AMERICA AND THE NEUTRALITY OF BELCIUM.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2452, 4 May 1915, Page 15

AMERICA AND THE NEUTRALITY OF BELCIUM.

Kir, —Having had the pleasure of visiting your country a number of times, and having a great many personal friends there, I cannot understand some of- the news I have seen in your Press pertaining to our not protecting the neutrality of Belgium. The United States made a reservation in accepting the Convention of Arbitration agreed to <rt The Hague. That reservation was expressed in the following terms': — "The delegation of the United Stages of America in signing tho Convention regulating the peaceable settlement of international conflicts, as proposed by the International Peace Conference, make the following declarations: Nothing oontained in this Convention shall be so construed as to require the United • States of. America to depart from its traditional policy of not intruding upon; interfering with, or entangling itself in the political questions of internal administration of any foreign State; nor shall anything contained in the said Convention be construed to imply a relinquishment by the United States of America of its traditional attitude ■ towards purely American questions." Some of my friends still seem to think that because the United States signed The Hague Convention wo were bound to protect the neutrality of Belgium. I give below a copy of a letter I received from our State Department on the subject.—X am, etc., A. J. BARNES. New York, April 8.

[Enclosure.] * Department of State, Washington, February 8, 1015. Mr. A. J. Barnes, 90 West St., New York City. Sir, —In response to your letter of January 7, I am instructed by the Secretary of State to advise you thet the United States is not a party _to an agreement affecting the neutrality of Belgium.—l am, Sir, Your obedient servant, E. C. Sweet, Confidential Clerk.