. Sazonof was pessimistic. Buchanan asked him if he would
be satisfied with Austria's assurances to respect Serbia's integrity
and independence. He replied: Not if she attacked Serbia; that he
would order mobilization on the day that Austria crossed the Serbian
frontier.

"I told the German Ambassador [Count Pourtales], who appealed to
me to give moderating counsels to the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, that from the beginning I had not ceased to do so, and
that the German Ambassador at Vienna should now in his turn use
his restraining influence. I made it clear to his excellency
that, Russia being thoroughly in earnest, a general war could not
be averted if Serbia were attacked by Austria."

Ambassador de Bunsen at Vienna telegraphed news of Austria's
declaration of war against Serbia, and her declination of Russia's
suggestion of direct discussion with her. Russian Ambassador
Schebeko said that the London conference now offered the only
prospect of European peace, and he was sure Russia would agree to
it.

"So long as opposing armies have not actually come in contact,
all hope need not be abandoned."

_France._ M. Viviani, French Prime Minister, on board _La France_,
telegraphed to M. Bienvenu-Martin, Acting Minister for Foreign
Affairs at Paris, approving his course. Russia was not responsible
for present situation, and Germany could not with grace refuse to
counsel Austria, provoker of the crisis. He approved Grey's
proposition of a four-power conference.

"The action of the four less interested powers cannot ... be
exerted only at Vienna and St. Petersburg. In proposing to exert
it also at Belgrade, which means, in fact, between Vienna and
Belgrade, Sir E. Grey grasps the logic of the situation; and, in
not excluding St. Petersburg, he offers, on the other hand, to
Germany a method of withdrawing with perfect dignity from the
_demarche_ by which the German Government have caused it to be
known at Paris and at London that the affair was looked upon by
them as purely Austro-Serbian and without any general character."

M. Bienvenu-Martin replied to M. Viviani that Germany had taken no
sincere action to hold back Austria, and was opposing Grey's plan of
mediation, thus dooming it to failure. Austria will take energetic
measures to-morrow, the 29th, to compel Serbia to give them the
satisfaction demanded, and has begun to mo