"Have you ascertained the true motives of the Austrians?" Prime Minister Gladstone asked.
After Prussia announced the postponement of its debt, the London Government immediately suspected Austria and upon investigation, discovered the role played by the Vienna Government.
Such matters could not be kept secret; without Austria stepping in to encourage them, the Berlin Government would not have had the audacity to do so.
Foreign Minister Granville George Leveson-Gower said, "On the surface, it appears that the Austrians want to drive a wedge between us and Prussia, and in that, they have been successful.
Our intelligence agents have found that recently the freight volume on Austria's railways has surged, and a deeper investigation revealed a large accumulation of strategic materials at the ports.
The Austrians seem to be preparing for war, but since their army has not shown any unusual movements, it's unlikely they are targeting France."