Russia might be informed by the four powers that they would undertake to prevent Austrian demands going the length of impairing Servian sovereignty and integrity. All powers would, of course, suspend further military operations or preparations. You may sound the Secretary of State about this proposal."

The dispatch goes on to recount the previously mentioned offer to collaborate with Germany,1 and to withdraw from the conflict unless France and Russia were ready to accept any reasonable proposal put forward, and concludes: "You can add this when sounding Chancellor or Secretary of State as to proposal above." (July 31, B. W. P. no. 111.)

The British Ambassador at Berlin reported the result of this commission as follows:

"I spent an hour with Secretary of State urging him most earnestly to accept your proposal and make another effort to prevent terrible catastrophe of a European war.

"He expressed himself very sympathetically toward your proposal, and appreciated your continued efforts to maintain peace, but said it was impossible for the Imperial Government to consider any proposal until they had received an answer from Russia to their communication of to-day (July 31); this communication, which he admitted had the form of an ultimatum, being that, unless Russia could inform the Imperial Government within twelve hours that she would immediately countermand her mobilization against Germany and Austria, Germany would be obliged on her side to mobilize at once.

"I asked His Excellency why they had made their demand even more difficult for Russia to accept by asking them to demobilize in south as well. He replied that it was in order to prevent Russia from saying all her mobilization was only directed against Austria.

"His Excellency said that if the answer from Russia 1 See ante, p. 233; (B. W. P. 111.)

was satisfactory he thought personally that your proposal merited favorable consideration, and in any case he would lay it before the Emperor and Chancellor, but he repeated that it was no use discussing it until the Russian Government had sent in their answer to the German demand.

"He again assured me that both the Emperor William, at the request of the Emperor of Russia, and the German Foreign Office had even up till last night been urging Austria to show willingness to continue discussions - and telegraphic and telephonic communications from Vienna had been of a promising nature-but Russia's mobilization had spoiled everything." (July 31, B. W. P. no. 121.)

What form of collective guaranty the powers had in mind is perhaps indicated in the conversation which M. Jules Cambon had with Herr Von Jagow, July 29: "The Secretary then remarked that with Eastern peoples one could never have enough guaranties, and that Austria wished to have, over the execution of the promises made to her, a control which Servia refused to give. This, in the eyes of the Secretary of State, is the capital point. I replied to Herr von Jagow that if Servia desired to remain independent, she was bound to reject the control of a single power, but that an international commission would not present the same character. There was more than one in the Balkan States, beginning with the financial commission in Athens. One might, for example, I said, imagine among other combinations a provisional international commission entrusted with the duty of controlling the police inquiry demanded by Austria. It was clear from this example that the Servian reply opened the door to conversations, and did not justify a rupture." (Extract, July 29, F. Y. B. no. 92.)

11. Germany asks Russia to propose a formula

When M. Sazonof, on July 29, had received from the Russian Ambassador at Vienna information which he con

sidered as indicating Austria's definite refusal to discuss with Russia the terms of the Austrian note (B. W. P. no. 93), he had told the British Ambassador at St. Petersburg that 'he purposed, when informing the German Ambassador of this refusal of Austria's, to urge that a return should be made to Sir Edward Grey's proposal for a conference of four ambassadors, or at all events for an exchange of views between the three ambassadors less directly interested, Sir Edward, and also the Austrian Ambassador if Sir Edward thought it advisable. Any arrangement approved by France and England would, he said, be acceptable to him, and he did not care what form such conversations took. No time was to be lost, and the only way to avert war was for Sir Edward Grey to succeed in arriving, by means of conversations with ambassadors, either collectively or individually, at some formula which Austria could be induced to accept.' (Modified quotation, July 29, B. W. P. no. 78; cf. R. O. P. no. 48.)

Accordingly, when, shortly after,1 the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs had a conversation with the German Ambassador, he urged him to agree to an ambassadorial conference in London for the purpose of exercising a mediatory influence, at the same time that direct negotiations were being carried on between Austria and Russia; but the German Ambassador objected that the mobilization

1 There seems to be a confusion in regard to this matter. In B. W. P. no. 93 (2), identical with R. O. P. no. 49, both dated July 29, M. Sazonof proposed to the German Ambassador that direct conversations with Austria should be paralleled by discussions of the four powers. In B. W. P. no. 93 (3), which is identical with R. O. P. no. 50, M. Sazonof says that at the time he made that suggestion he had not learned from M. Schebeko of Austria's refusal to agree to a direct exchange of views (B. W. P. no. 93 (1), identical with R. O. P. no. 45). Yet no. 48 of the Russian Orange Book, sent on July 28, seems to indicate that the Russian Government had already heard of Austria's military action against Servia. From B. W. P. no. 78, dated July 29, we learn that M. Sazonof had heard of the Austrian refusal to agree to direct conversations, and that he told the British Ambassador that he intended, when informing the German Ambassador of this refusal, to urge upon him a return to Sir Edward Grey's proposal of a conference of the four powers.

Russia had undertaken would render this very difficult, and remarked that Russia was asking Germany to take in regard to Austria the very step which she blamed Austria for taking in regard to Servia. Nevertheless he agreed to transmit the conversation. (B. W. P. no. 93 (2); R. O. P. no. 49; G. W. B. Memorandum, pp. 9-10.)

The same day, July 29, Von Tchirsky, the German Ambassador at Vienna, said, as has been noted above, that "if proposals were put forward which opened any prospect of possible acceptance by both sides, he personally thought that Germany might consent to act as mediator in concert with the three other powers." (Extract, July 29, B. W. P. no. 94.)

This effort to maintain direct negotiation, paralleled by mediation or diplomatic intervention1 through an ambassadorial conference, was wrecked by Austria's refusal, July 28, to continue any discussion with Russia relative to the modifications of the terms laid down in her note, and by her bombardment of Belgrade. As soon as M. Sazonof learned (July 29) of Austria's refusal, he considered that England alone could preserve the peace by exercising her mediatory action. It was under these circumstances that the German Ambassador on July 302 had a second interview with the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs at two o'clock in the morning. When the Ambassador perceived that war was inevitable, he broke down completely and

1 If Austria had really acquiesced, it would have been mediation. If Germany had joined the other powers and forced her to yield, the ambassadorial conference would have constituted diplomatic intervention. The term "diplomatic intervention" is often used for any diplomatic suggestion regarding the relations of other states. It is sometimes hard to distinguish from "good offices," except that diplomatic intervention supposes the possibility that suggestions made may be supported by force.

According to R. O. P. no. 63, it would seem that this conversation must have taken place on July 29, but R. O. P. no. 60 confirms July 30 as the correct date. As the interview took place at 2 A.M. and was sent immediately (d'urgence) to Berlin, the dispatch may have reached the Russian Ambassador at Berlin at the same time as one sent July 29. This may account for the confusion.

appealed to M. Sazonof to make some suggestion which he could telegraph to the German Government as a last hope. M. Sazonof accordingly drew up and handed to the German Ambassador a formula in French, of which the following is a translation:

"If Austria, recognizing that her conflict with Servia has assumed the character of a question of European interest, declares herself ready to eliminate from her ultimatum points which violate the principle of sovereignty of Servia, Russia engages to stop all military preparations."

The British Ambassador at St. Petersburg, in transmitting this formula, informed Sir Edward Grey that 'preparations for general mobilization would be proceeded with, if this proposal was rejected by Austria, and the inevitable result would be a European war. The excitement at St. Petersburg had, the Ambassador said, reached such a pitch that, if Austria refused to make a concession, Russia could not hold back, and now that she knew that Germany was arming, she could hardly postpone, for strategical reasons, converting partial into general mobilization.' (Modified quotation, and extract, July 30, B. W. P. no. 97.)

In the telegram which was immediately dispatched to the Russian Ambassador at Berlin, to inform him of this formula suggested by M. Sazonof at the request of the German Ambassador, M. Sazonof instructs the Ambassador 'to telegraph him at once the attitude of the German Government after this new proof of the desire of the Russian Government to do everything possible to reach a peaceful solution of the question, for, says the Minister, we cannot permit negotiations such as these to serve only the purpose of affording Germany and Austria time to make their military preparations.' (Modified quotation, July 30, R. O. P. no. 60.)

In other words, this formula was something in the