Page:Diplomacy and the War (Andrassy 1921).djvu/135

 representative of the Hungarian Government, Burian, and to communicate my point of view to him.

I carried out Berchtold's wish and Burian told me personally that in his opinion Italy brought forward the territorial question because they regarded Berchtold as excessively conciliatory, and that the Italians had gathered courage from the journey of Prince Bülow to Rome. He believed that the Italians could be taught to keep such demands to themselves by more forcible and self-conscious language. Burian considered it possible that the moment might arise later on when it would be necessary to cede territory to the Italians, but he considered that at this time such an attempt would be premature. He expected an important military success in Galicia which would damp Italian aspirations for ever.

It was only on the following day, January 13, that I learnt that Berchtold had resigned, and that Burian was to be his successor. I regarded future developments of this question with the greatest anxiety because I was afraid that Burian's attitude might create such distrust in Italy that an advantageous solution of this question might be rendered impossible in the future.

The anticipated military success which was to be the reoccupation of Przemysl unfortunately did not take place. Burian conducted, as can be seen in the Red Book, much more forcible negotiations with Italy than Berchtold, because Italy did not alter her intentions. The conviction grew in Rome that Italy's aims could only be achieved by force of arms.