Show i SENSATION IN BELGIUM story That Franco Proposed to Annex It the Cause Paris Jan iA dispatch received I here from Brussels says the military I commission which Is studying the reorganization I re-organization of the defense of Belgium has been Informed In support of the Governments project that Gen Zur linden former French Minister of War proposed in 1S97 to thc superior war council that Prance would annex Belgium Bel-gium and that the Belgian Minister at Paris notified his Government of this fact The dispatch adds that Great I Britain at that time was Indifferent while Germany was Inclined to acquiesce ac-quiesce regarding the suggested annexation an-nexation as Frances compensation for the loss of AlsaceLorraine The statement state-ment has caused a sensation In Belgium Bel-gium and has attracted much attention In France Euron dAnethan the Belgian Minister here in an Interview denies that ho has attributed such a declaration to Gen Zurllnden He admitS he sent his Goveinment I cuttings from newspapers containing similar assertions but he refrained from comment on them The Minister adds that throughout his career ca-reer he remembers no Incident tending to affect the neutrality of Belgium except ex-cept at the time of the French empire and its schemes regarding the left bank of the Rhine |