This was Sir Edward Grey's program in his own words: "Without infringing
on the existing friendly relations with France and Russia, which in
themselves contained no aggressive elements, and no binding obligations
for England; to seek to achieve a more friendly rapprochement with
Germany, and to bring the two groups nearer together."
In England, as with us, there were two opinions, that of the optimists,
who believed in an understanding, and that of the pessimists, who
considered war inevitable sooner or later. Among the former were Mr.
Asquith, Sir Edward Grey, Lord Haldane, and most of the Ministers in the
Radical Cabinet, as well as leading Liberal organs, such as The
Westminster Gazette, The Manchester Guardian, and The Daily Chronicle.
To the pessimists belong especially Conservative politicians like Mr.
Balfour, who repeatedly made his meaning clear to me; leading soldiers
such as Lord Roberts, who insisted on the necessity of conscription, and
on "the writing on the wall," and, further, the Northcliffe press, and
that leading English journalist, Mr. Garvin of The Observer. During my
term of office they abstained from all attacks and took up, personally
and politically, a friendly attitude. Our naval policy and our attitude
in the years 1905, 1908, and 1911 had, nevertheless, caused them to
think that it might one day come to war. Just as with us, the former are
now dubbed shortsighted and simple-minded, while the latter are
regarded as the true prophets.