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
"Much will be demanded of Serbia; she will be required to
dissolve several propagandist societies, she will be summoned to
repress nationalism, to guard the frontier in cooperation with
Austrian officials, to keep strict control over anti-Austrian
tendencies in the schools; and it is a very difficult matter for
a government to consent to become in this way a policeman for a
foreign government. They foresee the subterfuges by which Serbia
will doubtless wish to avoid giving a clear and direct reply;
that is why a short interval will perhaps be fixed for her to
declare whether she accepts or not. The tenor of the note and its
imperious tone almost certainly insure that Belgrade will refuse.
Then military operations will begin.
"There is here, and equally in Berlin, a party which accepts the
idea of a conflict of widespread dimensions; in other words, a
conflagration. The leading idea is probably that it would be
necessary to start before Russia has completed the great
improvements of her army and railways, and before France has
brought her military organization to perfection. But on this
point there is no unanimity in high circles; Count Berchtold and
the diplomatists desire at the most localized operations against
Serbia. But everything must be regarded as possible."
The report commented on the departure from usage by the
Austro-Hungarian press in prominently reporting the remarks of the
most obscure Serbian newspapers,
"which, just on account of their obscurity, employ language
freer, bolder, more aggressive, and often insulting. This work of
the official agency has obviously for its aim the excitement of
public feeling and the creation of opinion favorable to war. The
fact is significant."
On July 21 M. Jules Cambon, French Ambassador at Berlin, reported to
M. Bienvenu-Martin, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs at Paris,
that M. Yovanovitch, Serbian Minister to Germany, had declared to
the German Government that Serbia was willing to entertain Austria's
requirements arising out of the Sarajevo outrage, provided that she
asked only for
"judicial cooperation in the punishment and prevention of
political crimes, but that he was charged to warn the German
Government that it would be dangerous to attempt, through that
investigation, to lower the prestige of Serbia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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