Page:The guilt of William Hohenzollern.djvu/155

Rh It was easy for Jagow to talk! He ought to have known the stupidity and stubbornness of his Austrian friends better. They would not hear of compensation in Vienna.

On July 20th Tschirschky thus reports an interview with Berchtold:

""Count Berchtold said that in his opinion, as things lay, the question of compensation would not now become a real one at all. In yesterday's discussion, at Count Tisza's instigation in particular, as he had emphasized that neither he nor any Hungarian Government could agree to a strengthening of the Slav element in the Monarchy by the annexation of part of Serbia, it was decided to waive any permanent incorporation of foreign territory. Any valid reason which Italy might have for demanding compensation would thus disappear. To my remark that on Italy's part even the overthrow of Serbia and the consequent extension of the influence of the Monarchy in the Balkans would be regarded as injuring her position and would lead to protests, the Minister thought that this point of view was in contradiction to the repeated declarations of the Marquis of San Giuliano, that Italy required a strong Austria.""

After the Austrian Count had uttered this profound piece of wisdom, he went on to talk of the principle of nationality, which had been broken by Italy herself in the occupation of Libya, and continued:

"If, however, in Rome they cannot imagine at present a far-reaching Austro-Italian co-operation as a matter of practical politics, we reply that there