[536] Hanotaux, La Politique de l'Équilibre, p. 419.
[537] See Times of October 3, 1914, and July 20, 1915 (with quotations from the North German Gazette). Bethmann-Hollweg declared to the Reichstag, on August 19, 1915, that Asquith's statement was false; but in a letter published on August 26, and an official statement of September 1, 1915, Sir E. Grey convincingly refuted him.
[538] Castle and Hurd, German Naval Power, pp. 142-152.
[539] The claim that the Greek statesman, Venizelos, founded the league seems incorrect. So, too, is the rumour that Russia, through her minister, Hartvig, at Belgrade, framed it (but see N. Jorga, Hist. des États balcaniques, p. 436). Miliukoff, in a "Report to the Carnegie Foundation," denies this. The plan occurred to many men so soon as Turkish Reform proved a sham. Venizelos is said to have mooted it to Mr. James Bourchier in May 1911. (R. Rankin, Inner History of the Balkan War, p. 13.)
[540] Italy made peace on October 15, gaining possession of Tripoli and agreeing to evacuate the Aegean Isles, but on various pretexts kept her troops there. A little later she renewed the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria for five years. This may have resulted from the Balkan crisis then beginning, and from the visits of the Russian Foreign Minister, Sazonoff, to Paris and London, whereupon it was officially stated that Russia adhered both to her treaty with France and her Entente with England. He added that the grouping of the great States was necessary in the interests of the Balance of Power.
[541] See Times of May 30, 1913; Rankin, op. cit. p. 517.
[542] Roumania's sudden intervention annoyed Austria, who had hoped for a longer and more exhausting war in the Balkans.
[543] Edith Durham, The Struggle for Scutari, p. 315.