were sincere? All that Russia and England desired was that a little time
and consideration should be given, without prejudice to the rights or
claims of Austria, before the peace of the world was hopelessly
shattered.

Before this interview took place the French Ambassador had called at the
German Foreign Office on a similar errand and urged the English
suggestion that action should at once be taken by England, Germany,
Russia, and France at St. Petersburg and Vienna, to the effect that
Austria and Servia

"should abstain from any act which might aggravate the
situation at the present hour."

By this was meant that there should be, pending further parleys, no
invasion of Servia by Austria and none of Austria by Russia. _To this
the German Foreign Minister opposed a categorical refusal._

On the same day the Russian Ambassador at Vienna had "a long and earnest
conversation" with the Austrian Under Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs. He expressed the earnest hope that

"something would be done before Servia was actually invaded.
Baron Machio replied that this would now be difficult, as a
skirmish had already taken place on the Danube, in which the
Servians had been aggressors."

The Russian Ambassador then said that his country would do all it could
to keep the Servians quiet,