Very late evening: Bethmann has decided Germany should not reject the latest British mediation proposal out of hand as this will alienate Britain and Germany will be blamed for any conflict.
He wires Tschirschky in Vienna saying Germany must appear as the one being forced into war. He asks Tschirschky to obtain Berchtold’s views on the latest English suggestion that Germany should mediate in Vienna and on Sazonov’s desire to negotiate directly with Vienna. [More]