Serbia, Friday, 24th July

5.00 A.M. Pašić gets back to Belgrade. He sees Strandtmann and says he thinks it is "not possible either to accept or reject the Austrian note" and more time is needed for diplomatic action. He adds "if war is unavoidable we shall fight, though Belgrade would not be defended".

10.00 A.M. The Serbian cabinet meets. Some members realise that given Serbia's weak condition following the Balkan wars she could not resist an Austrian attack. Pašić believes no decisions should be taken until the Russians make their views known.

Morning Pašić cables Spalajković asking him to ascertain the views of the Russian government and let the Russians know that Serbia was in no state to resist an invasion by Austria-Hungary.

Morning Crown Prince Alexander makes a direct appeal to the Tsar saying the Austro-Hungarian note is humiliating but Serbia might agree to terms that were consistent with its sovereignty or any which Russia advised them to accept. [More]

Afternoon The Serbian cabinet agrees to Crown Prince Alexander's proposal that he should send a personal telegram to his uncle the King of Italy to ask Austria-Hungary to extend the time limit.
The cabinet also agrees further military measures and put in hand arrangements for the evacuation of the government from Belgrade to Nish, Serbia's second city.

Evening The cabinet agree on two of the points of the note, that Narodna Odbrana would be dissolved and that officials guilty of anti-Austro-Hungarian propaganda would be dismissed subject to them being found guilty. A policy is developing of agreeing to most of the demands in the note.