THE WHITE BOOK

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 253, 28 November 1914, Page 4

THE WHITE BOOK

LIST OF OFFICIALS

BENCKENDORFF, COUNT— .„■■»„.*-, Russian Ambassador in Great Britain. BERCHTOLD, COUNT— a Austrian Minister for Foreign Affairs. BEBTIE, SIB F.— „ ' British Minister, Paris. BIBNVENU-MABTW, p M.BOSCHKOVITCH, M.— . Servian Minister in London; BUCHANAN, S t. Fetersburgh. BUNSBN, SIR M. de— British Ambassador, Vienna. CAMBON, M. — a , . French Ambassador in London. CBAOKANTHOBPE, .©. B. M.— OhargeV d'Affaires, Belgrade. GOSCHEN, SIB E— ... . , . „ 14 British Ambassador at Berlin.

CORRESPONDENCE RESPECTING THE EUROPEAN CRISIS.

No. 117.

developments might alter this situation ami cause the Government and Parliament to take the view that intervention was justified. The preservation of the neutrality of Belgium might be, I would not say a decisive, but an important faeto'r, in determining our attitude. Whether we proposed to Parliament to intervene or not to intervene in a war, Parliament would wish to know how we stood with regard to the neutrality of Belgium, and it might be that I should ask both Prance, and Germany whether each was prepared to undertake' an engagement that she would not be the first to violate the neutrality of .Belgium. M. Cambon repeated his question whether we would help Prance if Germany made an attack on her. I said that I could'only adhere to the answer that, as far as things- had gone at present, we could not take any engagement. M. Cambon urged that Germany had from the beginning rejected proposals that might have made for peace. It could not be to England's interest that France should be crushed by Germany. We should then be in a: very diminished position with regard to Germany. In 1870 Ave had made a great mistake in allowing an enormous increase of German strength, and we should now be repeating tile-.mistake. He asked me whether I-could not submit his question to the .Cabinet again. I said that the Cabinet would certainly be summoned as soon as there was some new development, but at the present moment the only answer. I could give was that we could not undertako definite engagement. —I am, etc., [ ' E. GREY.

' 'Sir P. Bertie to Sir Edward Grey (Received July 31.) (Telegraphic.) ' Paris, July 31, 1914.

At 7 o'clock this evening I was sent. for by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. When I arrived, the German v Ambassador Avas leaving his Excellency. - .German Ambassador had informed bis Excellency that, in view of the fact that orders had been given for the total mobilisation of Russian army and -fleet, German Government have, in an .ultimatum which they have addressed to the Russian^Government, required that Russian forces should be demobilised.

The German Government will consider it necessary to order the total mobilisation of the German army on the Russian and French frontiers if within twelve hours the Russian Government do not give an undertaking to 'comply with German demand. The Minister for Foreign Affairs asks me to communicate this to you,, and inquires what, in these circumstances, will be the attitude -of England.

German Ambassador could not say when the twelve hours terminates. He is going to call at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to-morrow (Saturday) at Ip.m., in order to receive the- French Government's answ,er as to the'attitude He intimated the possibility of his requiring his passports." I am informed by the Russian Ambassador that he is not aware of any general mobilisation of the Russian forces having takeivplace.'

NO. 118. Sir M. dc Bunsenfto Sir Edward Grey. (Received July' (Telegraphic.) Vienna, July 31, 1914. I am informed by Count.?* Forgaeh, Under-Secretary of State, that although Austria was compelled to respond to Russian -mobilisation,., which, he deplored, the Austrian Ambassador in London has received instructions to inform you that mobilisation was not to be regarded as a necessarily hostile act on either side. Telegrams were being exchanged between the Emperor of Russia and the German Emperor, and conversations were proceeding between Austrian Ambassador at St. Petersburg and Rusjian Minister for Foreign Affairs. A

No. 120. Sir G. Buchanan to Sir Edward Grey. (Received August 1.) (Telegraphic). St. Petersburg, July 31, ~1914. Minister for Foreign Affairs sent for me and French Ambassador, and asked us to telegraph. to our respective Governments subjoined ; formula as best calculated to amalgamate proposal made by you in your telegram of July .".0* with formula recorded in my telegram of July 30.t He trusted it would meet with your approval: — "Si l'Autriehe eonsentira a arreter marche de ses troupes surjle territoire serbe, si, reeonriaissant que le conflit austro-serbe a assume le caraetere d 'une question d'interet europeen, clle admet quo les Grandes Puissances examinent la satisfaction que la Serbie pourrait aeeorder an Gouvernement d'AutricheHongrie sans laisser porter atteinte a ses droits d'Etat souverain et a son independence, la Russie s'engage a conserver son attitude expeetante."J His Excellency then alluded to the. telegram seAt to German Emperor by of Russia in reply to the former 's telegram. He said that Emperor Nocholas had begun by thanking Emperor William for his telegram, and for I the hope of peaceful solution which it held out. His Majesty had then proceeded to assure Emperor William that no intention whatever of" an aggressive character was concealed behind Russian military preparations. So long as conversation with Austria continued, his Imperial Majesty undertook that not a single man should be moved across the frontier; it was, however, of course impossible, for reasons explained, to stop a mobilisation which Avas already in progress. M. Sa/.onof said that undoubtedly there would be better prospect of a peaceful solution if the suggested conversation were to take place in London, where the atmosphere was far more favourable, and he therefore hoped that you would see your way to agreeing to this.

general war might, he seriously hoped, l>e staved off by-~tbese efforts. On my expressing my fear that Germany would mobilise, he said that Germany 'must <lc something, in his opinion, to secure her position. As regards Russian intervention on behalf of. Servia, AustriaHungary found it difficult to recognise such a claim. I called his attention to the fact that during the discussion of the Albanian frontier at the London Conference of Ambassadors the Russian Government had stood behind Ser-

via, and that a compromise between the views of Russia and Austria-Hungary T ,>4}Bulted with accepted frontier, line. Al- ' though he spoke in a conciliatory tone,

and did' not regard the situation as desperate, I could not get from him any 'suggestion for a similar compromise in the present case. Count Forgaeh is going this afternoon to see the Russian Ambassador, whom I have informed of the above conversation. The Russian Ambassador has explained that Russia has no desire to interfere unduly with Servia; that, as compared with the late Russian Minister, the present Minister at Belgrade is a

man of very moderate views; and that, as regards Austrian demands, Russia

had counselled Servia to yield to them sis far as she possibly could without Bacrificing her independence. His Excellency is exerting himself strongly in the interests of peace.

His Excellency ended by expressing his-deep gratitude to his Majesty's Government, who had done so much to save the situation. It would be largely due to them if war were prevented. The Emperor, the Russian Government, and the Russian people would never forget the firm attitude adopted by Great Britain. *See No. 10.1. tSeo No. 97.

No. 119. Sir Edward Grey to Sir F. Bertie Foreign Ofliee, July 31, 1914

Sir,—.M. Cambon referred to-day to a telegram that had been shown to Sir Arthur Nieolson this morning from the French Ambassador in Berlin, saying tha it was the uncertainty with regard to whether wo would intervene which was the encouraging element in Berlin, and that, if we would only declare definitely 'on the side o£ Russia and Prance, it would "decide the German .attitude in favour of peace. I said that it was cjuite wrong to suppose that we had left Germany under the impression that we would not intervene. I had refused overtures to promise that we should remain neutral. I bad not only definitely declined to say that Ave would remain neutral; I had even gone so far this morning »s to say to the German Ambassador that, if France and Germany became involved in Avar, we should be "drawn into it. That, of course, was not the same thing as taking an engagement to France, and I told M. Cambon of it only to show that we had not left Germany under the impression that we would stand aside.

{Translation. —"If Austria will agree to check the advance of her troops on Servian territory; if, recognising that the dispute between Austria and Servia lias assumed a character of European interest, she will allow the Great Powers to look into the matter and determine whether Servia could satisfy the AustroHungarian Government without impairing her rights as a sovereign State or her independence, Russia will undertake to maintain her waiting attitude."

No. 121. Sir E. Gosehen to Sir Edward Grey. (Received August 1.) (Telegraphic.) Berlin, July 31, 1914. Your telegram of July 31.*

J spent an hour with Secretary of State urging him most earnestly to accept your proposal and make another effort to prevent terrible catastrophe of a European war. He expressed himself very sympathetically towards your proposal, and appreciated your continued efforts to maintain peace, but said it was impossible for the Imperial Government to consider any proposal until they had received an answer from Russia to their communication of to-day; this communication, which he admitted had the form of an ultimatum, being that, unless Russia could inform the Imperial Government within twelve hours that she would im-

jVI. Cambon then asked me for my reply to what he had said yesterday. I said that we had come to the conclusion, in the Cabinet to-day, that we could not give any pledge at the present time. Though we should have to put our policy before Parliament, ■wo could not pledge Parliament, in advance. ITp to the present moment we did not feel, and public, opinion did not feel, that, any treaties or obligations of this country were involved. Further

DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS PRECEDING THE WAR HOW ENGLAND WORKED FOR PEACE The White Book, which we are reprinting in this and succeeding issues of THE SUN, contains the official report of Sir Edward Grey's speech in the House of Commons justifying British intervention in the war, together with the diplomatic correspondence and negotiations arising out of the crisis which developed in Europe on the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand and his wife. The narrative is of extraordinary interest, and is essential to a proper understanding of Britain's attitude.

VILLIERS, SIR F.— British Minister at Brussels.

VrpANI, M.— Prime Minister of France,

GREY.. SIR EDWARD— British Minister for Foreign Affairs, London. LIOHNOWSKY, PRINCE— German Ambassador in London. MENSDORFF, COUNT— Austrian Ambassador in London. NICOLSON, SIR A.— - Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, London; RUMBOLD, SIR H.—

Second in Charge, British Embassy, Berlin. RODD, SIR R.— British Ambassador, Rome. SAZONOF, M Minister for Foreign Affairs, St. Petersburgb. SCHEBEKO, M.— f Russian Ambassador at Vienna.

mediately countermand her mobilisation against Germany and Austria, Germany would be obliged on her side to mobilise at once.

I asked his Excellency why they had made their demand even more difficult for Russia to accept by asking them to demobilise in south as well. He replied that it was in order to prevent Russia from saying all her mobilisation was only directed against Austria. His Excellency said that if . the answer from Russia was satisfactory he thought personally that your proposal merited favourable consideration, and in any case he would lay it before the Emperor and Chancellor, but he repeated that it was no use discussing it until the Russian Government had sent in their answer to the German demand.

He 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 late last night been urging Austria to show willingness continue discussions—and telegraphic and telephonic communications from Vienna had been of a promising nature —but Russia's mobilisation had spoilt everything.

*See No. 11l

No. 122.

Sir E. Goscheu to 'air Edward Grey.— (Received August 1.) ' (Telegraphic.) Berlin, July 31. 1914.

Neutrality of Belgium, referred to in your telegram of July 31 to Sir F. Bertie, t

I have seen the Secretary of State, who informs me that he must consult the Emperor and the Chancellor before he could possibly answer. I gathered from what he said that he thought any reply they might give could not but disclose-a certain amount of their plan of campaign in the event of war ensuing, and he was therefore very doubtful whether they would return any answer at all. His Excellency, nevertheless, took note of your request.

It appears from what he said that German Government consider that certain hostile acts have already been committed by Belgium. As an instance of this, he allowed that a consignment of corn for Germany has been placed under an embargo already. I hope to see his Excellency to-morrow again to discuss the matter further, but the prospect of obtaining a definite answer seems to me remote.

in speakiug to mc to-day the Chancellor made it clear that Germany would in any case desire to know the reply returned to you by the French Government.

tSee No. 114,

No. 123

Sir Edward Grey to Sir E. Goschen. Foreign Office, August 1, 1914,

, Sir,—l told the German Ambassador to-day that the reply* of the German Government with regard to neutrality of Belgium was a matter of very great regret, because they neutrality of Belgium affected feeling in this country. If Germany could see her way to give the same assurance as that which had been given by France it would materially eontribute to relieve anxiety and tension here. On the other hand, if there were a violation of the neutrality of Belgium by one combatant, while the other respected it, it would be extremely difficult to restrain public feeling in this country. I said that we had been discussing this question at a Cabinet meeting, and as I. was authorised to tell him this I gave him a. memorandum of it.

lie asked me whether, if Germany gave a promise not to violate Belgium neutrality, we would engage to remain neutral.

I replied that I could not say that; our hands were still free, and we were considering what our attitude should be. All I could say was that our attitude would be determined largely by public opinion here, and that the neutrality of Belgium would appeal very strongly to public opinion here. I did not think that we could give a promise of neutrality on that condition alone. The Ambassador pressed me as to whether I could not formulate conditions on which we would remain neutral. He even suggested that the integrity of France and her colonies might be guaranteed.

1 said that I felt obliged to refuse definitely any promise to remain neutral on similar terms, and 1 could only say that we must keep our hands free. —I am, etc., E. GREY.

•See No. 122. (To be continued on Monday.)