831; and it was not too generous to the aspirations of Belgian nationality.  Since the Belgians had been defeated in the field by Holland and had only been rescued by a French army, they were obliged to surrender their claims upon Maestricht, parts of Luxemburg, and parts of Limburg.  Some time elapsed before this settlement was recognized by Holland.  But at length this last guarantee was obtained; and the Treaty of London, 1839, finally established the international status of Belgium.  Under this treaty both her independence and her neutrality were definitely guaranteed by England, France, Austria, Prussia, and Russia.

We have recently been told by the Imperial Chancellor that the Treaty of 1839 is nothing but ‘a scrap of paper’.  It is therefore desirable to point out that Bismarck made full use of it in 1870 to prevent England from supporting the cause of France.  It was with this object that he published the proposal alleged to have been made to him by the French representative, Benedetti, in 1866, that Prussia should help France to acquire Belgium as a solace for Prussian annexations in Northern Germany.  Then, as now, England insisted upon the Treaty of 1839.  The result was that, on the instance of Lord Granville, Germany and France entered into an identic treaty with Great Britain (Aug. 1870) to the effect that, if either belligerent violated Belgian territory, Great Britain would co-operate with the other for the defence of it.  The treaty was most strictly construed.  After the battle of Sedan (Sept. 1870) the German Government applied to Belgium for leave to transport the German wounded across Belgian territory.  France protested that this would be a breach of neutrality and Belgium refused.

Such is the history of the process by which Belgium has acquired her special status.  As an independent state she is bound by the elementary principle of the law of nations, that a neutral state is bound to refuse to grant a right of passage to a belligerent.  This is a well-established rule, and was formally affirmed by the Great Powers at the Hague Peace Conference of 1907.  The fifth Article of the Convention [3] then drawn up respecting the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers and Persons in War on Land runs as follows:—­

  ’A neutral power ought not to allow on its territory any of
  the acts referred to in Articles 2 to 4’.

Of the Articles thus specified the most important is No. 2:—­

  ’Belligerents are forbidden to move across the territory of
  a neutral power troops or convoys, either of munitions of war
  or supplies’.

By the Treaty of London the existence of Belgium is contingent upon her perpetual neutrality:—­