The next day, July 24, Russia joined the little Slav country in asking for a delay. Austria refused to grant this. On July 25, ten minutes before 6 p.m., the hour at which the ultimatum expired, the Servian premier, M. Pashitch, gave his reply to the Austrian ambassador at Belgrade. Servia agreed to all the conditions and apologies demanded by Austria, except the requirement that Austrian officials should be allowed to participate in the inquiry to be conducted in Servia into the assassination of the Archduke. Even this was not definitely refused. On July 27 the Austrian foreign office issued a statement in which appeared these words: "The object of the Servian note is to create the false impression that the Servian Government is prepared in great measure to comply with our demands. "As a matter of fact, however, Servians note is filled with the spirit of dishonesty, which clearly lets it be seen that the Servian Government is not seriously determined to put an end to the culpable tolerance it hitherto has extended to intrigues against the Austro-Hungarian monarchy." Russia at once notified Austria that it could not permit Servian territory to be invaded. It was then realized in Europe that the great Slav nation would support its little brother. Germany let it be known that no other country must interfere with the Austro-Servian embroglio, which meant that Germany was prepared to back Austria. An eleventh-hour proposal by the British foreign secretary, Sir Edward Grey, that mediation between Servia and Austria be undertaken by a conference of the Ambassadors in London, was accepted by France and Italy, but declined by Germany and Austria. Then next day, July 28, came Austria's declaration of war, which soon made Europe the theater of the bloodiest struggle of all the ages. SERVIA AND ITS ASPIRATIONS Servians reply to the declaration of war was to concentrate a strong division of its forces in the Sanjak of Novi-Bazar, from which they would be in a position to threaten Bosnia and Herzegovina, the two Balkan provinces that Austria had lately annexed. It was also reported that Servia intended to invade Bosnia with the object of enlisting further support from the Bosnian Serbs, who were said to be on the point of rising against Austria-Hungary. The country of the Servians being well suited for defense, they were never completely overrun by the Turks, as other Balkan states were, and as a consequence they still retain, like the Greeks, a native aristocracy of culture. Physically, they are fairer than most of the Balkan Slavs and more refined in appearance. By temperament they are light-hearted, joyous, frivolous, and charming to deal with. In Servia itself, including territory acquired in recent wars, there are about 4,500,000 Serbs. In Austria there are about 3,500,000 Serbs, including Croats who belong to the Servian race.