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that the French Yellow Book (No. 102) contains confirmationof the fact that the Chief of the Russian General Staff gave theGerman Military Attaché on the 29 th of July his word of honourthat Russia's mobilisation was aiming solely at Austria , and notalso at Germany. If Russia really believed to have knowledge ofmilitary measures on the part of Germany , would the Chief of theRussian General Staff have had the slightest reason for pledging hisword of honour? And if the Russian Government had subse-quently received news of German preparations — as M. Sazonoftold the French and English (though never the German )Ambassadors — would not the Chief of the Russian GeneralStaff then have had most serious reasons for speaking to theGerman Military Attaché about the altered situation? And shouldhe not have done so before the inalterable decision of theRussian general mobilisation had been taken? Nothing of thekind happened. While Russia in her intercourse with thirdpowers made Germany responsible for russian mobilisation theGerman Emperor, the German Ambassador, and the German Military Attaché, have received none but reassuring promises fromthat quarter.

3. Austria 's refusal to suffer an interventionof the Powers.

This particular reason which had been transmitted toLondon by Sir George Buchanan , produces a curious effectif associated with the fact, on the one hand, that a newproposal at mediation, as suggested by Sir Edward Grey ,had been submitted by the German Government to the Austro-Hungarian Government on the previous day, and that Austria 'sreply to the proposal was still pending. That, further, a conver-sation had taken place in Vienna in the afternoon of July 30 thbetween Count Berchtold and the Russian Ambassador concerningwhich the French Ambassador at Vienna at once telegraphedto Paris, signalising it as a conversation of high importance("un entretien de haute importance"). In the French Ambassadorsopinion, this permitted to believe that all prospect of localising theconflict had not yet been lost ("permettait de croire que toute