Lloyd lunched on 18 October with Monckton, who was also a doubter but had not opposed the decision to use force. Monckton had just been moved from the Ministry of Defence to the position of Paymaster-General (24 September, effective 11 October). That afternoon Sir Humphrey Trevelyan, British Ambassador to Egypt, telegraphed to warn that Nasser was not willing to compromise on Egyptian control of the Canal. This marked the apparent failure of Lloyd's attempt to negotiate a peaceful settlement and was, in the view of his biographer, the moment which he should perhaps have used an excuse to resign.