“I thank You for Your telegram.  I have shown yesterday to Your Government the way through which alone war may yet be averted.  Although I asked for a reply by to-day noon, no telegram from my Ambassador has reached me with the reply of Your Government.  I therefore have been forced to mobilize my army.  An immediate, clear and unmistakable reply of Your Government is the sole way to avoid endless misery.  Until I receive this reply I am unable, to my great grief, to enter upon the subject of Your telegram.  I must ask most earnestly that You, without delay, order Your troops to commit, under no circumstances, the slightest violation of our frontiers.”

As the time limit given to Russia had expired without the receipt of a reply to our inquiry, H.M. the Kaiser ordered the mobilization of the entire German Army and Navy on August 1st at 5 p.m.

[Sidenote:  see exhibit 25.]

The German Ambassador at St. Petersburg was instructed that, in the event of the Russian Government not giving a satisfactory reply within the stipulated time, he should declare that we considered ourselves in a state of war after the refusal of our demands.  However, before a confirmation of the execution of this order had been received, that is to say, already in the afternoon of August 1st, i.e., the same afternoon on which the telegram of the Czar, cited above, was sent, Russian troops crossed our frontier and marched into German territory.

Thus Russia began the war against us.

Meanwhile the Imperial Ambassador in Paris put our question to the
French Cabinet on July 31st at 7 p.m.

[Sidenote:  see exhibit 27.]

The French Prime Minister gave an equivocal and unsatisfactory reply on August 1st at 1. p.m. which gave no clear idea of the position of France, as he limited himself to the explanation that France would do that which her interests demanded.  A few hours later, at 5 p.m., the mobilization of the entire French army and navy was ordered.

On the morning of the next day France opened hostilities.

THE ORIGINAL TELEGRAMS AND NOTES.

THE NOTE OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY TO SERVIA.

Presented July 23rd in Belgrade.

“On March 31st, 1909, the Royal Servian Minister to the Court of Vienna made the following statement, by order of his Government: 

“Servia declares that she is not affected in her rights by the situation established in Bosnia, and that she will therefore adapt herself to the decisions which the powers are going to arrive at in reference to Art. 25 of the Berlin Treaty.  By following the councils of the powers, Servia binds herself to cease the attitude of protest and resistence which she has assumed since last October, relative to the annexation, and she binds herself further to change the direction of her present policies towards Austria-Hungary, and, in the future, to live with the latter in friendly and neighborly relations.