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.”

Sir Edward Grey adds that he told the German Ambassador that he had learned that Count Berchtold, the Austrian Foreign Minister,

     “in speaking to the Italian Ambassador in Vienna, had
     deprecated the suggestion that the situation was grave, but
     had said that it should be cleared up.”

The German Minister then replied that it would be desirable “if Russia could act as a mediator with regard to Servia,” so that the first suggestion of Russia playing the part of the peacemaker came from the German Ambassador in London.  Sir Edward Grey then adds that he told the German Ambassador that he

“assumed that the Austrian Government would not do anything until they had first disclosed to the public their case against Servia, founded presumably upon what they had discovered at the trial,”

and the German Ambassador assented to this assumption.

[English “White Paper,” No. 1.]

Either the German Ambassador was then deceiving Sir Edward Grey, on the theory that the true function of an Ambassador is “to lie for his country,” or the thunderbolt was being launched with such secrecy that even the German Ambassador in England did not know what was then in progress.

The British Ambassador at Vienna reports to Sir Edward Grey: 

     “The delivery at Belgrade on the 23d July of the note to
     Servia was preceded by a period of absolute silence at the
     Ballplatz.”