Page:The guilt of William Hohenzollern.djvu/112

108 has suddenly returned from a journey to Russia. He had started on this journey only after Count Berchtold had given the assurance that the demands addressed to Serbia were highly acceptable."

On July 23rd the acting Foreign Minister in Paris, M. Bienvenu Martin, reported to the French Ambassador:

""M. Dumaine, whom I had charged to direct the attention of the Austrian Government to the uneasiness that has arisen in Europe, was assured by Baron von Macchio, in reply to his question, that the tone of the Austrian Note and the terms laid down therein were calculated to effect a peaceful solution. I do not know how far credence may be given to these assurances, considering the usages of the Imperial Chancellery.""

The usages of diplomacy are in no country distinguished by excessive sincerity. But a perfidy so short-sighted as to assert to-day something whose utter falsehood it must itself reveal to-morrow, implies not only such shamelessness but also such stupidity as—Oxenstierna notwithstanding is out of the common.

After such preparation of public opinion the ultimatum was delivered to Serbia on the evening of July 23rd.