erting war, and in the second place to preparing
for it as well as was practicable if it should come. In reviewing what
happened I have made use of the substance of various papers recently
contributed to the _Westminster Gazette_, the _Atlantic Monthly_, _Land
and Water_, and the _Sunday Times_. The gist of these, which were
written with their inclusion in this book in view, has been incorporated
in the text together with other material. I have to thank the Editors of
these journals for their courtesy in agreeing that the substance of what
they published should be made use of here as part of a connected
whole.

CONTENTS

PAGE
INTRODUCTION 13

DIPLOMACY BEFORE THE WAR 35

THE GERMAN ATTITUDE BEFORE THE WAR 101

THE MILITARY PREPARATIONS 177

EPILOG 207

INDEX 227

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

VISCOUNT HALDANE _Frontispiece_

COUNT METTERNICH Facing page 57

M. PAUL CAMBON 78

VISCOUNT GREY (SIR EDWARD GREY) 87

CHANCELLOR VON BETHMANN-HOLLWEG 101

ADMIRAL VON TIRPITZ 137

COUNT BERCHTOLD 153

COUNT OTTOKAR CZERNIN 170

BEFORE THE WAR

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the pages which follow is, as I have said in the
Prefatory Note, to explain the policy pursued toward Germany by Great
Britain through the eight years which immediately preceded the great war
of 1914. It was a policy which had two branches, as inseparable as they
were distinct. The preservation of peace, by removing difficulties and
getting rid of misinterpretations, was the object of the first branch.
The second branch was concerned with what might happen if we failed in
our effort to avert war. Against any outbreak by which such failure
might be followed we had to insure. The form of the insurance had to be
one which, in our circumstances, was practicable, and care had to be
taken that it was