Page:The guilt of William Hohenzollern.djvu/109

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The Conspirators at Work
105

causes an outburst of wrath on the part of the Kaiser. The Chancellor's telegram with William's additions runs:

"The Chief of the Admiralty Staff of the Navy informs me that Your Majesty has, in view of a Wolff telegram [Unheard of! W.], given orders to the Fleet to prepare immediately for the homeward journey. [Incredible imputation! Never entered my head!!! On my Ambassador's report of the mobilization in Belgrade ! This may entail Russia's mobilization, will entail Austria's! In this case I must have my forces on land and sea together. In the Baltic there is not a single ship!! Moreover, it is my custom to take military measures, not according to a Wolff telegram, but according to the general situation, and this the civilian Chancellor (Civilian underlined by the Kaiser.—K.) has not yet grasped. W.]

"Meanwhile, Admiral von Pohl will probably have submitted to Your Majesty the reports of Your Majesty's naval attaché in London, and of the confidential agent of the Navy in Portsmouth, according to which the English Navy is taking no noticeable measures whatever [Doesn't need to! It is already prepared for war, as the Review has just shown, and has mobilized! W.], but is carrying out, according to plan, the dispersal previously arranged.

"As the reports hitherto received from Your Majesty's Ambassador in London also show that Sir E. Grey, for the present at least, is not contemplating a direct participation of England in a possible European War, and will use his influence