sed beforehand of the contents of
Austria's note to Serbia, the German nation would nevertheless stand
by its ally. "The German Ambassador read to me," said Sir Edward
Grey in a telegram to the British Ambassador at Vienna, "a telegram
from the German Foreign Office saying that his Government had not
known beforehand, and had had no more than other powers to do with
the stiff terms of the Austrian note to Serbia, but that once she
had launched the note, Austria could not draw back." Prince
Lichnowsky (German Ambassador at London) said, however, that "if
what I contemplated was mediation between Austria and Russia,
Austria might be able with dignity to accept it." He expressed
himself as personally favorable to this suggestion.

"I concurred in his observation, and said that I felt I had no title
to intervene between Austria and Serbia, but as soon as the question
became one as between Austria and Russia, the peace of Europe was
affected, in which we must all take a hand.

"I impressed upon the ambassador that, in the event of Russian and
Austrian mobilization, the participation of Germany would be
essential to any diplomatic peace. Alone we could do nothing. The
German Government agreed with my suggestion, to tell the French
Government that I thought it the right thing to act upon it."

On July 26, 1914, the Russian Ambassador at Berlin informed the
German Government that he was instructed to state that any
annexation by Austria-Hungary of Serbian territory would not be
looked upon by Russia with indifference. The German Emperor, who had
been away from Berlin, returned hastily to the capital. As the
crisis approached the British Government once more attempted to have
the matters in dispute settled by mediation. The following telegram
was dispatched from Downing Street to the British Ambassadors at
Paris and Rome: "London, Foreign Office, July 26, 1914. Would
Minister of Foreign Affairs be disposed to instruct ambassador here
to join with representatives of France, Italy, and Germany, and
myself to meet here in conference immediately for the purpose of
discovering an issue which would prevent complications? You should
ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs whether he would do this. If so,
when bringing the above suggestions to the notice of the Governments
to which they are accredited, representatives of Belgrade, Vienna,
and St. Petersburg, could be authorized to request that all active
military operations should be su