It was this utter inability to grasp the realities of the European situation which proved the main impediment to Colonel House's work in England.

He met all the important people--Mr.Asquith, Mr.Lloyd George, Sir Edward Grey, and others.

With them he discussed his "pact" proposal in great detail.
Naturally, ideas of this sort were listened to sympathetically by statesmen of the stamp of Asquith, Grey, and Lloyd George.

The difficulty, however, was that none of these men apprehended an immediate war.

They saw no necessity of hurrying about the matter.