Die digitale Landesbibliothek Oberösterreich

Deutschlands Verhandlungen mit ben Westmachten 361 
however, his Excellency said that so long as Germany's adversaries respected 
the integrity and neutrality of the Netherlands, Germany was ready to give 
His Majesty's Government an assurance that she would do likewise. It depended 
upon the action of France, what operations Germany might be forced to enter 
upon in Belgium, but when the war was over, Belgian integrity would be 
respected if she had not sided against Germany. 
His Excellency ended by saying that ever since he had been Chancellor 
the object of his policy had been, as you were aware, to bring about an under¬ 
standing with England ; he trusted that these assurances might form the basis 
of that understanding which he so much desired. He had in mind a general 
neutrality agreement between England and Germany, though it was of course 
at the present moment too early to discuss details, and an assurance of British 
neutrality in the conflict which present crisis might possibly produce, would 
enable him to look forward to realisation of his desire. 
In reply to his Excellency's enquiry 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. 
Our conversation upon this subject having come to an end, I communi¬ 
cated the contents of your telegram of to-day to his Excellency, who 
expressed his best thanks to you." 
(47) Das Orangebuch enthLlt zwei Schriftstücke (Nr. 60 und Nr. 67), die sich 
hiermit befaffen. Das erste hat Sasonow am 30. Juki an die Vertreter der 
MLichte gerichtet und lautet: 
„1/Ambassadeur d'Allemagne qui vient de me quitter m'a demandé si 
nous ne pouvions pas nous contenter de la promesse que l'Autriche pourrait 
donner — de ne pas porter atteinte à l'intégrité du Royaume de Serbie — 
et indiquer à quelles conditions nous pourrions encore consentir à suspendre 
nos armements; je lui ai dicté, pour être transmise d'urgence à Berlin, la 
déclaration suivante: ,,Si l'Autriche, reconnaissant que la question austro- 
serbe a assumé le caractère d'une question européenne, se déclare prête 
a éliminer de son ultimatum les points qui portent atteinte aux droits souve¬ 
rains de la Serbie, la Russie s'engage à cesser ses préparatifs militaires..." 
In einer Anweisung Sasonows an die russischen Vertreter in Deutsch¬ 
land, Osterreich-Angarn, Frankreich, England und Italien werden 
die Forderungen Ruhlands folgendermahen gesteigert (Orangebuch Nr. 67) : 
„.. . Si l'Autriche consent à arrêter la marche de ses armées sur le 
territoire serbe et si, reconnaissant que le conflit austro-serbe a assumé le 
caractère d'une question d'intérêt européen, elle admet que les Grandes 
Puissances examinent la satisfaction que la Serbie pourrait accorder au gou¬ 
vernement d'Autriche-Hongrie sans laisser porter atteinte à ses droits d'Etat 
souverain et à son indépendance, — la Russie s'engage à conserver son attitude 
expectante..." 
Da war also mcht mehr von einer Einstellung der milrtârischen Bor¬ 
der ei tu ng en die Re^e, falls Wien sich dem russischen Standpunkt unterwarf.