tter. It will be easy in the further
development of the affair to find a basis for an understanding."

_Great Britain._ Sir Maurice de Bunsen, British Ambassador at
Vienna, telegraphed to Sir Edward Grey, Secretary for Foreign
Affairs at London, that it was the belief of the German Ambassador,
Herr von Tschirscky, that Russia would keep quiet during the
chastisement of Serbia. Everything, said Von Tschirscky, depended on
the personality of the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, who
could resist easily the pressure of a few newspapers; pan-Slav
agitation in Russia was over; intervention in behalf of Serbia would
open up Swedish, Polish, Ruthenian, Rumanian, and Persian questions;
France, too, was not in a condition for war. Von Tschirscky doubted
that Russia, who had no right to assume a protectorate over Serbia,
would assert it by action; Germany knew what she was about in
backing up Austria-Hungary; the Serbian concessions were all a sham,
as proved by the Government previously ordering mobilization and
preparing to retire from Belgrade.

Sir Horace Rumbold, British Charge d'Affaires in Berlin, telegraphed
Sir Edward Grey that Kaiser William was returning suddenly that
night (from a sea trip to Norway) on his own initiative, and that
the Foreign Office regretted it, owing to the speculation and
excitement which it would cause. Herr von Zimmermann, German
Under-Secretary of State, had inferred from Russia's statement that
she would intervene in case of annexation of Serbian territory; that
she would not do so if no territory were taken.

In a supplementary telegram Sir Horace informed Sir Edward that Von
Zimmermann considered that the communication by Germany to
Austria-Hungary of his (Grey's) hope for a favorable view of the
Serbian reply implied that the German Government associated itself
to a certain extent with Grey's hope. It did not, however, go beyond
this.

Sir Rennell Rodd, British Ambassador at Rome, telegraphed Sir Edward
Grey that Austria-Hungary had informed the Italian Government that
the Austro-Hungarian Minister to Belgrade had been recalled, but
that this did not imply a declaration of war.

Sir Edward telegraphed to Sir Rennell Rodd, Sir Francis Bertie,
Ambassador at Paris, and Sir Horace Rumbold, Charge d'Affaires at
Berlin, to ask if the ministers of foreign affairs at their courts
would instruct their ambassadors at London to meet with him in
conference "to discover an issue which wo