s might possibly produce
would enable him to look forward to a realization of his desire.

"In reply to his excellency's inquiry how I thought his request
would appeal to you, I said that I did not think it probable that at
this stage of events you would care to bind yourself to any course
of action and that I was of opinion that you would desire to retain
full liberty."

Here for the first time the matter of Belgian neutrality entered
into the diplomatic discussions; the danger of a Pan-European
conflict was apparent, for the diplomats from then on were less
concerned with the Austro-Hungarian dispute with Serbia than with
the possibilities that a war in western Europe might entail. On the
same day, July 29, 1914, the German Ambassador at London was
officially informed that if the European crisis involved nothing
more than disputes between Russia and Austria on the one hand, and
the military operations of Austria in Serbia on the other, England
would keep out of the trouble, but if Germany went to war with
Russia, or if France went to war, England could not stand quietly
aside. News had come that day that Austria had declared war on
Serbia the day before. The declaration read as follows:

"The Royal Government of Serbia, not having replied in a satisfactory
manner to the note remitted to it by the Austro-Hungarian Minister in
Belgrade on July 23, 1914, the Imperial and Royal Government finds
itself compelled to proceed to safeguard its rights and interests and
to have recourse for this purpose to force of arms.

"Austria-Hungary considers itself, therefore, from this moment in a
state of war with Serbia."

[Illustration: Poland and Its Divisions from 1772-1914.]

At the same time the Government at Vienna issued this note to the
foreign ambassadors there with the request that they forward it to
their respective governments:

"In order to bring to an end the subversive intrigues originating
from Belgrade and aimed at the territorial integrity of the
Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the Imperial and Royal Government has
delivered to the Royal Serbian Government a note in which a series
of demands were formulated, for the acceptance of which a delay of
forty-eight hours has been granted to the Royal Government. The
Royal Serbian Government not having answered this note in a
satisfactory manner, the Imperial and Royal Government are
themselves compelled to see to the safeguarding of their rights and
interest, and with t