Germany, though drawn into the matter merely by the plain terms of her alliance with Austria, stands virtually alone, for Italy is faithless and Austria, as usual, is only half prepared. We may see a recurrence of those exciting days when for seven years Frederick the Great of Prussia—of a Prussia less than half the size that it is now—held his own not only against the great powers of Europe but against the rest of Germany as well. The help that he had from England was not greater than may be expected from Austria to-day, and even the English deserted him at last. Again and again Frederick risked, even as our contemporary Hohenzollern is likely to do, _le tout pour le tout_. And like Frederick, I think that William, because of better equipment, better discipline and better strategy, is likely to prevail even over the many millions arrayed against him. England to-day throws the whole blame for the terrible war on Germany, who was lukewarm, so England declares, in counseling Austria not to let her strained relations with Servia develop into war; and in the English press at least there are no words too scathing for the violation by Germany of Belgium neutrality. The average Englishman, I am sure, considers that the reason for England joining in the struggle. Yet what are we to think of Sir Edward Grey’s own words in the “Correspondence respecting the European Crisis” laid before the Houses of Parliament and received here from London August twenty-fifth. _July 31._—The German ambassador asked me to urge the Russian government to show good-will in the discussions and to suspend their military preparations. … I informed the German ambassador that, as regards military preparations, I did not see how Russia could be urged to suspend them unless some limit were put by Austria to the advance of her troops into Servia. _August 1._—I told the German ambassador to-day … 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. … He 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. … 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. I said that I felt obliged to refuse definitely any promise to remain neutral on similar terms, and I could only say that we must keep our hands free.