Sir Henry Wilson - Diary entry for 31st July

Diaries of the Director of Military Operations for the British Army

On the 31st Wilson wrote:

"No news when I called for my usual visit to Arthur Nicolson at 9 a.m. Later (11 a.m.) the Cabinet met. Later we began to suspect that the Cabinet were going to run away.

Later, 5.p.m., Eyre Crowe came to see me and told me that Germany had given Russia 12 hours to demobilise. Russia's answer was an order for "General Mobilisation." Germany was going to order mobilisation tonight, followed by France; and we were doing nothing. Later Johnnie Baird  came in. I told him of the state of affairs and got him to write to Bonar Law , who had gone to Wargrave, begging him to come up and see Asquith tonight."

Later I saw Panouse and advised him to get Cambon to go to Grey to-night and say that, if we did not join, he would break off relations and go to Paris. An awful day.

No C.I.D. has been held, no military opinion has been asked for by this Cabinet ,who are deciding on a question of war. Douglas was unable to get Asquith to agree to stop training of units which happen to be a long way from their mobilisation centres. Sclater tells me this dispersion would delay us three days. Asquith said he would ask the Cabinet tomorrow."