An item reported that the Belgian cabinet appointed a commission to investigate if Belgium needed a navy for defending her coastal line, Antwerp, connection with her African colony Congo (1), showing her flag etc. The Belgian newspaper De Schelde of Antwerp protested strongly against creating such a navy as was nothing more as excessive militarism. The First World War was just ended and Belgium was even not recovered from her heavy losses. Other countries were decreasing their armed forces. And what would Belgium with her few torpedo boats do against the overwhelming forces her neighbours could send in short time to the North Sea wondered the journalist.
Note
1. In 1876 was at Brussels the International African Association founded by the Belgian king Leopold II with as purpose to execute humanitarian projects in Central Africa in what on 1 July 1885 became the Congo Free State and later the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Between 1885 and 1908 it was in fact private property of Leopold and than annexed by the Belgian government on 15 November 1908 as Belgian Congo. This annexation was caused by international protests against the extremely worse living conditions. In the period 1902-1931 possessed Belgium also a concession in the Chinese harbour Tianjin. Except for realizing an electricity network and the construction of tramway was this every lasting concession of a territory not really explored. After the Treaty of Versailles was former German East Africa divided and since 1924 was Belgium granted by the League of Nations with a mandate over Ruand-Urundi (since 1962 independent as Rwanda and Burindi).
