Page:Diplomacy and the War (Andrassy 1921).djvu/227

 memories from my early childhood and by reverence for my father that I found myself in opposition to the old King. At the same time, the reverence and attachment which I felt for him made it my duty not to adapt myself to his pet ideas, or to run after his moods or those of the nation, but only to advise that which was good for them.

I have often been told that owing to this policy of mine in connection with the army question, I placed myself at variance with the traditions of my father. I will not examine the details of this question before a foreign audience, but I will content myself with pointing out that, of all the lessons which I received as the inheritance of my father, the one which is the most sacred to me is the one that told me that I must never do anything but that which my conviction demands. I could face the responsibility of all my mistakes except in the event of my sacrificing in a cowardly manner that which was my conviction. My conviction, however, demanded that I should desire a change of our system of government.

At a time when the whole world bristled with arms, and our situation was especially dangerous, it was impossible to accept without protest a situation in which every increase of our army led to serious complications. It was necessary at such a time to make the army popular and to bring the army and the King into closer contact with the people.

I also saw a serious danger in the fact that the same party was at the head of affairs since Koloman Tisza