Unfortunately, however, we are obliged to admit that when first
the Serbian crisis became acute the Government showed a certain clumsiness in handling the matter. Instead of at once making a public declaration of the freest and fullest kind accepting the obligation, they maintained a silence which to people who do not know our race looked somewhat like hesitation. It was a blunder analogous to that which we made at the very beginning of the war. Not only the country but the Ministry really intended to stand by Russia and France at all costs if they were attacked. Yet for all that the Foreign Office went slow, and it was even pointed out that we could if we liked, without going back upon our pledged word, leave the French in the lurch. We did not say that we were going to do so, but implied that nobody could blame us if we did.
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