t war
inevitable." So say the German authorities.

The subtitle of the official German White Book reads: "How Russia and Her
Ruler Betrayed Germany's Confidence and Thereby Made the European War."
[Footnote 6]

[Footnote 6: I quote from a copy of the original pamphlet, given to me
with the compliments of Herr von Muller, German Minister at The Hague.
Professor von Mach in his Off. Dip. Doc. does not reproduce this
title-page.]

This is the Potsdam contention in regard to the cause of the war. The
documents indicate that it is a false contention, based upon
suppressions of the truth. This is what I intend to show.

I hold no brief for the late Imperial Russian Government. Doubtless it
was shady in its morals and tricky in its ways.

The telegrams recently discovered by an excellent American journalist,
Mr. Herman Bernstein, and published in the "New York Herald," show that
the late Czar Nicolas and the still Kaiser Wilhelm were plotting
together, a very few years ago, to make a secret "combine" which should
control the world. When that plan failed, no doubt the vast power and
resources of Russia, under an absolute imperial Government, were
regarded by the equally autocratic Government of Germany with jealousy
and distrust, not to say fear. No doubt Russia was an actual and
formidable obstacle to the Pan-German purpose of getting Servia out of
the path of the "Berlin-Baghdad-Bahn".

Grant all this. Pass over, also, the interminable and inextricable
dispute about the precise meaning and application of the terms
"mobilization," "partial mobilization," "complete mobilization,"
"precautionary measures," "Kriegsgefahr," an so on. That is an
unfathomable morass wherein many deceptions hide. In that controversy
each opponent always charges the other with lying, and a wise neutral
doubts both. It seems to be true--mark you, I only say it seems--that
the first great European Power to order partial mobilization was
Austria, July 26, 1914. (Off. Dip. Doc., p. 197.) On July 28 the order
for complete mobilization was signed, war was declared against Servia
(pp. 272, 273), and on July 29 Belgrade was bombarded (p. 354).

On July 29 Russia ordered partial mobilization in the districts of
Odessa, Kief, Moscow, and Kasan, and declared that she had no aggressive
intention against Germany. (Off. Dip. Doc., p. 294.) The Russian
preparations obviously had relation only to Austria's war on Servia
which was already under way.

On Jul