Portugal’s choice

From ‘Portugal and the war’, The Spectator, 18 March 1916: Portugal in coming into the war may seem to have taken a bold step, but she has really taken the only line of safety.  Our alliance with Portugal has been in existence since 1373. 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.