The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

and cautious a statesman as M. Pasi¢—against committing any rash or foolish action, and urged them most earnestly to act in accordance with the treaty of alliance and to refer the whole matter to the arbitration of the Tsar of Russia. The entire influence of Vienna was opposed against such a course. Rumours were current in Belgrade that the Tsar’s arbitration was to be a sham award, as the dispute had been already decided and Bulgaria had received the assurance that Serbia’s claims would be dismissed. In Sofia quite opposite rumours were being circulated to the effect that Serbia’s claims would be strengthened by the moral authority of the Tsar’s award, and that the invitation to arbitration was a snare in which the Bulgarian statecraft was to be trapped. Wrought upon by such rumours, public opinion in Belgrade and Sofia was of course, aroused and grew suspicious. On Sunday the 30th of June, 1913, when already the fatal order had been issued to the Bulgarian troops for the surprise attack upon the Serbians on the Bregalnica, I saw M. Hartwig, who was frankly rejoicing in the hopes of an important victory over Austro-Hungarian diplomacy. The Serbian Parliament was to meet on the morrow, and M. Pasié was sure to obtain a majority for his policy of accepting the Tsar’s arbitration and of sending delegates to Petrograd. I mentioned to M. Hartwig the apprehensions of Serbian public opinion, and my fear lest some 189