§ 32. Sir FRANK SANDERSONasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the United States of America was a signatory to The Hague treaties guaranteeing the neutrality of Belgium; and if he will state what other nations were signatories to that guarantee?
§ Sir J. SIMONI assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Belgian settlement of 1839. This consisted of three treaties signed at London, not at The Hague. The United States of America was not a signatory of those treaties, which were first a treaty between Great Britain, Austria, France, Prussia and Russia on the one hand and the Netherlands on the other; secondly, a treaty between the first five Powers mentioned and Belgium; and thirdly, a treaty between the Netherlands and Belgium.