Czar passed over in silence the general mobilisation for whichorders had already been issued and which was directed againstGermany - a simple expedient, indeed, for avoiding the justifi-cation of this measure. On the other hand, if "our military"preparations" were intended to mean Russia 's general mobilisation,then, in the attempt of justifying this decisive measure, the Czarwas merely able to draw attention to Austria 's military measures.

Let us turn to the Russian Minister for ForeignAffairs.

On the 31 st of July the French Ambassador at St. Peters-burgh sent the following report to his Government regarding thereasons advanced by M. Sazonof:

"En raison de la mobilisation générale de l'Autriche"et des mesures de mobilisation prises secrètement, mais"d'une manière continue, par l'Allemagne depuis 6 jours,"l'ordre de mobilisation générale de l'armée russe a été"donné ..... "

(Transi.: On account of the general mobilisation ofAustria , and of the measures of mobilisation taken secretlybut continuously by Germany during the last 6 days,the general mobilisation of the Russian army has beenordered. Yellow Book No. 118.)

On the same day the British Ambassador at St. Petersburgh telegraphed to Sir Edward Grey (see Blue Book No. 113) that thegeneral mobilisation had been ordered in consequence of a reportreceived from the Russian Ambassador at Vienna to the effectthat Austria was determined not to yield to an interventionof the Powers and that she was moving troops againstRussia as well as against Servia. It is added that "Russia "has also reason to believe that Germany is making active"military preparations, and she cannot afford to let her get a start".

But the Russian Orange Book will be vainly searched for areason for the general mobilisation. Though communication ofthis decisive step must assuredly have been supplied to theRussian Ambassadors abroad, it has found no place in th?Orange Book, and were it not for the communiqué by which