sacres, plunderings, and destruction of Serb life and property. By such exploits only those who are worthless distinguish themselves. The cowards are always great heroes when they are certain that nothing will happen to them. Only compare Princip and Gabrinovitch with these heroes, and the great difference will be noted at once. Civilization and justice in Austria-Hungary are a great, gross falsehood.

In defense of his Government, M. Pashitch, Prime Minister of Serbia, pointed out that "as soon as news of the crime arrived the Serbian 8 court and the Government expressed not only their condolence, but also their heartfelt reprobation and their horror at such a crime. All the festivities that were to take place that day in Belgrade were suspended." M. Pashitch further declares that the abhorrence of this unfortunate event was not confined to the governmental circles but was shared by all classes of the people, as the commission of this crime was against the best interests of Serbia. In a telegram (July 14) to all the royal legations the prime minister said, in part:

Absolute calm rules in Belgrade; no demonstration has taken place this year; nobody has had the intention of provoking any disorder. Not only do the Minister of Austria-Hungary and the members of his

8 In quoting from the documents, I have frequently changed "y" to "b" in the spelling of "Serbia" and "Serbian." This liberty has been taken in the interest of uniformity; for the different state papers do not employ the same method in the spelling of these words.

9 S. B. B., 30, 8.

staff walk freely in the city, but no insult either through acts or through words has been offered to any Austro-Hungarian subject, as the newspapers of Vienna claim, and no Austro-Hungarian subject has seen his house attacked or its windows broken; no Austro-Hungarian subject has had any motive to lodge the slightest complaint. All this false news is spread only with the object of disturbing and irritating public opinion in Austria-Hungary against Serbia.10

Insist on the fact that public opinion in our country is relatively calm and that on our side nobody wishes to provoke or wound Austria-Hungary.11

The Serbian minister at London also called attention to the fact that both the assassins were Austro-Hungarian subjects; that one of them had been suspected by the Serbian authorities who desired to expel him; and that he had been protected by the Austrian authorities who considered him innocent and harmless.12

Serbian documents virtually concede that feeling in Austria-Hungary was inflamed by utterances of the Serbian press. On July 1 the Serbian minister at Vienna wrote to his home Government as follows: "I beg you to do what is necessary in order that demonstrations be prevented at home, and that the utterances of the press of Belgrade be restrained as much as possible." 13

The minister referred to the subject again on July 6 in the following words: "The feeling

10 Ibid., 21.

11 S. B. B., 20.

12 B. W. P., 30.

13 S. B. B., 9.

against Serbia continues to increase in m and governmental circles, in consequence ticles in our papers which the Austro garian Legation at Belgrade zealousl ploits." 1

14

The Serbian officials, however, cont that the hostility of the Serbian press wa voked by the attitude of the Austrian and garian newspapers which "began the pol and had for two years "been woundin Serbs and Serbia in their most delicate bilities"; that Austria was intentionally undue publicity to the radical utteranc rather irresponsible publications; and th the press is free in Serbia, the Governme no means other than the courts to empl curbing the press, though it has advise press of Belgrade "to remain calm and itself to the denial and the refutation of and distorted news." 15

Serbia also brings serious counter-ch against the Austro-Hungarian press. complains that the newspapers of Vienn Budapest sent out false news in order to a feeling at home and to hold up Serbia in a light before the nations of the world. Th cused Serbia, it is alleged, of the crime of jevo in order to rob her of the good nam she had with the European powers. As

14 Ibid., 15.

15 S. B. B., 12, 30.

ample of unfair treatment by the news service, the Serbian minister at Vienna cites an account of the assassination given by the Vienna dailies on June 28. These papers, he said, "announced in big type that the two perpetrators of the crime were Serbians, in such a way as to make the people believe that they were meant for Serbians from Serbia." 16

The British White Paper also speaks of the storm of anti-Serbian feeling which swept AustriaHungary after the Sarajevo murders.

Anti-Serb riots took place at Sarajevo and Agram. The members of the Serb party in the Provincial Council of Croatia were assailed by their colleagues with cries of "Serbian assassins." Mobs in Vienna threatened the Serbian Legation. The Austrian Press, almost without exception, used the most unbridled language, and called for the condign punishment of Serbia. There were signs that the popular resentment was shared and perhaps encouraged by the Austrian Government.17

Austria-Hungary contends that Serbia could have "averted the serious steps she had reason to expect" from Austria, "if she had spontaneously begun within her own territory proceedings against the Serbian accomplices in the murderous attack of the 28th of June, and [had disclosed] the threads of the plot, leading, as it has been proved, from Belgrade to Sarajevo. Until to-day (July 23), the Serbian Govern17 B. W. P., iii-iv.

16 S. B. B., 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 16.

ment, in spite of much notorious circumstantial evidence pointing to Belgrade, not only has failed to do anything of that sort, but even has endeavored to efface the existing traces.'' 18

In answer to this charge, the Serbian Government says that "Serbia, in the very first days that followed the horrible crime, declared that it condemned the crime and that it was ready to open an inquiry on its territory if the complicity of certain of its subjects was proved during the trial opened by the Austro-Hungarian authorities." 19 The prime minister also said that the Government had promptly expressed its readiness to hand over to justice any of its subjects "who might be proved to have played a part in the Sarajevo outrage."

Serbia excuses her failure to take any steps against the accomplices of the murderers on the ground that the Austro-Hungarian Government had "never asked any help whatever of the Serbian Government concerning the matter. It has [had] not asked either an investigation or a trial in the case of any of the accomplices. Once only has [had] it asked for information concerning the present residence of some students expelled from the primary normal school of Pakrac, who had passed over to Serbia to go on with their studies. All the information

18 A. R. B., 2, 9; B. W. P., 3.

19 Russian Orange Book, 6; S. B. B., 5; B. W. P., 30.