e Government is in duty bound to give Parliament a truthful recital of
the events which, within less than ten days, have brought about war in
Europe and obliged France, peaceful and strong, to defend her frontier
against an attack the premeditated suddenness of which emphasizes its
odious injustice.

This attack, entirely inexcusable and begun before any declaration of
war notified us of it, is the last act in a plan whose origin and aim I
intend to lay bare before our republic and before civilized public
opinion.

After the abominable crime which cost the lives of the heir to the
Austro-Hungarian throne and of the Duchess of Hohenberg, trouble arose
between the Governments of Vienna and Belgrade.

Most of the great powers were not informed of this except
semi-officially up to Friday, the 24th day of July, on which day the
Ambassadors of Austria-Hungary sent them a circular note, which has been
published in the newspapers.

The object of this note was to explain and justify an ultimatum sent the
evening before to Servia, through the Austrian Minister at Belgrade.

This ultimatum asserted that a number of Servian subjects and
associations were implicated in the crime of Serajevo, and implied that
members of the Servian Government themselves were not without
complicity in it. It demanded a reply from Servia, giving Saturday,
July 25, at 6 in the evening, as the time limit.

Austria Amazes Allies.

The reparations demanded, or, at least, some among them, unquestionably
were derogatory to the rights of a sovereign nation. But in spite of
their extreme character Servia, on July 25, declared that she submitted
to them almost without a reservation of any sort.

The advice transmitted by France, Russia, and Great Britain from the
very first to Belgrade was not without its effect in bringing about this
submission, which was a success for Austria-Hungary and likewise a
guarantee toward the maintenance of European peace.

This advice was all the more valuable in view of the fact that
Austria-Hungary's demands had been inadequately foreshadowed to the
Governments of the Triple Entente, to whom, during the three preceding
weeks, the Austro-Hungarian Government had repeatedly given assurances
that its demands would be extremely moderate.

It was, therefore, with justified astonishment that the Cabinets of
Paris, St. Petersburg, and London heard, on July 26, that the Austrian
Minister at Belgrade, after an examination last