When I arrived back in Vienna after a journey of some weeks in Russia, and only then heard of the incident, I took the opportunity to thank Tisza for the honourable and loyal manner in which he had defended my cause.

He replied with the ironical smile characteristic of him that it was simply a matter of course.
But for an Austro-Hungarian official it was by no means such a matter of course.

We have had so many cowards on the Ministerial benches, so many men who were brave when dealing with their subordinates, toadied to their superiors, and were intimidated by strong opposition, that a man like Tisza, who was such a contrast to these others, has a most refreshing and invigorating effect.

The Roumanians attempted several times to make the maintenance of their _neutrality_ contingent on territorial concessions.

I was always opposed to this, and at the Ballplatz they were of the same opinion.