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No. 62.) The same note further states that most likely Baronvon Schoen's intention had been to¡compromise France in the eyesof Russia ("à compromettre la France au regard de la Russie ").The French Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs in a subsequentCircular note of the 29 th of July expressed his satisfaction thatthe German Ambassador had attempted in vain to lure France into a common Franco-German action at St. Petersburgh ("a vainementtenté de nous entraîner dans une action solidaire franco-allemandeà Pétersbourg"). He repeats the statement that the Russian Government had given the strongest proof of its moderationand that Russia was in no way threatening peace, that, however,something must be done at Vienna where the danger was brewing(Yellow Book No. 85).

No document of the French Yellow Book, and none eitherof the Russian Orange Book or English Blue Book, contain anindication that France has ever attempted to influence Russia in apacific sense. Unless we look upon the wish that Russia mightavoid every pretext for german mobilisation as an act of peacefulmediation.

We should be just as well entitled to suspect that suchwishes as were at all expressed tended rather to secure thenecessary time and detain Germany until the military help ofEngland could be secured (Yellow Book No. 102).

Making sure of the alliance of England, is what the effortsof French diplomacy were concentrated upon in those criticaldays, and as long as this had not been attained, the last wordwas not spoken to Russia . May it appear ever so clear from theFrench Yellow Book that the support of Russia by France was aforegone conclusion, so natural that a special mention of it seemedunnecessary, - the Yellow Book contains no trace of it —, theRussian Orange Book is better informed. It contains a telegraphicinstruction of M. Sazonof to M. Iswolsky of the 29 th of July(Orange Book No. 58), the last of the ten documents of this date,so that it may be assumed to have been sent late in the eveningof the 29 th of July. M. Iswolsky is instructed to express to theFrench Government "our sincere gratitude for the declaration"which the French Ambassador has given me in their name to