PORTUGAL AND THE WAR. P ORTUGAL in coming into the war
may seem to other small and hesitating neutral States to have taken a bold step, but she has really taken the only line of safety. When she seized the German vessels in the Tagus she cannot seriously have hoped that Germany would not declare war. No doubt she expected war, and in her whole policy she has acted wisely and with her eyes wide open. We welcome the participation in the war of our oldest Ally. Germany has nothing whatever to complain of on any reading of law or treaties. Our Alliance with Portugal has been in existence since 1373, and when German merchant vessels sought shelter in the Tagus it was known to the whole world that at any moment Britain —if the event did not come about in any other way— might call upon Portugal to fulfil the terms of one of the most ancient and best known treaties in existence and support her actively in the war. It was on June 16th, 1373, that Edward III. and King Ferdinand I. of Portugal entered at St. Paul's into a solemn undertaking to help each other, if called upon to do so, by means of " archers, !flingers, ships and galleys armed for war." The treaty spoke pleasantly of " amities, alliances, unions, good confederacies, and leagues of pure love." In 1386, with the approval of all England—for the daughter of John of Gaunt was then Queen of Portugal—the treaty was renewed. It has remained in force ever since. It is very interesting to remember now that the treaty provided that if England and Portugal fought side by side there should be no separate peace. The Allies even promised each other that neither would agree to an armistice without the consent of the other. The treaty is a wonderful historical document. Cromwell and Milton took a hand in revising its language, so that it should be made plain that it was a bond not merely between Kings but between peoples. Under Charles II. a secret clause was introduced by which England promised to guard the Portuguese colomes, but that clause is no longer secret. From time to time the treaty was expressly recognized as operative, and a declara- tion to this effect was made by Queen Victoria. The treaty means for us to-day as it stands : (1) That we must protect the Portuguese colonies if they are attacked ; (2) that there must be no separate peace ; (3) that if any disputes arise between Britain and Portugal as to places conquered by their joint forces, the disputes must be settled by a Court of Judicature. We remember that Portugal is a poor country, and we cannot expect from her powerful help. At the same time, we have no doubt that the Portuguese Government will be thoroughly alive, in their own interests, to the fact that they are at war, and that war with Germany is a life- and-death business. They will know what to expect if Germany should win. Germany, in declaring war, has spoken of the forbearance with which she has hitherto treated Portugal. That means that if Germany ever acquired the power to do so, she would treat Portugal without forbearance. Germany professing forbearance is• bad enough—much worse than the Greeks bearing gifts —but Germany professing anger would be an enemy from whom every small country may well pray to be delivered, and whom it ought to do everything possible to render harmless. What Portugal can do in this war is quite considerable. She has already, as we gratefully acknow- ledge, kept a watch on her coasts, and we have not heard of German submarines or raiders being able to harbour there. The same watchfulness can now be bestowed on the Portuguese islands in the Atlantic where German ships have found temporary shelter. But a greater service still can be rendered in Africa. The entry of Portugal into the war has come at a very opportune moment—]just as general Smuts is developing a largely conceived and dashing movement to crush the resistance in the last colony which !belongs to Germany. German East Africa was already surrounded on nearly all sides by enemies when Portugal received her summons. The one district where the colony was not cut off from the outer world was the border of Portuguese Nyasaland. If Portugal can hold the gate here, German East Africa will indeed be a besieged land, and her end will be absolutely certain. We do not, of course, think that there can be any question as to the fate of German East Africa in any case, but if the Portuguese hold their gate it will be impossible for the hunted German garrison to escape as the Cameroon garrison escaped. The campaign will also probably be shortened. The Portu- guese in West Africa, long before the declaration of war on Portugal, let it be known that the Germans in South-West Africa could not escape through Portuguese territory. We have every hope, therefore, that now that the Portu- guese are actually at war they will be able to complete the encirclement of German East Africa in the strictest fashion.
A glance at the map will show the situation. German East Africa is blockaded by sea by the British Fleet ; from the north and north-west—British East Africa and Uganda—British forces are either attacking or holding the Germans ; on the long western flank lies the Belgian Congo ; south-west are Rhodesia and British Nyasaland ; and finally, on the southern border of the colony and east of Lake Nyasa there is the line which we believe will be held firmly by the Portuguese. There is no chink anywhere. Is there any other contribution which Portugal can make to the war ? We ask the question in no grasping spirit, but because, as we have said, the concern of Portugal that the war should be won by the Allies is as deep as that of any other member of the Alliance. The Portuguese Army has a nominal strength of about a quarter of a million. It is not to be supposed that Portugal has the means to put such a force into the field. But it is quite conceivable that she could equip a small force in the modern manner—say fifty or a hundred thousand Men. We call to mind the ever-memorable reconstruction of the Portuguese Army in the Peninsular War. Beresford, who was placed in com- mand of the Portuguese, found that they were unable to stand against the veterans of Soult, and he decided on effecting a complete reorganization, and giving the Army a thorough training before taking the field again. He had the fullest moral authority, as he had been created a Marshal in the Portuguese Army and a local Lieutenant- General—ranks, by the way, which caused the most discomfiting 'jealousy among his British brother-officers, who never knew exactly how the touchy Irishman ought to be treated when he was among British troops. He always had, however, the support of Wellington, who thoroughly believed in him, though he frequently deplored his insistence on his rank. He picked a small and select inner Army from the Portuguese Army, and turned them into astonishingly good light infantry, and had the glorious satisfaction of seeing them block the path of the French troops, before whom they had at first crumbled away. What was possible then would be possible again. This is, of course, only a suggestion. It is offered diffidently, but it- is also a measure of our conviction that the Portuguese Government mean business. We cannot help feeling that the Portuguese people may well draw closer together in this war. Royalists and Republicans may discover that in:the common 'defence of their country they have lost the hitternetis of their differences ; the best qualities of the nation may emerge and triumph.
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