THE AUSTRIAN ULTIMATUM.—­On July 23, the Austro-Hungarian government sent a note to the government of Serbia holding her accountable for the Serajevo murder and making a number of humiliating demands.  Serbia was told she must suppress all newspapers inciting enmity to Austria, that she must dissolve all societies that were working toward “Pan-Serbism,” that she must dismiss from the Serbian public service all officials whom the Austrian government should officially accuse of plotting against Austria, that she must accept the help of Austrian officials in Serbia in the putting down of anti-Austrian activities and in searching out accessories to the plot of June 28, that she must arrest two Serbian officials who had been implicated by the trial in Serajevo, and that she must put a stop to the smuggling of arms from Serbia into Austria.

The demand that Serbia admit Austrian officials into Serbia to take part in the work of investigation and suppression was an intolerable invasion of Serbia’s sovereignty within her own borders.  But the most threatening part of the note was its conclusion:  “The Austro-Hungarian government expects the reply of the royal [Serbian] government at the latest by 6 o’clock on Saturday evening, the 25th of July.”  In other words, the note was an ultimatum giving Serbia a period of only forty-eight hours in which to agree to the Austrian demands.

SERBIA’S REPLY.—­Serbia’s answer to the Austrian ultimatum was delivered within a few minutes of the time set.  She agreed, practically, to all the Austrian demands except those which required that Austrian officials should conduct investigations and suppress conspiracies in Serbia, and she even went part way toward accepting those.  Serbia went on to suggest that if Austria was not entirely satisfied with the reply, the points still in dispute should be referred to the international tribunal at The Hague.  This reply the Austrian government considered unsatisfactory.  Forty-five minutes after the Serbian note had been placed in the hands of the Austrian minister to Serbia that official handed a notice to the Serbian government stating “that not having received a satisfactory answer within the time limit set, he was leaving Belgrade” (the Serbian capital).  Austria-Hungary made immediate preparations for the invasion of Serbia and on July 28 declared war.

EFFORTS FOR PEACE.—­Meanwhile Great Britain, France, and Italy were putting forth every effort to preserve the peace of Europe.  In these efforts the lead was taken by Sir Edward Grey, the British foreign minister.  As early as July 26 he urged a conference at London of the representatives of France, Germany, Italy, and Great Britain to find some solution of the problem which might be satisfactory to both Austria and Russia.  Italy and France agreed at once, but Germany raised objections.  Germany’s only suggestion for preserving the general peace of Europe was that Austria should be permitted to deal with Serbia as she pleased, without interference from any other power.  And so it continued through those critical days.  Every effort made by England looking toward a peaceful settlement of the quarrel was baffled by Germany’s refusal to cooeperate.  This is not difficult to understand in the light of our later knowledge of the plans and aims of the German government.