with Austria in its new trouble, and especially with its aged monarch,
who, like King Lear, was "as full of grief as years and wretched in
both."

The Servian Government had formerly disclaimed any complicity with the
assassination and had pledged itself to punish any Servian citizen
implicated therein.

From time to time, from June 28 to July 23, there came semi-inspired
intimations from Vienna that that country intended to act with great
self-restraint and in the most pacific manner. In his speech to the
French Chamber of Deputies, Viviani says that Europe had in the interval
preceding July 23 express assurances from Austria that its course would
be moderate and conciliatory. Never was it even hinted that Germany and
Austria were about to apply in a time of profound peace a match to the
powder magazine of Europe.

This is strikingly shown by the first letter in the English "White
Paper" from Sir Edward Grey to Sir H. Rumbold, dated July 20, 1914. It
is one of the most significant documents in the entire correspondence.
At the time this letter was written it is altogether probable that
Austria's arrogant and most unreasonable ultimatum had already been
framed and approved in Vienna, and possibly in Berlin, and yet Sir
Edward Grey, the Foreign Minister of a great and friendly country, had
so little knowledge of Austria's policy that he

"asked the German Ambassador today (July 20) if he had any
news of what was going on in Vienna with regard to Servia."
The German Ambassador replied "that he had not, but Austria
was certainly going to take some step."