The death is announced at the age of sixty-one of
M. Sazonoff, round whose name Clustered most of the accusa- tions about Russia's part in bringing about the Great War. In this, M. Sazonoff has been greatly maligned. Certainly it was he Who advised the Tsar to mobi- lize, but he did not do so till he was convinced that the German mobilization had gone so far that Russia would be caught at a terrible disadvantage if the peace negotiations should break down. We call to mind an American estimate of the situation at the time. " Germany says to Russia, Quit mobilizing or there will be war.' Russia says to Germany, 'Quit beating that little boy or I can't quit mobilizing.' Germany says, I won't quit.' " Sazonoff was liberal enough to want to govern with the constant help of the Duma. It was because he was too liberal for the Tsar that he was dismissed at the end of 1915. He would have come to London as Ambassador in 1917 if the Bolshevist revolution had not upset this plan. He was already well known here and was greatly respected.
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