general mobilization by Austria-Hungary reached St. Petersburg.

"All this time hostilities were continuing on Serbian territory,
and Belgrade was bombarded afresh.

"The failure of our proposals for peace compelled us to extend
the scope of our precautionary military measures.

"The Berlin Cabinet questioned us on this, and we replied that
Russia was compelled to begin preparations so as to be ready for
every emergency.

"But while taking this precautionary step, Russia did not on that
account abandon her strenuous efforts to find some solution of
the situation, and she announced that she was ready to accept any
proposed settlement of the problem that might be put forward,
provided it complied with the conditions laid down by her.

"In spite of this conciliatory communication, the German
Government on July 31 demanded of the Russian Government that
they should suspend their military measures by midday on August
1, and threatened, should they fail to comply, to proceed to
general mobilization.

"On the following day, August 1, the German Ambassador, on behalf
of his Government, forwarded a declaration of war to the Minister
for Foreign Affairs."

M. Sazonof telegraphed to the Russian representatives abroad

"that Germany is now doing her utmost to foist upon us the
responsibility for the rupture. We were forced to mobilize by the
immense responsibility which would have fallen upon our shoulders
if we had not taken all possible precautionary measures at a time
when Austria, while confining herself to discussions of a
dilatory nature, was bombarding Belgrade and was undertaking
general mobilization.

"The Emperor of Russia had promised the German Emperor that he
would take no aggressive action as long as the discussions with
Austria continued. With such a guarantee, and after so many
proofs of Russia's desire for peace, Germany neither could, nor
had the right to, doubt our declaration that we would joyfully
accept any peaceful settlement compatible with the dignity and
independence of Serbia. Any other solution, besides being
entirely incompatible with our own dignity, would assuredly have
upset the European balance of power by securing the hegemony of
Germany. The European--nay, the world-wide--character of this
disput