bassador pleaded the
absence of instructions. Finally, the Minister refused to
adhere to the German proposal.[29]

[Footnote 29: Russian _Orange Paper_, No. 28.]

This significant interview states the consistent attitude of Germany.
The burden is put upon France to induce its ally to desist from any
intervention and thus give Austria a free hand, while Germany
emphatically declines to promote the same pacific object by suggesting
to Austria a more conciliatory course.

On the same day England asked France, Italy, and Germany to meet in
London for an immediate conference to preserve the peace of Europe,
and to this fruitful suggestion, which might have saved that peace,
the German Secretary of State, after conferring with the British
Ambassador at Berlin, replied that the conference

would practically amount to a court of arbitration and could
not, in his opinion, be called together except at the
request of Austria and Russia. He could not, therefore, fall
in with your [Sir Edward Grey's] suggestion, desirous though
he was to cooperate for the maintenance of peace. I [Sir E.
Goschen] said I was sure that your idea had nothing to do
with arbitration, but meant that representatives of the four
nations not directly interested should discuss and suggest
means for avoiding a dangerous situation. He [von Jagow]
maintained, however, that such a conference as you proposed
was not practicable.[30]

[Footnote 30: English _White Paper_, No. 43.]

Germany's refusal to have Servia's case submitted to the Powers even
for their consideration is the more striking when it is recalled that
on the same day the German Ambassador at London quoted the German
Secretary of State as saying

that there were some things in the Austrian note that Servia
could hardly be expected to accept,

thus recognizing that Austria's ultimatum was, at least in part,
unjust. Sir Edward Grey then called the German Ambassador's attention
to the fact that if Austria refused the conciliatory reply of Servia
and marched into that country

it meant that she was determined to crush Servia at all
costs, being reckless of the consequences that might be
involved.

He added that the Servian reply

should at least be treated as a basis for discussion and
pause,

and asked that the German Government should urge this at Vienna but,
as we have already seen, the