e
Czar to their common monarchical interests with regard to the
Serajevo outrage, and asked him personally to support him in order
to establish harmony between Vienna and St. Petersburg.

At about the same hour in which this telegram was sent the Czar
asked the Kaiser for his support and requested him to advise Vienna
to be moderate in its demands. The Kaiser assumed the role of
mediator. Hardly had he begun his activity when Russia mobilized
its entire fighting force against Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary,
however, had mobilized only those army corps which were directed
against Servia; in the north there were only two army corps and
these far from the Russian border.

The Kaiser immediately called the attention of the Czar to the fact
that this mobilization of his forces against Austria-Hungary made
his position as mediator difficult or absolutely impossible. In
spite of this we continued our mediatorial activities in Vienna,
going to the utmost limits of consistency with the terms of our
federal treaty. ["Very true! Hear, hear!"] During this time Russia
again spontaneously assured us that her military preparations were
not directed against us. ["Hear, hear, fie!"]

The 31st of July arrived. In Vienna the decision was to be made. In
the meantime we had succeeded with our negotiations to reaching a
point where Vienna resumed intercourse with St. Petersburg, which
for some time had been discontinued, but before the final decision
was reached in Vienna the news arrived that Russia had mobilized
its entire fighting force, which meant also against us. ["Hear,
hear!"]

Russia's Mobilization.

The Russian Government, which from repeated admonitions knew what
mobilizing on our borders meant, did not notify us of this
mobilization and gave us absolutely no explanation. ["Hear! hear!"]
Not until the afternoon of July 31 did the Kaiser receive a message
from the Czar in which he assured him that the attitude of his army
was not hostile toward us. ["Hear! hear!" and laughter.]

However, the mobilization against us on the Russian border was on
the night of July 31 already in full progress. While we, at the
request of Russia, were mediating in Vienna, the Russian Army
appeared on our long, almost entirely open border. France, although
not yet