Herr von Jagow antwortete mir, Russland sei nicht
bereit, etwas Gepolter wiirde es wohl geben, aber je
fester wir zu Osterreich standen, um so mehr wiirde
Russland zuriickweichen. Osterreich beschuldigte uns
schon so der Flaumacherei und so diirften wir nicht
kneifen. Die Stimmung in Russland wiirde anderseits
immer deutschfeindlicher, und da miissten wir es eben
riskieren.
Angesichts dieser Haltung, die, wie ich spater
erfuhr, auf Berichten des Grafen Pourtales fusste, dass

» B.-C: "Bosniens."

1 102]



325

Soon afterwards Herr von Jagow was in Vienna, to
talk everything over with Count Berchtold.
Next I received instructions to try to induce the
English press to adopt a friendly attitude, should
Austria administer the "death blow" to the Pan-
Serbian movement, and to use my influence'so far as
possible to prevent public opinion from becoming hos-
tile to Austria. Recollections of the English attitude
during the annexation crisis, when public opinion
showed sympathy for the rights of Serbia to Bosnia,
and of the benevolent furtherance of national move-
ments in the -days of Lord Byron and of Garibaldi —
these and other considerations argued so strongly
against the probability of any support of the in-
tended punitive expedition against the regicides
that I found myself moved to give an urgent warning.
I added a warning against the whole plan, which I
characterized as adventurous and dangerous; and I
advised that moderation be recommended to the Aus-
trians, as I did not believe that the conflict could
be localized.
