July the 28th "to
use its influence" with the Austrian Government "to the effect that
the latter either consider the reply from Belgrade satisfactory or
else accept it as a basis for discussion between the Cabinets." The
German Foreign Office then instructed the German Ambassador at Vienna
"to submit the British proposal to the Vienna Cabinet for its
consideration" (Austrian _Red Book_, No. 43). As a result of this
suggestion, Count Berchtold on July the 29th (Austrian _Red Book_, No.
44) again shut the door upon any compromise by the contention that
Austria

"no longer is in a position to meet the Servian reply in the
spirit of the British suggestions, since at the time when
the German request was presented here, a state of war
already existed between the Dual Monarchy and Servia, _and
thus the Servian reply had been superseded by events_."

The only counter-suggestion which Austria then made was as follows:

"Should the British Cabinet be prepared to exert its
influence upon the Russian Government for the maintenance of
peace among the Great Powers, and for a localization of the
war, which had been forced upon us by the Servian agitation
of many years' standing, such efforts would meet with the
Imperial and Royal Government's appreciation." (Austrian
_Red Book_, No. 44.)

On July 31st the German Ambassador at Vienna, acting on instructions
(which instructions are again not disclosed in the German _White
Book_) informed Count Berchtold "of a conversation between Sir Edward
Grey and Prince Lichnowsky," in the course of which the British
Secretary of State declared to the German Ambassador that Russia felt
unable "to treat directly with Austria-Hungary and therefore requested
Great Britain to resume her mediation" and that "as a condition of
this mediation, however, the Russian Government stipulates the
suspension of hostilities in the meanwhile." (Austrian _Red Book_, No.
51.)

Thereupon Count Berchtold made the eleventh hour offer in question by
instructing the Austrian Ambassador at St. Petersburg

"to express our readiness to consider Sir Edward Grey's
proposition to mediate between us and Servia despite the
changes brought about in the situation by Russia's
mobilization. _Our acceptance, however, is subject to the
condition that our military action against Servia shall
nevertheless proceed and that the British Cabinet