Certainly it was not very effective,
and for the reasons mentioned it is impossible to conclude that the
advice of Germany, if in good faith, would not have been followed by its
weaker ally.
From all that appears in the record, Austria made no reply to this most
conciliatory suggestion of England, but, in the meantime, the
irrepressible Kaiser made the crisis more acute by cabling to the Czar
that the mobilization of Russia to meet the mobilization of Austria was
affecting his position of mediator, to which the Czar made a
conciliatory reply, stating that Russia's mobilization was only for a
defense against Austria.
The Czar, to put at rest any anxiety of the Kaiser as to Russia's
intentions with respect to Germany, added:
"I thank you cordially for your mediation which permits the
hope that everything may yet end peaceably. It is technically
impossible to discontinue our military preparations which have
been made necessary by the Austrian mobilization. It is far
from us to want war. _As long as the negotiations between
Austria and Servia continue, my troops will undertake no
provocative action.
Pages:
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60