M. tomorrow."
[English "White Paper," No. 7.]
Austria's only concession then or subsequently to the cause of peace was
the assurance that Austria would not _after its conquest_ of Servia
demand any territory.
The action of Germany on this day, July 24, is most significant. Its
Ambassador in England communicated a note to Sir Edward Grey in which it
justified Austro-Hungarian grievances and ultimatum by saying that
"under these circumstances the course of procedure and demands
of the Austro-Hungarian Government can only be regarded as
equitable and moderate."
The note added:
"The Imperial Government [Germany] want to emphasize their
opinion that in the present case there is only question of a
matter to be settled exclusively between Austria-Hungary and
Servia, and that the great powers ought seriously to endeavor
to reserve it to those two immediately concerned."
[English "White Paper," No. 9.]
On July 25, probably to the great surprise of both Germany and Austria,
which had definitely calculated upon Servians non-compliance with the
ultimatum, the latter country, under the conciliatory advice of Russia
and England, made a reply in which, at some sacrifice of its
self-respect as a sovereign State, it substantially accepted all but one
of the demands of Austria, and as to that it did not, in terms, refuse
it, but expressed its willingness to refer it either to arbitration or
to a conference of the powers.
Pages:
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40