Chapter 1240 Advantage in Kennedy

As Permanent Secretary of the Treasury, assessing British funding for the two colonies was only a small part of the job; with little time left in nineteen-sixty-three, the Treasury also had to assess spending for the following year.

For the next week, Frank worked fourteen hours a day dealing with the budgetary requirements of the departments.

The so-called ‘departmental wish lists’ had to be submitted to Whitehall by November. Everyone knew that in the initial budget request, each department had left room for bargaining.

Everyone began to grab a larger share of the shrinking budget total, and the inter-departmental battle was in full swing.

As Frank had experienced on more than one occasion, the Treasury Department became the main battleground. There were times when it was filled with the atmosphere only a besieged castle can have, with angry phone calls and faxes pouring down like enemy artillery.

Frank began to wonder if the security checkpoints located outside the Treasury were there to remove security hazards or to turn away the victims of indignant budget cuts.

Weapons systems and manning issues weren’t his specialty, and he rarely got involved in the specifics of the Department of Defense’s work, but its military requirements had always been an unavoidable part of the budget.

Instead, Dixon ran errands around the building, doing sensitive diplomatic work. He also urged the intelligence services to keep an eye out for information relating to subversion or threats against Britain.

Alan Wilson’s day-to-day work in the building brought him into contact not only with the men of Nos. 5 and 6, but also with intelligence officers in the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as liaison officers abroad.

The hard work was worth it, the disjointed forces of all sides, after repeated entanglements and compromises, all got a copy of what they wanted, and based on this, waiting for the day to officially announce the budget to come, the rest is a small repair, will not make a big fuss to open the door.

The forces on all sides formed a vast web that was constantly awe-inspiring. This force reaches into every corner of Whitehall, and deep into the colonies and military bases. They were strongest among the overseas garrisons, but they also crossed departmental and duty boundaries. Those close to Alan Wilson included not only the big heads with their own spheres of influence, but also a large number of officers abroad who had served under the Cabinet Secretary and always remembered the experience.

More than once Dixon had seen Allen Wilson telegraphing to an official under another man with the same tone of voice as if he were treating his own direct subordinate. To him this chain of commanding officers was invisible, and his actions depended on tribal loyalties.

Though he didn’t understand it, Dixon was struck by the fact that Allen Wilson didn’t avoid the Foreign Office much when he contacted overseas, and even retained the post of Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office for convenience, but didn’t have to bother the Foreign Office on this side of the homeland.

Alan Wilson would accompany his wife to get-togethers with business tycoons and would also keep in close contact with the Chancellors.

Admittedly, not everyone looked up to Alan Wilson, and there were a few who thought it was dependent on the Mountbattens, but at the same time they were equally in awe of Alan Wilson’s power.

Fortunately, the young cabinet secretary has few eccentric ideas and seems relatively accessible.

In fact there are, for example, Alan Wilson is an aerospace expert, it’s just that in the presence of Pamela Mountbatten he can’t show this, only his humble social publican side.

The independence schedules of the UK and Uganda and South Sudan were released, and after this period of communication, the two countries have reached a consensus with the British government in terms of safeguarding British interests, and all that is needed is for the delegations of the two countries to return to their countries to declare their independence.

“We just need two things, finance and communications. In fact compared to the French, we’re still quite benevolent, not even keeping military bases.” Faced with his wife’s inquiry, Alan Wilson replied with compassion.

Even now, France still maintains military bases in Africa in nineteen countries. Doesn’t this make Britain look merciful by comparison?

“The Ministry of Defense has agreed?” Pamela Mountbatten inquired, this can be related to the interests of the military, the Ministry of Defense so good to talk?

“South Sudan and Uganda are of little value, it would be a completely different story if Kenya became independent.” Alan Wilson explained, “We are not like France, no matter what place to leave military bases to control, even if our colonial conditions are better.”

After several discussions at the cabinet meeting, Britain’s bottom line on independence for the African colonies centered on finance and communications. The rest to not have to occupy all aspects, always leave some soup for the local elite.

France only let French Africa nominal independence, in fact, still maintain the fact that the colony, but also French Africa traditionally more coup d’état reason, good things let you French people eat up, there are always dissatisfied with the people who went to the back and forth to rebel.

However, the benefits are not without, what in India’s blood flow before the British will not surrender also figure a fun, Britain to fight the World War is still mainly rely on their own, India just play some secondary role.

France in World War II, that is really by virtue of the colonial counterattack, de Gaulle’s leadership of the Free France, is to rely on French Africa, a well-qualified French army was also set up, which is mostly from the black brothers in Africa.

In the subsequent battle between France and Germany on the mainland, for example, three-quarters of the 400,000-strong French army were Africans. This shows that Africa made an indelible contribution to France’s fight against Germany and its pursuit of peace.

The local British troops would be evacuated to Kenya, the core colony of the former British East Africa Federation. South Sudan and Uganda were both landlocked. British troops can maintain their influence over both countries just as well in Kenya.

After the talks, Britain also did not forget to appease Nyerere, discussing when Tanganyika could also become independent, for Nyerere, London in this can be considered a courtesy, but for the matter of the famine in Rhodesia, Alan Wilson’s reply was, “There is a serious exaggeration of the local famine, but because of this year’s climate, there is indeed a famine that is not of a serious degree, and local government are trying to do something about it.”

Africa’s inland situation is unknown, the United Kingdom does not know everything, can know is that two hundred and twenty tons of gold is indeed real, and there is no shortage of pounds.

“Even if famine breaks out in Rhodesia, the impact it can have is quite limited.” Alan Wilson explained to the Prime Minister’s private secretary, Brewster, “If a famine breaks out in North Africa or the Middle East, the impact on Europe would indeed be great, the European continent is after all the firewall of the United Kingdom, but a famine in Southern Africa would at most affect South Africa.”

“Secretary General, your consideration has merit.” Brewster nodded, “However, the Arabian places are indeed worth worrying about as well, the localities are all deserts.”

“It’s also okay!” Alan Wilson mused reassuringly, “Although the climate is a bit harsher, at least the population is small. The situation is not so serious yet.”

This is only to where ah, a few decades later that is only serious, once a little fluctuation in food, the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea countries, can not be the current point of the population, the refugees can be drowned in Europe.

If Russia is determined to smash the pot, pulling the European common sinking, less than half a year, a bunch of Arab countries have to cut off food, people do not have enough to eat what can be done out, but also afraid of smuggling?

One year India round onion production by thirty percent, the price rose one thousand percent, according to this ratio, this year food prices only rose thirty percent forty percent, has been described as a conscience, Japan and South Korea fraud island and what dissatisfaction? Totally normal range of market mechanisms.

Alan Wilson expressed the hope that Princess Margaret, can not walk for the country. Because it is the independence of Uganda and South Sudan, if it is the original, it is very simple. The Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for the Commonwealth Affairs would have gone to one country alone and presided over the independence ceremony and that would have been the end of it. That’s how Duncan was killed off in the process! Of course Minister Duncan’s tragedy was an accident, for the moment.

Now that the Foreign and Commonwealth Ministries have been merged, although Uganda and South Sudan are neighboring countries, it would be a bit too much work for Rabo Butler to make two trips in one day.

The Ugandan political system, as arranged by Britain, is that of a co-ruler constitutional state, which is essentially in the realm of a kingdom. The attendance of members of the royal family also makes sense, Princess Margaret has just been married, can we set the honeymoon in Uganda one stop, to fulfill the royal responsibility?

“Where would Turing have the time to accompany me, he’s mostly interested in research than any honeymoon.” Princess Margaret gave the Cabinet Secretary a blank look, “It’s all cheap for some bureaucrat.”

“You can’t say that, Your Highness.” Alan Wilson knows can not let his sister-in-law run a trip for nothing, the body hand on the princess’s shoulders, some things can be orthopedic after the talk, there may not be unexpected gains.

Because of Uganda’s kingdom attributes, the newly married Princess Margaret, not forgetting to shoulder the burden. This makes the British up and down quite pleased, George VI’s favorite youngest daughter, but also become the citizens look forward to the model.

Little do these people know that there is no such thing as a good old age, but that it is only the Secretary General who has been given the burden to carry on their behalf.

In mid-October, Uganda and South Sudan declared independence on the same day, respectively, established a kingdom and a republican government, marking the British colonial rule in the two countries, nominally came to an end.

“Yemen’s independence will be arranged for next year, a fine line, don’t let the other countries think we are like the French, every now and then we have to make a big news.” Alan Wilson stood with his arms folded and asked Dixon, “The election warm-up in the US has begun, hasn’t it, and now both parties are holding rallies, right?”

“Yes, Cabinet Secretary, according to our and also the general opinion, Kennedy has a huge advantage.” Dixon replied.

“Oh yeah!” Alan Wilson was heartily relieved to hear that this advantage was in my judgment.