clock on Saturday evening, July
26, 1914."

[Illustration: Austria, 1815-1914.]

CHAPTER XXI

SERBIA'S REPLY

Because this note was so specific in its demands it is best to give
in full the Serbian reply to it, which was issued within the period
set by the Austro-Hungarian note. The Serbian answer in full was as
follows:

"The Royal Serbian Government has received the communication of the
Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Government, and it is persuaded
that its reply will remove all misunderstanding tending to threaten
or to prejudice the friendly and neighborly relations between the
Austro-Hungarian monarchy and the kingdom of Serbia.

"The Royal Government is aware that the protests made both at the
tribune of the National Skupshtina (the Serbian legislative body)
and in the declarations and the acts of responsible representatives
of the state--protests which were cut short by the declaration of
the Serbian Government made on March 18--have not been renewed
toward the great neighboring monarchy on any occasion and that since
this time, both on the part of the Royal Governments which have
followed on one another, and on the part of their organs, no attempt
has been made with the purpose of changing the political and
judicial state of things in this respect.

"The Imperial and Royal Government has made no representations save
concerning a scholastic book regarding which the Imperial and Royal
Government has received an entirely satisfactory explanation. Serbia
has repeatedly given proofs of her pacific and moderate policy during
the Balkan crises, and it is thanks to Serbia and the sacrifice she
made exclusively in the interest of the peace of Europe that this
peace has been preserved. The Royal Government cannot be held
responsible for manifestations of a private nature, such as newspaper
articles and the peaceful work of societies--manifestations which
occur in almost all countries as a matter of course, and which, as a
general rule, escape official control--all the less in that the Royal
Government when solving a whole series of questions which came up
between Serbia and Austria-Hungary has displayed a great readiness to
treat prevenance, and in this way succeeded in settling the greater
number to the advantage of the progress of the two neighboring
countries.

"It is for this reason that the Royal Government has been painfully
surprised by the statements according to which persons of the
King