specified time, Russia had sent no answer. Germany had,
therefore, ordered mobilization, and the German
representative at St. Petersburg had been instructed within
a certain time to inform the Russian Government that the
Imperial Government must regard their refusal to answer as
creating a state of war.[82]

[Footnote 82: English _White Paper_, No. 138.]

It will thus be seen that although Germany was urged to the very last
to await the result of the conferences, which had just commenced with
some slight promise of success between Austria and Russia, it
nevertheless elected to declare war against Russia and thus blast
beyond possible recall any possibility of peace. Its justification for
this course, as stated in the interview with the German Secretary of
State last quoted, was that it did not propose to forego its advantage
of speed as against the advantage of Russia's numerical superiority.
For this there might be some justification, if Russia had shown an
unyielding and bellicose attitude, but apart from the fact that
Russia had consistently worked in the interests of peace, Germany
had the express assurance of the Czar that no provocative action
would be taken while peace conferences continued. To disregard these
assurances and thus destroy the pacific efforts of other nations, in
order not to lose a tactical advantage, was the clearest disloyalty to
civilization. In any aspect, Germany could have fully kept its
advantage of speed by inducing its ally to suspend its aggressive
operations against Servia, for in that event Russia had expressly
obligated itself to suspend all military preparations.

As the final document in this shameful chapter of diplomacy, there
need only be added the telegram, sent by the German Chancellor to his
Ambassador at St. Petersburg on August 1, 1914, in which war was
declared by Germany against Russia on the ground that while Germany
and Austria should be left free to pursue their aggressive military
preparations, Russia should, on the peremptory demand of another
nation, cease the mobilization of its armies even for self-defense. It
reads:

The Imperial Government has endeavored from the opening of
the crisis to lead it to a pacific solution. In accordance
with a desire which had been expressed to him by His Majesty
the Emperor of Russia, His Majesty the Emperor of Germany
in accord with England had applied himself to filling