Page:The guilt of William Hohenzollern.djvu/97

Rh had taken place before the Note to Serbia was dispatched. As we have already seen, therefore, it was determined to delay handing it in till Poincaré had left St. Petersburg. With regard to this matter Tschirschky reported on July 14th:

"After Count Tisza had left me, Count Berchtold invited me to call on him in order to inform me, in his turn, as to the result of to-day's conference. To his great joy agreement on all sides had been attained as to the tenor of the Note to be presented to Serbia. Count Tisza received his (the Minister's) views in a gratifying manner, and had even increased the severity of some of the points. At all events, it was evidently impossible, owing to technical considerations, to present the Note in Belgrade before the 16th or the 18th.

"It had unanimously been held advisable in to-day's conference to await in any case the departure of M. Poincaré from St. Petersburg before steps were taken in Belgrade [A pity! W.]; for, if possible, it was to be avoided that in St. Petersburg, in a whirl of champagne-sentiment, and under the influence of MM. Poincare, Isvolsky and the Grand Dukes a fraternization should be celebrated, which would thereupon influence the attitude of the two Powers, and possibly consolidate it. It would be a good thing if the toasts could be got over before the Note was presented. Thus the presentation of the Note should take place on July 25th.

"Count Berchtold, as Count Tisza had done before him, urgently and repeatedly requested me not to leave my Government in any doubt that the fact