Austro-Hungarian army by means of leaflets. Though the Italian Prime Minister, Orlando, and the Commander-in-Chief, General Diaz, were in agreement with Steed, Sonnino made objections as usual; but the British and the French Governments gave their assent. The leaflets bearing this Allied proclamation undoubtedly had a strong anti-Austrian effect upon our own and the other Slav troops in the Austro-Hungarian army on the Italian front. Moreover the importance of the Rome Congress may be judged by the fact that, on May 29, 1918, America accepted its resolutions, and that the American acceptance was adopted by the Allied Conference on June 3.
Before referring to the final phase of our relations with the Southern Slavs, I must revert for a moment to Russia and to her attitude towards them and Serbia. By official Russia the Southern Slavs were ignored; she took cognizance only of Serbia and Montenegro. The Southern Slav question was treated as a dynastic and family affair in which Montenegrin as well as Serbian influences made themselves felt. Therefore, after the Treaty of London, the Russian Government acted in accordance with it and prohibited, for instance, the demonstrations on behalf of Dalmatia which, probably at Supilo’s suggestion, had been started by Professor Yastreboff; and in the Italian semi-official “Messaggero” the Russian Government actually made a declaration in favour of Italy.
After Supilo—whose doings I have already described—had left Petrograd, Dr. Manditch went there in the summer of 1915 on behalf of the Southern Slav Committee. He soon found that, in the eyes of official Russia, the Southern Slav question simply did not exist. According to Russian ideas, Serbia was to get Bosnia and Herzegovina, that is to say, their occupation by Austria-Hungary was to cease; and Serbia was, besides, to obtain access to the sea. As for Montenegro, nobody at Petrograd dreamt that she might disappear. Like the other Allies, Russia still took Bulgaria into account at that time, and when, in the autumn of 1915, Serbia was overrun by the Austrians, and Bulgaria sided against the Allies, official Russia was painfully affected by the “treachery” of the Bulgarians—but threw the blame for it on Serbia. Sazonof thought Serbia responsible for not having given Macedonia back to Bulgaria in time. But Russian official opinion changed at the beginning of 1916, when the overthrow of Serbia and Montenegro was complete. Then some members of the Duma, Milyukoff especially, began to take an interest in the Southern Slav question. Yet there was still a total absence of any
