New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-15

last hour she were acting h8 HltulaVo''
But her outward action tended 10
humiliating Germany and Austrla-huH
cary. England was the first great
mower 20 order military measures 10 De
taken on a large scale, and thereby 10
create feeling especially In france
and Russia, that was bound 10 damage
H. the highest degree any steps taken
in the cause of mediation. Inc report
of the French charge d'aifaires IN Lon
don Of July 27 yellow Book No. 90
shows that as early az July - 'he
chief in command Of the British meet
had taken secret measures Tor conceh-
tiating the feet at Portland. Therefore
Great Britain modified earlier IMAM
Sorvia herself
France did. TO exert restraining ana
moderating influence IN St. PETERSBURG.
The reports Of the British Ambassador
M 81 Petersburg showed clearly that
only warning given to Russia TO stop
nor mobilization could save the sltua-
ton. But Sir Edward Grey did not act
upon these reports. lie let things take
their course. At the same time ne
thought it might be useful clearly 10
point out TO Germany and Austrla-Hu
gary that England likewise might take
"A part in a European war. by dropping
her idea Of a conference England maze
il appcar that she wished Australia
gary. through Germany's mediation, 70
WELD. But at the same time SIR EdWaru
called the attention Of the Austro-huh-
rarian Ambassador at London to the
mobilization Of the British fleet W mite
Rock 4S). warned the German Ambassa-
dor that England might possibly IahG
mart i'm the war. and at once informed
The ambassadors of the dual alliance
that he had warned Germany. his was
the final stroke 10 secure the victory OF
the Russian war party in st. Peters
burg. 10 was the most inappropriate az
titude (such is the expert we" OF -
chanan. the British AMBASSADOR tnaI
could have been adopted for bringing
about good feeling between the powers
Germany Labors with Austria.
"In these difficult circumstances It Is
particularly satisfactory to note th%I
Germanv succeeded in making her any
listen 10 Russ.a's desire oil entering
into separate negotiations. IL RUSSIA
without resorting to military measures
had kept up the negotiations WIN
Austria-Huugary, who mad moOl4IlgI
against none but Seyla, there "ouIu
beve been every prospect of preserving
tSe neace of the world Instead OF this,
RUSSIA modified against Austria-hun-
cary. and ~ SasOuoN knew very wen
~ White Book 7S) that this act rus
trated all direct negotiations with Aus.
tria-Uungary. The laborlous result Oh
German mediatory negotiations was
crushed at one blow.
after this what did the entente
movers do 20 preserve peace at lha'
very last hour? Sir Edward Grey TOOK
nm again the conference proposal. Also
in tho opiuion of VI. Sasonof, the op-
portunc moment had come under the
pressurc of Russian mobilization
against Austria-Hungary TO recommend
anew the old English notion that the
four powers should meet at confer
once and come 20 some arrangement
German White Book, page y.
An Impossible Demand.
Count Pourtales did not leave the
minister in any doubt that IN his opln-
ion the entente powers by taking sucn
step were demanding. the same from
Austria Hungary that they had consld-
cred impossible to demand from Ser
via-viz. to yield under military press
urc. Under such circumstances Ger
MANY and Austria-Hungary could not
be expected TO sympathlZe with the
proposed conference.
Notwithstanding this, Germany de-
clared i'm London that she accepted the
proposal of an Intervention Of the four
powers in principle and that she was
merely averse 70 the form Of a confer
ence. At the same time the German
Ambassador at St. Petersburg urged
SasouoT to make concessions on his
part so as to make a compromise pos
sible.
1--WE all know that these endeavors
were in vain Russia did not seem to
care any longer for the military activ-
itv which Germany carried on in Vienna
until the last hour In the night from
July 80 to 81 she ordered the mobiliZa-
ton of all Russian forces. The inevlta-
bic consequence was Germany's Dobili-
zation and her subsequent federation
Of war.
"In view Of this course Of events, it
passes my understanding how a re-
sponsible statesman can find the c0ur-
agc TO assert that Germany, facing as
she did the Russian mobilization, the
military preparation Of France and the
mobilization of the British fleet, could
have preserved peace as late as July 81
if she had agreed to a conference 10 be
held while the entente powers were up
in arms To the last hour Germany
was mediating in Vienna. 1t was not
Germany that thwarted the idea of a
four-power mediation, but the military
measures taken by the entente powers,
who had words Of peace on their lips
while all the time they were firmly
bent on war.
"y. BETHMANN-HOL