Chapter 1160: Running for Peace
Mr. Caetano was right, and Mr. Shastri made a good point!
Alan Wilson also can not take out any constructive comments, he is more accustomed to sell out, or take out a mature program after thorough consideration, for private one-on-one communication.
Appeared in the communication occasion can only make peace, after the end of the meeting is his home turf.
He decided to talk to Shastri, at least this person is considered a moderate Congress leader, if Desai kind of drinking urine ruthless, he can only start from a position of strength, and not so good to talk.
Since the face of this an Indian leader, the British Empire has not had to deal with extreme sublimity. After all, the extreme sublimation is not without cost, the United Kingdom is still more suitable for the current self into a forbidden area, save the strength to watch the two current great emperor blood fight.
After obtaining the approval of the two cabinet ministers, Alan Wilson approached Shastri for a one-on-one feeler, which is how he betrayed Poland years ago when he was in Potsdam.
Shastri was a vegetarian, as evidenced by the other man’s parched frame, and Allen Wilson wondered if the Indian National Congress leader, would be brought up on a gust of wind.
That didn’t stop him from preparing clean and wholesome whisky and pretending to talk to the other man, starting with introductions, instructed by two Cabinet Ministers to communicate with the experience of having worked in India, “How does Shastri feel about Malaya?”
“Very good, the level of development is refreshing.” Shastri heartily exclaimed that he was not from a well-born, mega-rich family, and knew India well enough to know the true state of affairs in vast areas of the country.
Though it can be said that after independence, India has changed drastically from what it was when it was British India.
“Mr. Shastri’s pragmatism is something that many countries do not have.” Alan Wilson lifted his glass and took a sip of whiskey, the initial contact was good, a good start.
“In fact, in terms of hardware facilities, Malaya is already about as good as mainland Britain. Of course in terms of accumulation, without a thirty years is still far from it. And I’m not being modest, there’s credit for my two terms in there too.” Alan Wilson, without boasting, factually asked rhetorically, “What does Mr. Shastri feel is the basis of development.”
“A good leader, the full support of the government?” Shastri’s age would not have hesitated, but he was a little uncertain of Alan Wilson’s purpose, and could only answer in a tentative tone.
“The most important thing is a peaceful environment. Only peace will not allow development to be disturbed.”
Alan Wilson stretched out his hand with a look of embracing peace and praising it, then his gaze fell back on Shastri’s body, “A country caught up in a war will not have any development, without the two world wars, Britain had enough spare power to hold down the United States and the Soviet Union. Maybe British India would still exist today, it might not be very acceptable from an Indian point of view, but it is what it is.”
Alan Wilson had no intention of rubbing salt in the Indian wounds, he was just telling it like it was, and even if he had meant it, the Indians couldn’t have done anything about it, and it was just a show of sincerity to talk like that, nothing more.
What the permanent undersecretary eagerly waiting for the outbreak of the Cuban Missile Crisis, an absolute lie, no one more than Alan Wilson cherish peace, what hope that only the United Kingdom has nuclear bombs, and then blow up the world are just drunken words, how could he be that kind of person, Red Beard tactical nukes placed in Malaya is just a last resort of self-preservation.
The Vulcan bomber was just a purely defensive weapon, and he never made any plans to subvert the Sukarno regime, and now he is talking about peaceful development as his true nature.
And in the tone of unprecedented sincerity, Alan Wilson is and many movie stars with the man, anyone can not poke his original peace connotation, “Britain is all for India’s sake, once also use force to solve the problem of Goa, there may be a chain reaction, for example, alone on the British understanding of the information, Goa and Karachi side has been to maintain this good relations. ”
“This?” Hearing Alan Wilson say Pakistan, Shastri unavoidably some hesitation, Pakistan’s two territories are on both sides of India, wrapping India in the middle.
This kind of geography, say India is in the center of the blossom can also be said, say facing two sides can also be said.
In short it all depends on what position is being interpreted and it must be said that India really cannot be indifferent to this encirclement.
“Portugal is a member of the European Community! I believe that India is also in need of investment, and once the war starts, India will be seen as unsafe.” Alan Wilson put himself in his shoes and analyzed, “Of course, India is self-sufficient, it’s just a little slower to develop.”
Allen Wilson was a bit of a loser himself, was it just a bit slower? India has long been at a similar level to Black Africa, and now that Britain is still building the capitals of the major colonies, India may not even catch up with Africa.
But if India is a rough development, British Africa can be fully described as destructive development, numerically it is beautiful yes, all based on exhaustion.
Who let the colonies now have fewer colonies, and to reach the original or even faster than the original rate, you have to improve efficiency. Squeeze all the oil out of the colonies that can be squeezed while they are still independent.
Alan Wilson emphasized peace, as well as illustrating the good relations of Portugal good Pakistan, but of course this good relationship was something he had led the way in promoting, something that Shastri did not need to know.
The fact of the matter now is that Goa and, on either side of India, Pakistan, form a triangular threat.
Even if India is burdened with the Himalayas and needs one hand to drag Pakistan, as invincible as the world this kind of thing? It doesn’t exist in the current geography.
“Britain hopes that Portugal and India can talk peacefully, the history of Portuguese Goa is far older than British India, we can not ask, just out of India’s domestic rising nationalism, to prevent the outbreak of war because of a piece of territory, which may damage the relationship between Europe and India, is what we are not happy to see, after all, Portugal and the United Kingdom’s relationship is also okay.”
“There is also the current presence of Portuguese Africa’s, Portugal can’t be considered entirely as a small country. In case it causes friction between European countries and India, it will be difficult for Britain.”
Why should I, Great Britain, join the EEC? Alan Wilson unapologetically said it was to face such occasions. With the EEC in the left hand and the Commonwealth in the right, so that we can bargain with other countries.
The Permanent Secretary did not give even a single word of commitment, even if he did imply from the beginning to the end that Britain was trying to help India take back Goa peacefully, but an implication is an implication, and a commitment is a different thing.
“If India is willing to be open-minded and look for an opportunity to clarify mutual interests and see if misunderstandings can be minimized, this communication will not be unproductive. Britain is also willing to continue to play a useful role in bringing both countries to an honorable conclusion.”
With those words, Alan Wilson took a sip of whiskey to replenish his spit and waited for Shastri’s reply.
“We are willing to take an open approach and are willing to give Portugal guarantees to some extent as long as we can get Goa back.” Shastri expressed a willingness to communicate, as far as promises naturally went.
This is actually enough, Alan Wilson is dragging his feet, he simply does not care what the final result is, top this year on the line, as for the future, the two countries are willing to start from a position of strength, it has nothing to do with Britain.
Three hundred years Britain may be so easy to talk when rare, this time by Shastri saw.
Got India’s attitude, Alan Wilson then ended the backroom operation to the two ministers and the two prime ministers, to inform the Indian side of the bottom line.
“The Indians are still hung up on Goa.” Profumo said with a sneer on his face, “It’s just not the same after independence.”
“Profumo, words cannot be said like that.” Rabo Butler laughed and shook his head, “Being able to talk is a good result, there is no upper limit to the duration of a negotiation, it’s fine to talk for a year, it’s fine to talk for ten years.”
“The minister is right!” His own minister, Allen Wilson naturally sided with the propagandists of his department.
This result was just fine, and then Allen Wilson informed Caetano of the attitude of the Chastity, as far as keeping the same caliber as Rabo Butler in what he said, it was good to be able to talk, the result was not important.
“Dealing with the defeated countries of the Paris Peace Conference are noisy for several months, talk about the disputed territories, I see talk about ten years ultimately regrettable failure, also belongs to the normal.” Alan Wilson commented in an objective and neutral manner, in no way encouraging any of these countries.
If Caetano had misheard the meaning, it could only be his personal behavior, and Britain and Alan Wilson himself had absolutely nothing to do with it.
“So when is the first round of talks? I will inform London later.” Caetano nodded, not forgetting to add, “Actually, Portugal and Britain still have common interests in Asian and African affairs.”
“That’s of course!” Alan Wilson answered dryly this time, this is not a trivial matter of India anymore, promising, “Britain in no way forced the idea of sacrificing the interests of Portugal, this can be assured. Talk for ten or eight rounds, once every six months, and the Foreign Office will have to work anyway.”
After a day’s interval, and relying on the sincerity of Britain’s endeavor to maintain peace, Caetano and Chastely exchanged calm words in the presence of Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.
Alan Wilson was not idle, and directly contacted the dark mines planted by the initial evacuation, leaking the news that the Portuguese were willing to talk, and that as long as this news was released, there would be no possibility of solving the problem by force, at least until the formal negotiations.