consuls.
Austria is finished!" He, as all the Montenegrins, was furious at
any attempt to save the Albanians from extirpation. All those who
would not be Slavized were to be killed.

Austria would have been fully justified in making war on Serbia. And
as Russia was not ready, and the Serbs engaged with the Turks, then
was the moment to do it. But Germany was strong for peace. "Berlin
had applied itself, above all, to calm the exasperation and desire
for intervention at the Ballplatz," says Baron Beyens, Belgian
Minister in Berlin. "The Archduke Ferdinand stated at Berlin that
Austria had come to the end of the concessions it could make to its
neighbour. The Emperor and his councillors showered upon him, none
the less, counsels of moderation, which William II when conducting
his guest to the railway station summarized in these expressive
words: "Above all, no folly (pas de betises). . . . But to lead
Austria to show itself more tractable, as it is believed here the
Imperial Government has succeeded in doing, is not enough to pacify
the conflict. It yet remains to bend the obstinate resistance of
Serbia, and to effect a diminution of her demands. There was a
rumour last week in the European Chancellories that M. Sasonov had
ceased to struggle against the Court party, which wishes to drag
Russia into war, though the soil of the Empire is undermined with
revolution and military preparations are yet insufficient."

Prochaska, after some weeks of imprisonment, was released. Austria
humbled her pride and accepted an apology. Prochaska was compensated
and bound to secrecy. As my informant had foretold, Austria dared
not tell her humiliation.

In Montenegro this produced a howl of contempt. Austria was
finished; you could do what you pleased with her with impunity; the
next war would be with Austria. Montenegro, on her side, thought
well to insult her. Perhaps one more stab would make her fight, and
then hurrah for Russia and Constantinople!

From the conquered districts came piteous reports of the hideous
cruelties which Serb and Montenegrin alike were committing on the
Albanian populations. Far from concealing their deeds, the
conquerors boasted of them. A Serb officer nearly choked with
laughter over his beer, as he told how his men had bayoneted the
women and children of Ljuma. And one of the Petrovitches boasted to
me that in two years no one in the conquered lands would dare speak
"that dirty language" (Albanian). M