The Story of the Great War, Volume 1: Introductions; Special Articles; Causes of War; Diplomatic and State Papers
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 1: Introductions; Special Articles; Causes of War; Diplomatic and State Papers
World War, 1914-1918
"Far from carrying out the formal undertakings contained in the
declaration of March 31, 1909, the Royal Serbian Government has done
nothing to repress these movements. It has permitted the criminal
machinations of various societies and associations, and has
tolerated unrestrained language on the part of the press, apologies
for the perpetrators of outrage and the participation of officers
and functionaries in subversive agitation. It has permitted an
unwholesome propaganda in public instruction. In short, it has
permitted all the manifestations which have incited the Serbian
population to hatred of the monarchy and contempt of its
institutions.
"This culpable tolerance of the Royal Serbian Government had not
ceased at the moment when the events of June 28 last proved its
fatal consequences to the whole world.
"It results from the depositions and confessions of the criminal
perpetrators of the outrage of June 28 that the Sarajevo
assassinations were hatched in Belgrade, that the arms and
explosives with which the murderers were provided had been given to
them by Serbian officers and functionaries belonging to the Narodna
Obrava, and, finally, that the passage into Bosnia of the criminals
and their arms was organized and effected by the chiefs of the
Serbian Frontier Service.
"The above-mentioned results of the magisterial investigation do not
permit the Austro-Hungarian Government to pursue any longer the
attitude of expectant forbearance which it has maintained for years
in face of the machinations hatched in Belgrade and thence
propagated in the territories of the monarchy. These results, on the
contrary, impose on it the duty of putting an end to intrigues which
form a perpetual menace to the tranquility of the monarchy.
"To achieve this end the Imperial and Royal Government sees itself
compelled to demand from the Serbian Government a formal assurance
that it condemns this dangerous propaganda against the monarchy and
the territories belonging to it, and that the Royal Serbian
Government shall no longer permit these machinations and this
criminal and perverse propaganda.
"In order to give a formal character to this undertaking the Royal
Serbian Government shall publish on the front page of its official
journal for July 26 the following declaration:
"'The Royal Government of Serbia condemns the propaganda directed
against Austria-Hungary, i. e., the ensemble of tendencies of which
the final aim is to detach from Austro-Hungarian monarchy
territories belonging to it, and it sincerely deplores the fatal
consequences of these criminal proceedings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account