Returning to Belgrade in haste upon learning of
the ultimatum, the Serbian Premier appealed to Rus-
sia, and M. Sazonof announced to the press SMUa'a
that "Russia cannot remain indifferent to *^'

the dispute,'' and to Vienna he applied for an exten-
sion of time. In combination with the representatives
of Prance, Italy, and Germany, Sir Edward Grey en-
deavored to bring about with Germany a four-Power
mediation between Vieima and St. Petersburg. Ger-
many under various pretexts flatly declined to partici-
pate. All chancelleries of the Powers save those of
Germany and Austria labored assiduously for peace.
Of this the evidence is overwhelming. Sir Edward
Grey in England and M. Sazonof, the Russian Minister
of Foreign Affairs, have left a record which is everlast-
ingly to their credit and that of the cotmtries which
they represented. M. Viviani, French Premier, in



28 The World War

adopting the extraordinary precaution in the interest
of peace of keeping the French ''covering troops" on
the French-German frontier a distance of ten kilo-
meters behind the botmdary, probably went farther
than was justifiable in view of the known character
of the German Government, and he has since been
severdy condemned for thus leaving his country open
to the German invasion.
