Page:The guilt of William Hohenzollern.djvu/140

136 ""My exalted Ally, the Emperor and King Francis Joseph, was compelled to take up arms.'""

Very different was the view expressed and that not in a casual observation—on July 28th. On that day William wrote a letter to Bethmann-Hollweg, already printed in the Deutsche Politik of July 18th, 1919. On account of its importance we reproduce it here. The two very noteworthy phrases printed by us in parentheses are omitted in the text as given by the Deutsche Politik.

The letter runs:

",

"After reading the Serbian reply, which I received this morning, I am convinced that the desires of the Danube Monarchy are substantially fulfilled. The few reservations which Serbia has made on particular points can, in my judgment, be cleared up by negotiation. But her capitulation (one of the most submissive kind) is here proclaimed to all the world, and with it every reason for war falls to the ground.

"All the same, we can only attach a limited value to this scrap of paper and its contents so long as it is not translated into action. The Serbs are Orientals, and therefore sly, false, and masters of evasion. In order that these fine undertakings may be realized in truth and fact, it will be necessary to exercise a douce violence. This could be managed by Austria taking a pledge (Belgrade) for the compulsion and execution of the undertakings, and retaining it until the demands are actually fulfilled. This is also necessary in order