faction
throughout the country. He did not think that objections to
what had been done could be raised by any power.[21]

[Footnote 21: English _White Papers_, No. 7.]

It will be noted that in the report of the English Ambassador there is
no suggestion of any disclaimer of an intention to take Servian
territory.

In the Russian _Orange Paper_, we find no report from its
representative at Vienna of any such interview and Austria has never
produced any document or memorandum either of such an interview or of
such a concession to Russia. It is probable that such a concession was
made, as Germany contends, and if so, Russian diplomacy was far too
keen to be led upon a false trail by this empty promise and as the
evidences multiplied that Austria would not consider either an
extension of time or any modification of its terms and that Germany
was acting in complete accord and cooperated with her Ally, the
probability of war was unmistakable.

Sazonof at once sent for the English and French Ambassadors, and the
substance of the conference is embodied in the telegram from the
British Ambassador at St. Petersburg to Sir Edward Grey, dated July
24th, which throws a strong light upon the double effort of Russia and
France to preserve the peace and also as an obvious necessity to
prepare for the more probable issue of war:

Minister for Foreign Affairs said that Austria's conduct was
both provocative and immoral; she would never have taken
such action unless Germany had first been consulted; some of
her demands were quite impossible of acceptance. He hoped
that his Majesty's Government would not fail to proclaim
their solidarity with Russia and France.

The French Ambassador gave me to understand that France
would fulfill all the obligations entailed by her alliance
with Russia, if necessity arose, besides supporting Russia
strongly in any diplomatic negotiations.

I said that I would telegraph a full report to you of what
their Excellencies had just said to me. I could not, of
course, speak in the name of his Majesty's Government, but
personally I saw no reason to expect any declaration of
solidarity from his Majesty's Government that would entail
an unconditional engagement on their part to support Russia
and France by force of arms. Direct British interests in
Servia were nil, and a war on behalf of that country would