r told me last night that he was "pressing the
button" as hard as he could, and that he was not sure
whether he had not gone so far in urging moderation at
Vienna that matters had been precipitated rather than
otherwise.[71]

[Footnote 71: See English _White Paper_, No. 84.]

The Court of Public Opinion unfortunately is not favored in the German
_White Paper_ with the text of its communication on this subject to
Vienna, nor is it given any specifications as to the manner in which
the German Chancellor "pressed the button."

What the world knows without documentary proof is that Austria
continued its military preparations and operations and that Russia
then ordered a general mobilization. The only assurance which Russia
received from Austria as a result of the alleged "pressing of the
button" is set forth in the following dispatch from the Russian
Ambassador at Vienna to Sazonof, dated July 31st:

In spite of the general mobilization I continue to exchange
views with Count Berchtold and his collaborators. All insist
on the absence of aggressive intentions on the part of
Austria against Russia and of ambitions of conquest in
regard to Servia, _but all equally insist on the necessity
for Austria of pursuing to the very end the action begun and
of giving to Servia a serious lesson which would constitute
a certain guarantee for the future_.

This was in effect a flat refusal of all mediatory or otherwise
pacific suggestions, for the right of Austria to crush Servia by
giving it "a serious lesson"--what such a lesson is let Louvain,
Liege, and Rheims witness!--was the crux of the whole question.

Concurrently Sir Edward Goschen telegraphed to Sir Edward Grey that
Germany had declared that day the "_Kriegsgefahr_" and that the German
Chancellor had expressed the opinion that "all hope of a peaceful
solution of the crisis" was at an end. The British Ambassador then
asked the Chancellor,--

whether he could not still put pressure on the authorities
at Vienna to do something in the general interests to
reassure Russia and to show themselves disposed to continue
discussions on a friendly basis. He replied that last night
he had begged Austria to reply to your last proposal, and
that he had received a reply to the effect that Austrian
Minister for Foreign Affairs would take the wishes of the
Emperor this morning in the matt