Boncampagni and the German Catholics Erzberger, Koeppenberg,
and others, were wont to meet in the Hotel de Russie to
arrange their daily plan of campaign, and when at last the
people rose up against Giolitti and his enormities, the
Vatican had its mob in readiness to make
counter-demonstrations, and was prevented from letting it
loose only by the superhuman efforts of decent Catholics and
orderly citizens. It is a fair thing to add that the
attitude of the Roman Catholic clergy throughout Italy has
with some few exceptions been consistently patriotic. Even
the bishops and archbishops of the provinces have deserved
well of their King and country, while their flocks have left
nothing to be desired on the score of loyalty and
patriotism.

Buelow's mission to Italy and his relations with Giolitti, the
defeated abettor of Austria in the business preceding Italy's
declaration of war, when they encountered the statecraft of Sonnino
and Salandra, are given in this version of Buelow's playing of his
"trump card":

Although the die was cast and Italy's decision taken, he had
the Austrian concessions greatly amplified, and he offered
them, _not to the King's Government_, but to Giolitti, his
secret ally, who was not in office, but was known to be the
Dictator of Italy. And Giolitti accepted them on the
condition, to be fulfilled after the Cabinet's fall, that
the territory would be further enlarged and consigned to
Italy before the end of the war. The increase of prestige
which this concession would bestow on the tribune was to be
his reward for co-operation with the German Ambassador.
Giolitti having thus approved the offer, undertook to have
it ratified by Parliament, _in spite of the engagements
which the Cabinet had already entered into with the Allied
Powers_. In this sense he spoke to the King, wrote a letter
designed for the nation, and obtained the public adhesion of
a majority of the Chamber which was not then sitting.
Thereupon the Cabinet resigned and left the destinies of
Italy in the hands of the King and the nation. On the part
of the Cabinet this was a brilliant tactical move and a
further proof of the praiseworthy moral courage which it had
displayed throughout the crisis. Indeed, the firmness,
perseverance, and dignified disregard