Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - I. My appointment to Sofia
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
22 MY APPOINTMENT TO SOFIA [chap. i.
one, and the Emperor enumerated with me the principal
points of my programme of procedure in Bulgaria—a
programme which had been previously drawn up in
my conversations with M. Sazonoff: the question of
relations to the King, the Macedonian question, that of
the relations between the Bulgarians and the Serbians,
which one would wish to improve above all things,
and finally the question of the military convention
proposed by the Bulgarians. I noticed, however, that the
Emperor appeared to slur over this last point and not
to attach so much importance to it as Sazonoff did.
Since my appointment to Paris, I had several times
had business interviews with His Majesty, of course only
on matters coming within my sphere. Each time I had
carried away the impression of great kindness and
extreme personal politeness, of a ready and subtle wit
slightly tinged with sarcasm, and of a very quick though
somewhat superficial mind. When I wished my august
questioner to give an opinion on such and such a subject,
I tried to bring the conversation round to it. In this
case the Emperor would seize the opportunity—if he
wished to—and pass in an almost imperceptible manner
and as if on his own initiative to the subject in hand; if
he did not wish to give an opinion, he allowed my
allusion to pass unnoticed, showing plainly, however,
that he had understood it, but that he did not intend to
commit himself. On this, as on former occasions, the
Emperor displayed the same qualities in our interview.
He was obviously well prepared for the discussion, and
finally gave me some general instructions which were
fairly definite. He spoke in his usual urbane manner,
and whilst giving instructions which were really orders,
only appeared to be airing his opinions.
Once only in the course of the interview did the
Emperor assume a solemn and dictatorial manner;
after an intentional pause, stepping backwards and
fixing me with a penetrating stare, he said: "Listen to
me, Nekludoff: do not for one instant lose sight of the
fact that we cannot go to war. I do not wish for war as
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
