The Story of the Great War, Volume 1: Introductions; Special Articles; Causes of War; Diplomatic and State Papers
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 1: Introductions; Special Articles; Causes of War; Diplomatic and State Papers
World War, 1914-1918
"I impressed upon the ambassador that, in the event of Russian
and Austrian mobilization, the participation of Germany would be
essential to any diplomatic action for peace. Alone we could do
nothing. The French Government were traveling at the moment, and
I had had no time to consult them, and could not therefore be
sure of their views, but I was prepared, if the German Government
agreed with my suggestion, to tell the French Government that I
thought it the right thing to act upon it."
Sir Edward Grey telegraphed to Sir Maurice de Bunsen, British
Ambassador at Vienna, the text of the Russian telegram sent to the
Russian Ambassador at Vienna asking the Austro-Hungarian Government
for extension of the time limit for the Serbian reply, and
protesting that a refusal would be "against international ethics."
Grey asked Bunsen to support the Russian position.
"I trust that if the Austro-Hungarian Government consider it too
late to prolong the time limit, they will at any rate give time
in the sense and for the reasons desired by Russia before taking
any irretrievable steps."
Sir Edward Grey telegraphed Mr. Crackanthorpe, British Charge
d'Affaires at Belgrade, an account of an interview of M.
Boschkovitch, Serbian Minister at London, with Sir Arthur Nicholson,
British Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
"He mentioned that both the assassins of the archduke were
Austrian subjects--Bosniaks; that one of them had been in Serbia,
and that the Serbian authorities, considering him suspect and
dangerous, had desired to expel him, but on applying to the
Austrian authorities found that the latter protected him, and
said that he was an innocent and harmless individual."
_France._--M. Jules Cambon, French Ambassador at Berlin, reported to
M. Bienvenu-Martin, Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs at Paris, an
interview with Baron Beyens, Belgian Minister at Berlin.
"The Belgian Minister appears very anxious.... He is of opinion
that Austria and Germany have desired to take advantage of the
fact that, owing to a combination of circumstances at the present
moment, Russia and England appear to them to be threatened by
domestic troubles, while in France the state of the army is under
discussion. Moreover, he does not believe in the pretended
ignorance of the Government of Berlin on the subject of Austria's
_demarche_.
"He thinks that, if the form of it has not been submitted to the
Cabinet at Berlin, the moment of its dispatch has been cleverly
chosen in consultation with that Cabinet, in order to surprise
the Triple Entente at a moment of disorganization.
"He has seen the Italian Ambassador, who has just interrupted his
holiday in order to return. It looks as if Italy would be
surprised, to put it no higher, at having been kept out of the
whole affair by her two Allies."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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