d Grey urged
that,

_the German Government should suggest any method by which
the influence of the four Powers could be used together to
prevent war between Austria and Russia_. France agreed.
Italy agreed. The whole idea of mediation or mediating
influence was ready to be put into operation _by any method
that Germany could suggest if mine was not acceptable_. In
fact, mediation was ready to come into operation by any
method that Germany thought possible _if only Germany would
"press the button" in the interests of peace_.[70]

[Footnote 70: English _White Paper_, No. 84.]

Later in the day Sir Edward again repeated his suggestion to the
German Ambassador in London and urged that Germany should,

_propose some method_ by which the four Powers should be
able to work together to keep the peace of Europe. I pointed
out, however, that the Russian Government, while desirous of
mediation, regarded it as a condition that the military
operations against Servia should be suspended, as otherwise
a mediation would only drag on matters _and give Austria
time to crush Servia_. It was of course too late for all
military operations against Servia to be suspended. In a
short time, I supposed, the Austrian forces would be in
Belgrade, and in occupation of some Servian territory. But
even then it might be possible to bring some mediation into
existence, if Austria, while saying that she must hold the
occupied territory until she had complete satisfaction from
Servia, stated that she would not advance further, pending
an effort of the Powers to mediate between her and Russia.

The only reply that England received to this reiterated request that
Germany take the lead in suggesting some acceptable peace formula was
set forth in a dispatch from Sir E. Goschen from Berlin to Sir Edward
Grey:

I was informed last night that they (the German Foreign
Office) had not had time to send an answer yet. To-day, in
reply to an inquiry from the French Ambassador as to whether
the Imperial Government had proposed any course of action,
_the [German] Secretary of State said that he felt that time
would be saved by communicating with Vienna direct, and that
he had asked the Austro-Hungarian Government what would
satisfy them. No answer had, however, yet been returned._

The Chancello