All they see yet is that they must show the Germans that they can't whip Great Britain.
If England wins decisively the English hope that somehow the military party will be overthrown in Germany and that the Germans, under peaceful leadership, will go about their business--industrial, political, educational, etc .-- and quit dreaming of and planning for universal empire and quit maintaining a great war-machine, which at some time, for some reason, must attack somebody to justify its existence.

This makes it difficult for the English to make overtures to or to receive overtures from this military war-party which now _is_ Germany.

But, if it he possible so completely to whip the war party that it will somehow be thrown out of power at home--that's the only way they now see out of it.

To patch up a peace, leaving the German war party in power, they think, would be only to invite another war.
If you can get over this point, you can bring the English around in ten minutes.

But they are not going to take any chances on it.