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No. 113 of the Blue Book contains the telegram fromSt. Petersburgh concerning the issue of the orders for generalmobilisation of the Russian forces.

No. 114 of the Blue Book reproduces a telegram from SirEdward Grey to the English Ambassadors at Paris and Berlin as follows:

"Foreign Office, July 31, 1914."I still trust that situation is not irretrievable, but"in view of prospect of mobilisation in Germany it"becomes essential to His Majesty's Government, in view"of existing treaties, to ask whether French (German )"Government is prepared to engage to respect neutral-ity of Belgium so long as no other Power violates it."

Thus, Grey's reply to the Russian mobilisation did not consistin a step at St. Petersburgh, but in raising the question of Belgian neutrality in Berlin in order to gain an opening for England 'sinterference. The question put to Paris was of course a merefarce.

There was in fact no time to be lost in doing somethingin that direction. For the French Ambassador who, uponGrey 's declaration of July 29 th , had acted at once and irre-vocably engaged France , who had, on July 30 th , presented the"bill" of November 1912 insisting on its redemption, wasshowing signs of impatience when Sir Edward Grey , on theinsistance of the Cabinet, made a few reservations. Grey wroteto the British Ambassador at Paris on July 31 st (Blue BookNo. 119) that Paul Cambon had produced a telegram fromthe French Ambassador at Berlin — made to order, apparently,- stating that Germany was being encouraged by the uncertaintyas to whether England would really intervene. Sir Edward Grey protested and told Paul Cambon that he had on that same morningdefinitely refused to declare to the German Ambassador that Eng-land would remain neutral and that he had even told him, ifFrance and Germany became involved in war, England would bedrawn into it. This, of course, would not mean an engagementvis à vis of France. He further told Paul Cambon that the Cabinethad come to the conclusion that they could not at the present