n it. It is therefore our earnest hope that
Russia will refrain from any active intervention, conscious
of her responsibility and of the seriousness of the
situation. If an Austro-Russian dispute should arise, we are
ready, with the reservation of our known duties as Allies,
to cooperate with the other great Powers in mediation
between Russia and Austria.[27]

[Footnote 27: German _White Paper_, Exhibit 13.]

This distinction is hard to grasp. It attempts to measure the
difference between tweedledum and tweedledee. Russia's current
difference with Austria concerned the attempt of the latter to
crush Servia without interference. Russia claimed such right of
intervention. Germany would not interfere in the former matter, but
would abstractly but not concretely mediate between Russia and Austria
in the latter. Mediate about what? To refuse to mediate over the
Servian question was to refuse to mediate at all. For all practical
purposes the two things were indistinguishable.

All that Germany did on July 25th, so far as the record discloses,
was to "pass on" England's and Russia's requests for more time, but
subsequent events indicate that it was "passed on" without any
endorsement, for is it credible that Austria would have ignored its
ally's request for more time if it had ever been made? Here again we
note with disappointment the absence from the record of Germany's
message to Austria, "passing on" the reasonable request for an
extension of time. The result indicates that the request received,
if any endorsement, the "faint praise" which is said to "damn."

Was ever the peace of the world shattered upon so slight a pretext? A
little time, a few days, even a few hours, might have sufficed to
preserve the world from present horrors, but no time could be granted.
_A snap judgment was to be taken by these pettifogging diplomats._ The
peace of the world was to be torpedoed by submarine diplomacy. The
Austrian Government could wait nearly three months to try the
assassin, who admittedly slew the Austrian Archduke, but could not
wait even a few hours before condemning Servia to political death. It
could not grant Russia any time to consider a matter gravely affecting
its interests, even if the peace of Europe and the happiness of the
world depended on it. It would be difficult to find in recorded
history a greater discourtesy to a friendly Power, for Austria was not
at war with Russia.

Defea