"
[English "White Paper," No. 62.]
The private conversations between Russia and Austria having thus failed,
Russia returned to the proposition of a European conference to preserve
its peace. Its Ambassador in Vienna on July 28 had a conference with
Berchtold and pointed to the dangers to the peace of Europe and the
desirability of good relations between Austria-Hungary and Russia.
To this Count Berchtold replied that he understood perfectly well the
seriousness of the situation and the advantages of a frank explanation
with the Cabinet at St. Petersburg.
"He told me that, on the other hand, the Austro-Hungarian
Government, which had only reluctantly decided upon the
energetic measures which it had taken against Servia, _could
now neither withdraw nor enter upon any discussion of the
terms of the Austro-Hungarian note."_
[Russian "Orange Paper," No. 45.]
On the same day, July 28, the German Imperial Chancellor sent for the
English Ambassador and excused his failure to accept the proposal of
conference of the neutral powers, on the ground that he did not think it
would be effective,
"because such a conference would in his opinion have the
appearance of an 'Areopagus' consisting of two powers of each
group sitting in judgment upon the two remaining powers.
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