’Servia may be induced to accept note in its entirety on the advice of the four Powers invited to the conference, and this would enable her to say that she had yielded to Europe and not to Austria-Hungary alone’.[162]

Next day the Marquis di San Giuliano called attention to a point in Servia’s reply to Austria which might form a starting-point for mediation.[163] On July 29th he tried to get over Germany’s objection to the idea of a ‘Conference’ by suggesting adherence to the idea of an exchange of views in London.[164] Next day he added to this the practical suggestion that

’Germany might invite Austria to state exactly the terms which she would demand from Servia, and give a guarantee that she would neither deprive her of independence, nor annex territory....  We might, on the other hand, ascertain from Russia what she would accept, and, once we knew the standpoints of these two countries, discussions could be commenced at once.’[165]

Moreover the Italian Ambassador at Vienna, in the hope of pacifying Russia, made the useful suggestion that Austria should

’convert into a binding engagement to Europe the declaration which has been made at St. Petersburg to the effect that she desires neither to destroy the independence of Servia, nor to acquire Servian territory’.[166]

All efforts to preserve peace proved futile; Germany delivered her ultimatum to France and to Russia.  Then arose the question, what was Italy to do?  The answer to this was given by the Italian Foreign Minister:—­

’The war undertaken by Austria, and the consequences which might result, had, in the words of the German Ambassador himself, an aggressive object.  Both were therefore in conflict with the purely defensive character of the Triple Alliance; in such circumstances Italy would remain neutral.’[167]

The German White Book says ’Russia began the war on us’[168] and ’France opened hostilities’[169]; if these statements were true, Italy would have been obliged, if she were to remain faithful to her engagements, to take part in the war side by side with her colleagues of the Triple Alliance.  Impartial readers can draw their own conclusions.

NOTE

Austro-Hungarian note to Servia, and Servia’s reply.

On July 23rd the Austro-Hungarian Government presented an ultimatum to Servia, demanding unconditional acceptance within 48 hours, an ultimatum which the Temps next day described as ’unprecedented in its arrogance and in the extravagance of its demands’.  Of it Sir Edward Grey said:—­

’I had never before seen one State address to another independent State a document of so formidable a character.  Demand No. 5 would be hardly consistent with the maintenance of Servia’s independent sovereignty, if it were to mean, as it seemed that it might, that Austria-Hungary was to be invested with a right to appoint officials who would have authority within the frontiers of Servia.’[170]

It may be true, as the Austrian Ambassador explained,[171] that the Austro-Hungarian Government did not intend this step to be regarded as an ultimatum, but as a demarche with a time-limit.