To convince any reasonable man that this Austrian ultimatum to Servia was brutal in its tone and unreasonable in its demands, and that the reply of Servia was as complete an acquiescence as Servia could make without a fatal compromise of its sovereignty and self-respect, it is only necessary to print in parallel columns the demands of Austria and the reply of Servia.
AUSTRIA’S ULTIMATUM
TO SERVIA | | THE SERVIAN REPLY |
| “To achieve this end the Imperial and Royal Government sees
itself compelled to demand from the Royal Servian Government
a formal assurance that it condemns this dangerous
propaganda against the Monarchy; in other words, the whole
series of tendencies, the ultimate aim of which is to detach
from the Monarchy territories belonging to it, and that it
undertakes to suppress by every means this criminal and
terrorist propaganda.
“In order to give a formal character to this undertaking the
Royal Servian Government shall publish on the front page of
its ‘Official Journal’ of the 26th July, the following
declaration:
“‘The Royal Government of Servia condemns the propaganda
directed against Austria-Hungary—i.e., the general
tendency of which the final aim is to detach from the
Austro-Hungarian Monarchy territories belonging to it, and
it sincerely deplores the fatal consequence of these
criminal proceedings.
“‘The Royal Government regrets that Servian officers and
functionaries participated in the above-mentioned
propaganda, and thus compromised the good neighborly
relations to which the Royal Government was solemnly pledged
by its declaration of the 31st March, 1909.
“‘The Royal Government, which disapproves and repudiates all
idea of interfering or attempting to interfere with the
destinies of the inhabitants of any part whatsoever of
Austria-Hungary, considers it its duty formally to warn
officers and functionaries, and the whole population of the
kingdom, that henceforward it will proceed with the utmost
rigor against persons who may be guilty of such
machinations, which it will use all its efforts to
anticipate and suppress.’
“This declaration shall simultaneously be communicated to
the Royal Army as an order of the day by His Majesty the
King and shall be published in the ‘Official Bulletin’ of
the Army. | | “The Royal Government has received the notification of the
Austro-Hungarian Government of the 10th inst., and is
convinced that its answer will remove every misunderstanding
that threatens to disturb the pleasant neighborly relations
between the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the Servian
Kingdom.
“The Royal Government is certain that in dealing with the
great neighboring monarchy these protests have under no
pretexts been renewed which formerly were made both in the
Skupshtina and in explanations and negotiations of
responsible representatives of the State, and which, through
the declaration of the Servian Government of March 18, 1909,
were settled; furthermore, that since that time none of the
various successive Governments of the kingdom, nor any of
its officers, has made an attempt to change the political
and legal conditions set up in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The
Royal Government is certain that the Austro-Hungarian
Government has made no representations of any kind along
this line except in the case of a textbook concerning which
the Austro-Hungarian Government received an entirely
satisfactory reply. Servia, during the Balkan crisis, gave
evidence in numerous cases of her pacific and temperate
policies, and it will be thanks to Servia alone and the
sacrifices that she alone made in the interest of European
peace if that peace continue.
“The Royal Government cannot be held responsible for
utterances of a private character such as newspaper articles
and the peaceful work of societies, utterances which are
quite ordinary in almost all countries, and which are not
generally under State control, especially since the Royal
Government, in the solution of a great number of questions
that came up between Servia and Austria-Hungary, showed much
consideration as a result of which most of these questions
were settled in the best interests of the progress of the
two neighboring countries.
“The Royal Government was therefore painfully surprised to
hear the contention that Servian subjects had taken part in
the preparations for the murder committed in Serajevo. It
had hoped to be invited to coöperate in the investigations
following this crime, and was prepared, in order to prove
the entire correctness of its acts, to proceed against all
persons concerning whom it had received information.
“In conformity with the wish of the Austro-Hungarian
Government, the Royal Government is prepared to turn over to
the court, regardless of station or rank, any Servian
subject concerning whose participation in the crime at
Serajevo proofs may be given to it. The Government pledges
itself especially to publish on the first page of the
official organ of July 26th the following declaration:
“‘The Royal Servian Government condemns every propaganda
that may be directed against Austria-Hungary; that is to
say, all efforts designed ultimately to sever territory from
the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and it regrets sincerely the
sad consequences of these criminal machinations.’
“The Royal Government regrets that, in accordance with
advices from the Austro-Hungarian Government, certain
Servian officers and functionaries are taking an active part
in the present propaganda, and that they have thereby
jeopardized the pleasant neighborly relations to the
maintenance of which the Royal Government was formally
pledged by the declaration of March 31, 1909.
“The Government (what follows here is similar to the text
demanded). |
| “‘The Royal Servian Government further undertakes: | | “The Royal Government further pledges itself: |
| “1. To suppress any publication which incites to hatred and
contempt of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the general
tendency of which is directed against its territorial
integrity; | | “1. To introduce a provision in the press law on the
occasion of the next regular session of the Skupshtina,
according to which instigations to hatred and contempt of
the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, as well as any publication
directed in general against the territorial integrity of
Austria-Hungary, shall be punished severely.
“The Government pledges itself, on the occasion of the
coming revision of the Constitution, to add to Article XXII.
a clause permitting the confiscation of publications, the
confiscation of which, under the present Article XXII. of
the Constitution, would be impossible.
|
| “2. To dissolve immediately the society styled Narodna
Odbrana, to confiscate all its means of propaganda, and to
proceed in the same manner against other societies and their
branches in Servia which engage in propaganda against the
Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The Royal Government shall take
the necessary measures to prevent the societies dissolved
from continuing their activity under another name and form; | | “2. The Government possesses no proof—and the Note of the
Austro-Hungarian Government provides it with none—that the
‘Narodna Odbrana’ Society and other similar associations
have up to the present committed any criminal acts through
any of their members. Nevertheless, the Royal Government
will accept the demand of the Austro-Hungarian Government
and dissolve the Narodna Odbrana Society, as well as all
societies that may work against Austria-Hungary. |
| “3. To eliminate without delay from public instruction in
Servia, both as regards the teaching body and also as
regards the methods of instruction, everything that serves,
or might serve, to foment the propaganda against
Austria-Hungary: | | “3. The Royal Servian Government agrees to eliminate
forthwith from public education in Servia everything that
might help the propaganda against Austria-Hungary, provided
that the Austro-Hungarian Government gives it actual proof
of this propaganda. |
| “4. To remove from the military service, and from the
administration in general, all officers and functionaries
guilty of propaganda against the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy
whose names and deeds the Austro-Hungarian Government
reserves to itself the right of communicating to the Royal
Government; | | “4. The Royal Government is also ready to discharge from
military and civil service such officers—provided it is
proved against them by legal investigation—who have
implicated themselves in acts directed against the
territorial integrity of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy; the
Government expects that, for the purpose of instituting
proceedings, the Austro-Hungarian Government will impart the
names of these officers and employés and the acts of which
they are accused. |
| “5. To accept the collaboration in Servia of representatives
of the Austro-Hungarian Government in the suppression of the
subversive movement directed against the territorial
integrity of the Monarchy; | | “5. The Royal Servian Government must confess that it is not
quite clear as to the sense and scope of the desire of the
Austro-Hungarian Government to the effect that the Royal
Servian Government bind itself to allow the coöperation
within its territory of representatives of the
Austro-Hungarian Government, but it nevertheless declares
itself willing to permit such coöperation as might be in
conformity with international law and criminal procedure, as
well as with friendly neighborly relations. |
| “6. To take judicial proceedings against accessories to the
plot of the 28th June who are on Servian territory.
Delegates of the Austro-Hungarian Government will take part
in the investigation relating thereto; | | “6. The Royal Government naturally holds itself bound to
institute an investigation against all such persons as were
concerned in the plot of June 15th-28th, or are supposed to
have been concerned in it, and are on Servian soil. As to
the coöperation of special delegates of the Austro-Hungarian
Government in this investigation, the Servian Government
cannot accept such coöperation, since this would be a
violation of the laws and criminal procedure. However, in
individual cases, information as to the progress of the
investigation might be given to the Austro-Hungarian
delegates. |
| “7. To proceed without delay to the arrest of Major Voija
Tankositch and of the individual named Milan Ciganovitch, a
Servian State employé, who have been compromised by the
results of the magisterial enquiry at Serajevo; | | “7. On the very evening on which your Note arrived the Royal
Government caused the arrest of Major Voislar Tankosic. But,
regarding Milan Ciganovic, who is a subject of the
Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and who was employed until June
15th (as candidate) in the Department of Railroads it has
not been possible to arrest this man up till now, for which
reason a warrant has been issued against him.
“The Austro-Hungarian Government is requested, in order that
the investigation may be made as soon as possible, to make
known in the specified form what grounds of suspicion exist,
and the proofs of guilt collected at the investigation in
Serajevo.
|
| “8. To prevent by effective measures the coöperation of the
Servian authorities in the illicit traffic in arms and
explosives across the frontier, to dismiss and punish
severely the officials of the frontier service at Schabatz
and Loznica guilty of having assisted the perpetrators of
the Serajevo crime by facilitating their passage across the
frontier; | | “8. The Servian Government will increase the severity and
scope of its measures against the smuggling of arms and
explosives.
“It goes without saying that it will at once start an
investigation and mete out severe punishment to the frontier
officials of the Sabac-Loznica line who failed in their duty
and allowed those responsible for the crime to cross the
frontier. |
| “9. To furnish the Imperial and Royal Government with
explanations regarding the unjustifiable utterances of high
Servian officials, both in Servia and abroad, who,
notwithstanding their official position, did not hesitate
after the crime of the 28th June to express themselves in
interviews in terms of hostility to the Austro-Hungarian
Government; and finally, | | “9. The Royal Government is willing to give explanations of
the statements made in interviews by its officials in Servia
and foreign countries after the crime, and which, according
to the Austro-Hungarian Government, were anti-Austrian, as
soon as the said Government indicates where these statements
were made, and provides proofs that such statements were
actually made by the said officials. The Royal Government
will itself take steps to collect the necessary proofs and
means of transmission for this purpose. |
| “10. To notify the Imperial and Royal Government without
delay of the execution of the measures comprised under the
preceding heads. | | “10. The Royal Government will, in so far as this has not
already occurred in this Note, inform the Austro-Hungarian
Government of the taking of the measures concerning the
foregoing matters, as soon as such measures have been
ordered and carried out. |
| “The Austro-Hungarian Government expects the reply of the
Royal Government at the latest by six o’clock on Saturday
evening, the 25th July.” | | “The Royal Servian Government is of the opinion that it is
mutually advantageous not to hinder the settlement of this
question, and therefore, in case the Austro-Hungarian
Government should not consider itself satisfied with this
answer, it is ready as always to accept a peaceful solution,
either by referring the decision of this question to the
international tribunal at The Hague, or by leaving it to the
great Powers who coöperated in the preparation of the
explanation given by the Servian Government on the 17th-31st
March, 1909.” |
It increases the ineffaceable discredit of this brutal ultimatum when we consider the relative size of the two nations. Austria has a population of over 50,000,000 and Servia about 4,000,000. Moreover, Servia had just emerged from two terrible conflicts, from which it was still bleeding to exhaustion. Austria’s ultimatum was that of a Goliath to David, and, up to the hour that this book goes to press, the result has not been different from that famous conflict.
Germany itself had already given to Servia an intimation of its intended fate. It had anticipated the Austrian ultimatum by some pointed suggestions to Servia on its own account, for in the letter already quoted from Sir M. de Bunsen to Sir Edward Grey, we learn that the German Secretary of State told the British Ambassador before the ultimatum was issued that he
on several occasions, in conversation with the Servian Minister, emphasized the extreme importance that Austro-Servian relations should be put on a proper footing.[14]
This pointed intimation from Germany, thus preceding the formal ultimatum from Austria, naturally gave Servia a quick appreciation that within the short space allowed by the ultimatum, it must either acquiesce in grossly unreasonable demands or perish as an independent nation.
To appreciate fully the brutality of this ultimatum let us imagine a precise analogy.
The relations of France and Germany—leaving aside the important difference of relative size—are not unlike the relations that existed between Servia and Austria. In 1908, Austria had forcibly annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, both of them Slav countries, and when Servia had emerged from the Balko-Turkish War with signal credit to itself, it was again Austria that had intervened and deprived it of the fruit of its victories by denying it access to the sea.