Grey's six-power conference lacks visible backing

Grey proposed a six-power conference in London using ambassadors who had helped defuse earlier European crises. He hoped to give every state an honorable route away from escalation, yet spoke without visible support from Asquith, Lloyd George, Churchill, or the Admiralty. A public statement of cabinet unity or a clearly announced fleet precaution could have amplified the offer by showing that conciliation was backed by resolve. A plausible mediation scheme may fail when other governments cannot tell whether the mediator's own state is committed to it.