ch
vehement protests that England would have stood before the world "as
a house divided against itself."

Both Sazonof and Sir Edward Grey from their respective standpoints
were right. Neither made a single false step in the great controversy.

As a result of this interview, Russia, England, and France, after the
request for time had been abruptly refused, next proceeded in the
interests of peace to persuade Servia to make as conciliatory a reply
to the impossible ultimatum as was possible without a fatal compromise
of her political independence.

While the lack of time prevented France and Russia from making any
formal communication to Servia on the question, yet Sazonof had a
conference with the Servian Minister and discussed the wisdom of
avoiding an attack on Belgrade by having the Servian forces withdrawn
to the interior and then appealing to the Powers, and Russia thereupon
made the broad and magnanimous suggestion that if Servia should appeal
to the Powers, _Russia would be quite ready to stand aside and leave
the question in the hands of England, France, Germany, and Italy_.

This interview, as reported by the British Ambassador at St.
Petersburg to Sir Edward Grey, dated July 25th, is as follows:

I saw the Minister for Foreign Affairs this morning, and
communicated to his Excellency the substance of your
telegram of to-day to Paris, and this afternoon, I discussed
with him the communication which the French Ambassador
suggested should be made to the Servian Government, as
recorded in your telegram of yesterday to Belgrade....

The Minister for Foreign Affairs said that Servia was quite
ready to do as you had suggested and to punish those proved
to be guilty, but that no independent State could be
expected to accept the political demands which had been put
forward. The Minister for Foreign Affairs thought, from a
conversation which he had with the Servian Minister
yesterday, that in the event of the Austrians attacking
Servia, the Servian Government would abandon Belgrade and
withdraw their forces into the interior, while they would at
the same time appeal to the Powers to help them. His
Excellency was in favor of their making this appeal. He
would like to see the question placed on an international
footing, as the obligations taken by Servia in 1908, to
which reference is made in the Austrian ultimatum,