Page:The guilt of William Hohenzollern.djvu/241

Rh neutrality. At the present time the people would only regard active assistance to the allies as help for Austria's plans for expansion on the Balkans '''[Our war against France has nothing to do with this. It is, besides, our side and not Austria's, that she is to be fighting on.—W.]''', plans from which Austria has so far never once definitely pledged herself to refrain. The people will always confound Germany with Austria [If the Government does nothing to prevent this, of course they will; but it is stupid.—W.]; therefore the Government would be risking rebellion if they gave active assistance to Germany at the present time. [A deliberate lie!—W.] He, the King, must repeat that he is unfortunately powerless, as the view of the Government is shared by the majority of the Deputies. Even Giolitti, who is friendly to the Triple Alliance [??—W.], and has just returned, thinks that there would not be a casus fœderis, but that the country needs rest, and must remain neutral, as there is no liability to give active help. [The unmitigated scoundrel!—W.] The Government intends to be armed for all eventualities. To my answer, that, as the possibility of assistance had thus disappeared, they were evidently thinking of menacing Austria, there being no other eventuality before them, the King said: 'One never knows what the men in the Government will do.' [That is to say, he is dropping out entirely.—W.] For the moment the King thought that nothing would happen."

The description of Giolitti as "an unmitigated scoundrel" is almost surpassed by the description of