ABSTRACT
An early test for the Dutch polity of neutrality began late in September of 1914, when the German forces approached Antwerp. Only about a dozen miles from the Dutch border, the city of Antwerp was one of the great ports of the world as well as the largest and most prosperous city of Belgium. The most important finding from Gallhofer and Saris' analysis is that almost no one gave a clear articulation of the degree of national interest which might be involved in any possible outcome. Although the American leaders and advisors then went to great pains to identify their options and to speculate on the likely consequences of particular moves, there was little systematic attention to formulating just what basic national interests were involved. A special application may be that of showing how different policy makers may bring varied perspectives to viewing the same international situation.
