§ 15. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has taken any steps to secure the fulfilment of the wish he expressed in his recent speech that the question of the defensive character of the Russian general mobilisation might be submitted to an independent tribunal; and whether, in this connection, his attention has been drawn to the statement of the German Chancellor that on the outbreak of war in 1914 a general instruction of the Russian Government, issued in 1912 for the contingency of mobilisation, was in force, which contained the following passage: By the All Highest, that it is ordered that the 1553 announcement of mobilisation is at the same time an announcement of war against Germany?
§ Lord R. CECILNo step can be taken in the absence of any ground for thinking that the German Chancellor is willing to subject his statement to impartial and independent examination. The reference to the All Highest in the last part of the question is not understood, and we know nothing about it beyond what has appeared in the Press.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEIs the Noble Lord aware that the part he does not understand is a part of the statement quoted verbally from the statement of the German Chancellor—the colon should come before the words "the following passage"—and has the German Government issued any denial of this statement?
§ Lord R. CECILIt does not make it any more intelligible because it was made by the German Chancellor.