Paper 121, (English “White Book,”) British Ambassador in Berlin to Sir Edward Grey under date of July 31, 1914: 

He (the German Secretary of State) again assured me that both the Emperor William, at the request of the Emperor of Russia, and the German Foreign Office had even up till last night been urging Austria to show willingness to continue discussions—­and telegraphic and telephonic communications from Vienna had been of a promising nature—­but Russia’s mobilization had spoiled everything.

I could repeat, ad infinitum, quotations from these books to show that Russia not only wanted this war if Austria wanted to punish Servia for her misdeeds, but started it against the protest of Germany, and started it, I sincerely believe, largely because encouraged by Great Britain.

England:  The letter written by the Belgian Charge at St. Petersburg to his Government on July 30, 1914, which letter was published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on Oct. 7, 1914, and which letter, nearly a month before, had been published abroad and never disavowed by the Belgian Government, states distinctly on the part of Belgium: 

What is incontestable is that Germany has striven here, as well as at Vienna, to find some means of avoiding a general conflict.... M. Sazonof, Russian Foreign Minister, has declared that it would be impossible for Russia not to hold herself ready and to mobilize, but that these preparations were not directed against Germany.  This morning an official communique to the newspapers announces that “the reserves have been called under arms in a certain number of Governments.”  Knowing the discreet nature of the official communique one can without fear assert that mobilization is going on everywhere.

...  One can truly ask one’s self whether the whole world does not desire war and is trying merely to retard its declaration a little in order to gain time.  England began by allowing it to be understood that she did not want to be drawn into a conflict.  Sir George Buchanan (British Ambassador) said that openly.  Today one is firmly convinced at St. Petersburg—­one has even the assurance of it—­that England will support France.  This support is of enormous weight, and has contributed not a little to give the upper hand to the war party.

The German Emperor during these times believed England to be really and honestly striving to avoid the war; he went so far as to announce in one of his letters published in the “White Book” that “he had shoulder to shoulder with England tried to bring about a peaceful solution.”  It certainly now appears that all this while England had made her arrangements with France and with Russia, and had strengthened the war party in Russia to such an extent that Russia’s desire to set Europe afire was rendered possible.