OCR Text |
Show BELGIUM AND PEACE. Obviously inspired is the suggestion of the Frankfurter Zeitung that Bel- j gium is at liberty to make separate j peace with Germany, as Belgium never has signed the London agreement against a separate peace. Much importance im-portance will be attached to the suggestion sug-gestion in all the belligerent countries and there will be lively speculation as to the purpose back of it. Hitherto Germany has seemed to regard Belgium, Bel-gium, to use the words of the Frankfurter Frank-furter Zeitung, as "an object of exchange," or perhaps rather as an object ob-ject partly of exchange and partly of annexation. The principal purpose of the war against Great Britain has been to ob-taiu ob-taiu for Germany control of one side of the English channel, so that Germany would be able to dominate the trade routes by sea to Germany. If Germany had been able to get possession of that portion of France bordering on the English Eng-lish chaunel she would not need the coast of Belgium, but, having failed to take Calais and the long stretch of coast to the southwest of that port, Germany needs the coast of Belgium as an alternative. Now it is suggested that a separate peace be made with Belgium and the natural question is, "Would the territorial integrity and independence of Belgium be conceded?" conced-ed?" The probable answer is that if peace were made now Germany would make Belgium a vassal state in reality it not in uppearauee. It is likely that the German government govern-ment would insist upon the right to traverse Belgium at all times with military mil-itary or nava.l forces, the right, to develop de-velop naval bases on the Belgian coast and the right to make trade agreements of various kinds favorable, to Germany. |