--(British
"White Paper" No. 6.)
The British Ambassador thereupon asked the question whether Russia was
thinking of eventually declaring war on Austria. The following was the
answer:
M. Sazonof said that he himself thought that Russian mobilization
would at any rate have to be carried out; but a council of
Ministers was being held this afternoon to consider the whole
question....
The dispatch continues:
French Ambassador and M. Sazonof both continue to press me for a
declaration of complete solidarity of his Majesty's Government with
French and Russian Governments.... (British "White Paper" No. 6.)
This shows plainly that the Russian mobilization must have been planned
even before July 24, for otherwise M. Sazonof could not have spoken of
the necessity of carrying it through.
It is furthermore very remarkable that the Russian Minister on this
early day spoke of the mobilization in general and not of the partial
mobilization against Austria-Hungary.
Finally we find that the British Government was fully informed at the
very latest on July 24--it may have had before it previous documents,
but they are not contained in the "White Paper"--concerning Russian
mobilization and thereby the development of Russian and French politics
that had to be anticipated.
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