Against England's infringements of the strict limits of neutral rights and against the subjecting of neutrals to certain unjust, irritating and rather senseless annoyances, America has not failed to protest. She has in several cases received satisfaction and acceptable assurances. She should, and, I have no doubt, she will insist firmly on her rights in the cases still under discussion. But--and that makes the vast difference between the English and German infractions of the rights of neutrals--_in no single case have such acts on the part of England involved the sacrifice of a human life_. You say that Germany is not responsible for the war. It is nevertheless a fact that it was Germany who first _declared_ war. Perhaps it would have come even if not declared by Germany, but in that "perhaps" lies a fearful burden of responsibility. You speak of the vast "Austro-German inferiority" in fighting men, as compared to France and Russia, which you had to counteract by rapidity and initiative of proceeding. First, this inferiority of your 120 millions to the Franco-Russian 200 millions (the English, _at that time_, could not have entered into your reckoning) is not such a "vast" one, even on paper, when one considers how many millions of the Russians could not for many months be included in the reckoning, in consequence of the huge distances separating them from the scene of action. Secondly, you had the enormous advantage of strategic railroads, which the Russians lacked. Thirdly, you and the Austrians occupying contiguous territory and holding the inner lines were able to move your troops from East to West, and _vice versa_, as occasion demanded, while the Russians and French were separated and had to fight on the outer lines; and-- Fourthly, every one knows that in modern warfare far less depends on the number of men than on preparation, leadership and ammunition. And that in these respects the Russians certainly, and at the outset also the French, laboured under a "vast inferiority" is not open to question. _It cannot be admitted therefore that the fact of the Russian mobilization made it a necessity for you to precipitate war_, especially on the very day when Austria, who was in a far more exposed position than you, declared herself ready at last, notwithstanding the Russian mobilization, to enter into direct diplomatic discussion with Russia.