On July 24 he
had another conversation with the Austrian Ambassador, the theme of
which was the note--meanwhile presented to Servia. It caused
apprehensions on his part, but he declared again:
The merits of the dispute between Austria and Servia were not the
concern of his Majesty's Government....
I [Grey] ended by saying that doubtless we should enter into an
exchange of views with other powers, and that I must await their
views as to what could be done to mitigate the difficulties of the
situation.--(British "White Paper" No. 5.)
We are already striking the fateful peculiarity of Grey's policy to
hesitate where prompt action, or at least a clear and open conduct,
would have been his duty. This weakness of his nature has been used with
great art by French and Russian diplomacy. This is illustrated by the
conversation of July 24 between him and the French Ambassador, Cambon,
in London:
M. Cambon said that, if there was a chance of mediation by the four
powers he had no doubt that his Government would be glad to join
in it; but he pointed out that we could not say anything in St.
Petersburg till Russia had expressed some opinion or taken some
action.
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