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"chance de localiser le conflit n'était pas perdue"). (Yellow BookNo. 104.)

Sir Edward Grey's suggestion of mediation of the 29 th ofJuly ran on the following lines: Austria-Hungary shall bind her-self not to advance further after taking Belgrade and the Servianterritory in the region of the frontier while the Powers would tryto arrange that Servia should give Austria-Hungary sufficientsatisfaction. The territory occupied by the Austro-Hungarian armywas to be subsequently evacuated. Sir Edward Grey notified thisproposal to the British Ambassador at St. Petersburgh on the 30 th ofJuly, adding: "I suggested this yesterday as a possible relief to"the situation, and, if it can be obtained, I would earnestly hope"that it might be agreed to suspend further military preparations"on all sides". (Blue Book No. 103.)

This suggestion was transmitted, and recommended, byGermany to the Austro-Hungarian Government, and the French and British Ambassadors did the same in St. Petersburgh . (YellowBook No. 112.) Austria was not even allowed time to reply tothis suggestion, and Russia herself had not yet taken up herposition in the matter, when suddenly orders for the Russian general mobilisation were issued. The statement that Russia 'sgeneral mobilisation had been necessitated by Austria 's refusal toyield to an intervention of the Powers (see Blue Book No. 113)is therefore in open contradiction with the facts mentioned in theEnglish and French documents.

That Russia played the trump of general mobilisation atthe very moment when her Government and that of Austria-Hungary had the English proposal of mediation still underconsideration, is far surpassed in importance by a direct con-versation between M. Schébéko, Russian Ambassador at Vienna ,and Count Berchtold, which took place on the eve of Russia 'sgeneral mobilisation. It may be recalled that, after the failureof Sir Edward Grey's first conference proposal M. Sazonofhimself had taken the initiative in favour of direct negotiationswith Vienna , and that this suggestion had been declined for themoment by the Austro-Hungarian Government. (Blue BookNo. 74.) In the conversation of the 30 th of July all difficulties