ge, mortally
wounding the archduke and his wife. The assassin was an Austrian Serb, a
member of a Serbian secret society which had for its aim the separation
of the Serb provinces from Austria-Hungary and their annexation to the
kingdom of Serbia. The crime caused great excitement and horror
throughout Europe. But the deed had given Austria the opportunity to
settle its account with Serbia and thus put an end to the Serb plottings
within the Austrian borders.

THE DECISION FOR WAR.--There is evidence that on July 5, one week
after the murder at Serajevo, a secret meeting of German and Austrian
statesmen and generals took place in the German emperor's palace at
Potsdam, a suburb of Berlin. Probably at this conference it was
definitely decided that the assassination of the Austrian crown prince
should be used as a pretext for crushing Serbia. Austria, it was
expected, would thus permanently settle her Serbian problem. Germany
must have known that this action would probably lead to a general
European war, since Russia would come to the rescue of Serbia and France
would stand by Russia. But Germany was ready at last, and so the
terrible decision was made.

THE AUSTRIAN ULTIMATUM.--On July 23, the Austro-Hungarian government
sent a note to the government of Serbia holding her accountable for the
Serajevo murder and making a number of humiliating demands. Serbia was
told she must suppress all newspapers inciting enmity to Austria, that
she must dissolve all societies that were working toward "Pan-Serbism,"
that she must dismiss from the Serbian public service all officials whom
the Austrian government should officially accuse of plotting against
Austria, that she must accept the help of Austrian officials in Serbia
in the putting down of anti-Austrian activities and in searching out
accessories to the plot of June 28, that she must arrest two Serbian
officials who had been implicated by the trial in Serajevo, and that she
must put a stop to the smuggling of arms from Serbia into Austria.

The demand that Serbia admit Austrian officials into Serbia to take part
in the work of investigation and suppression was an intolerable invasion
of Serbia's sovereignty within her own borders. But the most threatening
part of the note was its conclusion: "The Austro-Hungarian government
expects the reply of the royal [Serbian] government at the latest by 6
o'clock on Saturday evening, the 25th of July." In other words, the note
was an ul