of State keep a straight face when he uttered this sardonic
pleasantry? It may be the duty of a diplomat to lie on occasion, but is
it ever necessary to utter such a stupid falsehood? The German Secretary
of State sardonically added in the same conversation that he was not
sure that the effort for peace had not hastened the declaration of war,
as though the declaration of war against Servia had not been planned and
expected from the first.

As a final effort to meet quibbles, the British Ambassador at Berlin
then suggested that after Austria had satisfied her military prestige,
the moment might then be favorable for four disinterested powers to
discuss the situation and come forward with suggestions for preventing
graver complications.

To this proposal the German Secretary of State seemingly acquiesced,
but, as usual, _nothing whatever was done_. [English "White Paper," No.
76.] It is true that on July 29 Sir Edward Grey was assured by the
German Ambassador that the German Foreign Office was

"endeavoring to make Vienna explain in a satisfactory form at
St. Petersburg the scope and extension of Austrian proceedings
in Servia,"

but again the communications which the German Foreign Office sent to
Vienna on this point _have never yet been disclosed to the world_.

[English "White Paper," No. 84.]

In this same conference Sir Edward 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 were 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."

[English "White Paper," No. 84.]

The difficulty was, however, that Germany never "pressed the button,"
although obviously it would have been easy for her to do so, as the
stronger and more influential member of the Double Alliance.

On the same day the Austrian Government left a memorandum with Sir
Edward Grey to the effect that Count Mensdorff said that the war with
Servia must proceed.

On the night of July 29 the British Ambassador at Berlin was informed
that the German Foreign Office "_had not h