Page:The guilt of William Hohenzollern.djvu/80

76 message of July 8th, in which, among other things, he wrote:

"“Count Berchtold said, in case the Emperor agreed to make demands on Serbia, he would advise him by all means to draw up these in such a way as to preclude their acceptance.”"

So that Berlin was informed upon this subject from the beginning.

William did not merely approve this policy—he urged its speedy execution; a fact proved by his annotations on Tschirschky's reports from Vienna.

The latter reports on July 10th:

“[Strictly private.]

“With regard to his audience of yesterday with H.M. the Emperor Francis Joseph at Ischl, Count Berchtold gives me the following information:

“H.M. the Emperor discussed the state of affairs very calmly. He first expressed his warm thanks for the position taken by our Most Gracious Sovereign and the Imperial Government, and declared he was entirely of our opinion that one must now [Underlined by William.—K.] come to a decision [As His Majesty's Memorandum is about fourteen days old that will take a long time! It was evidently drawn up as a basis for the actual decision.—W.] in order to put an end to the intolerable state of affairs with regard to Serbia. On the significance of such a decision, Count Berchtold adds, His Majesty is quite clear.

“The Minister hereupon informed the Emperor