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170 and informed her that England was ready to mediate between Austria and Serbia, as well as Russia, but that she could not promise her neutrality in a war between Germany and France.

This communication, which was really a matter of course, came upon William like a thunderbolt. Rage and fear strove within him, and, as we shall see immediately, caused him completely to lose his head. On July 29th Lichnowsky sent two dispatches to Berlin. In the one he said, among other things, that Sir Edward Grey regarded the situation as exceedingly grave:

""A telegram yesterday from Sir Maurice de Bunsen [British Ambassador in Vienna.—K.] made an unpleasant impression upon him; according to it, Count Berchtold had absolutely rejected Sasonow's proposal to empower Count Szapary [Austrian Ambassador in St. Petersburg.—K.] to enter with him into a discussion of the dispute between Serbia and Austria.""

The Minister then further discussed the possibilities of mediation and an understanding to prevent the world-war.

More important is the next dispatch:

"Sir Edward Grey has just sent for me again. The Minister was absolutely calm, but very grave, and received me with the words—that the situation was coming more and more to a head. [The greatest and most scandalous piece of English Pharisaism that I have ever seen! I shall never make a naval agreement with such rascals.—W.] Sasonow has declared that after the declaration