Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-12-05

oCllDtu TIE EGueldl SltudtOl ll lnat
time On July S0th, he gaid, the
German Ambassador at Vienna had
been instructed to request Austria
Hungary most urgently to come to an
understanding with Russia and to
add that Germany did not want TO
be drawn into world-war in conse-
quence OF disregard OF her advice.
J Austria Hungary had agreed to Ger
! many's suggestion.
Compare with this" said the
Chancellor, "the steps which Lord
/ Grey took: On July 81, 1914, the
! Russian Ambassador at London told
/ him that in German and Austro-Hun-
/ garian circles the impression pre-
vailed that England would stand
aside. Lord Grey replied This inn
! preston ought to be dispelled by the
orders we have given to the First
| Fleet On July 29th he Immediately
| informed the French Ambassador Of
! the confidential warning which had
! been given to our Ambassador at
London 10 the effect that Germany
must be prepared FOR quick decisions
on the part of England, which meant
England's participation in the war
1t is possible thatLord Grey supposed
French Ambassador would serve the
cause Of peace? Was not the French
/ representative Obliged to consider
tins disclosure as a promise of armed
help in case of war? Must not Franco
have been encouraged by this to give
. to Russia the promise Of uncondition-
al fellowship in war which had been
solicited so urgently for days? And
must not Russia have been strength
ened to the utmost in her intentions
to wage war by this certainty Of a
British and French alliance? The
Russian answer to the morning con
versation of Lord Grey, indeed, came
as quickly as expected. On the even
ing of the same day, July 29th, M.
Sazanoff instructed the Russian AM
Dassador at Paris to express to the
French Government his sincere
thanks for the declaration, given him
by the French Ambassador, accord
ing to which Russia could count COM
pletely upon the assistance Of her
ally, France"
The situation, by which Russia
was faced on the night of July 90th,
was then described by Dr.. Won Beth
mann-Hollweg as follows: Austria
Hungary was yielding under German
influence, fact which cleared the
road toward peace. AT the same time
Lord Grey's disclosure to M. Paul
Camhon assured Russia OF tho armed
assistance Of England and France
which alone gave Russia the possibil-
ity of making war. She accordingly
decided on mobilization and war.
Who, the Chancellor asked, was gull
ty of This fateful decision? Lord
Grey, he said, had not mentioned any
OF these facts, but had directed the
attention of his audience toward un-
essential details.
The Hague arbitration tribunal
offered by the Car" the Chancellor
proceeded, mo doubt sounds very
serious, but the offer was made when
the Russian hoops were already set
to move against us. AS to Lord
Grey's own suggestion Of a confer
ence he himself substituted for 1t
our mediation, as | have repeatedly
explained in the Rcichstag. AS re-
CARDS the Belgian question, before
one single German soidier had set
food on Belgian soil, Lord Grey al
ready had told the French Ambassa-
dor, as related in the latter's report
If the German fleet would come into
the Channel or through the North
Sea with the intention OF attacking
the French coast or the French navy
and of harassng the French merch-
ant marine 'harassing," gentlemen),
the British navy would act In order
to protect the Frencn navy in such
way that from that moment Eng
land and Germany would be in q
state Of war Can the same man
who proclaimed that the sailing Of
our navy would be q casus belli, can
that very same man still asseverate
sincerely that 1t was only the viola
tion of the Belgian neutrality that
forced England into war against her
will?"
The Chancellor then disposed of
Lord Grey's statement that Germany
had asked England to condone the
violation of the Belgian neutrality
by saying
~ must ask Lord Groy to examine
the facts in his own Blue Book and in
HIS records.
in order to localizc the war, the
Chancellor said, he had on July Goth
assured the British Ambassador at
Berlin that in case Of England's neu-
trality, Germany would guarantee
'Frane6's territorial integrity On
August LIST, Prince Lichnowsky had
asked Lord Grey whether Eagland
would promise to stay neutral n
case Germany undertook to respect
the Belgian neutrality. The AmDas-
sador hstd further said that II Eng
land would stay neutral the integrity
not only OF Frances territory, but