e Lichnowsky,
German Ambassador in London, he adds an important personal bit of
information. He wires concerning it to Berlin, to Goschen:

After speaking to the German Ambassador this afternoon about the
European situation, I said that I wished to say to him, in a quite
private and friendly way, something that was on my mind. The
situation was very grave.... But if we failed in our efforts to
keep the peace, and if the issue spread so that it involved every
European interest, I did not wish to be open to any reproach from
him, that the friendly tone of all our conversations had misled him
or his Government into supposing that we should not take action....
But we knew very well that if the issue did become such that we
thought that British interests required us to intervene, we must
intervene at once and the decision would have to be very
rapid.--(British "White Paper" No. 89.)

But what is especially wrong is that Grey brought this warning,
which only could have any effect if it remained an absolute,
confidential secret between the English and German Governments, also to
the French Ambassador, so that the entire Entente could mischievously
look on and see whether Germany really would give in to British
pressure. Of course, in his manner of swaying to and fro, he did not
wish either that Cambon should not accept this information to the German
Ambassador as a decided taking of a position on the part of England:

I thought it necessary [speaking to M. Cambon] to say that because
as he knew we were taking all precautions with regard to our fleet
and I was about to warn Prince Lichnowsky not to count on our
standing aside, but it would not be fair that I should let M.
Cambon be misled into supposing that we had decided what to do in a
contingency that I still hoped might not arise....--(British "White
Paper" No. 87.)

Stirring Up Trouble.

On the German side Grey's open threat, which was presented, however,
with smooth and friendly sounding words, was received with quiet
politeness. Goschen telegraphed on the 30th concerning a talk with State
Secretary von Jagow:

His Excellency added that telegram received from Prince Lichnowsky
last night contains matter which he had heard with regret, but not
exactly with surprise, and, at all events, he thoroughly
appreciated the frankness and loyalty with which you