"During these conversations we were given repeatedly to understand that the Yugoslav army was mobilized, When we pressed our anxieties that they would be too late, the reply always came, but we are mobilizing, so that if the worst comes to the worst, we shall be ready.' "In tact, that mobilization had not proceeded fast enough, and it was not until the coup d'etat that the new Government made a real and urgent effort to get their armies ready.
"It was then too late—too late for the best will in the world to mobilize armies and concentrate them where they ought to be if they were to give us the support and help needed.
"It is perhaps idle and unprofitable to speculate, but had the Government which preceded the coup d'etat as clearly understood Yugoslavia's true interests as the Government of General Simovitch, the whole story might have been different. But none of these things can detract from the courage of the decision which the Yugoslav people eventually took. We have pledged ourselves to redeem Yugoslavia's independence, and that pledge will be honoured.
"The Turkish Government were i formed, as an ally, of our plans in connection with Greece, Throughout these conversations I was deeply impressed by the loyal friendship shown by all the Turkish statesmen whom we had occasion to meet, and by the determination the people showed to stand firm against any menace to their sovereignty or any encroachment on their rights and interests,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.