Chapter 149 Portuguese Goa

For the attribution of the Saarland, London really has not yet come up with a unified opinion, on the one hand to Germany in a few decades on the provocation of the two world wars, London moral expression of understanding of France’s actions.

But at the same time, Britain is also afraid of changing the balance of power between Germany and France, resulting in France in Europe a dominant situation. This conflicted with the strategy of continental equilibrium, and the idea of stirring the pot was so tangled and hesitant.

As a member of the gentlemen, Alan Wilson can also appreciate this tangle, France, after all, the existence of de Gaulle, the final must be the pursuit of political and military independence, if the Saarland annexed to France, the face of a because of the annexation of the Saarland industrial strength of the France is greater, the United Kingdom may not be able to play.

France would certainly be much harder to deal with than a Federal Germany with a bunch of occupation troops on its soil, which is why Britain hesitated on the Saarland issue, expressing moral understanding of France’s claims but refusing to openly express support for them.

However, the Saarland issue, the final solution evolved into the European Steel Community, France and Germany around the Saarland belonging to the problem, taking into account the future of Europe, France and Germany feel the need to establish a common market for coal and steel, the idea of establishing a common market for coal and steel is also known as the “Schumann Plan”.

Later, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg signed the six countries, since then the Federal Republic of Germany rearmament of key industrial sectors under the common management and supervision of the six countries, which brings the hope of peace in Europe, while the European Coal and Steel Federation has also become the prototype of the European Union.

But now Britain on what steel community is no plan, this meeting, although also six countries meeting in Brussels, focusing on the discussion is the colonial issue, the share of the European economic recovery program is not nothing, but far less important than the colonial program.

Ultimately, in the face of Nino Bertrand’s pursuit, Alexander Cadogan kicked a ball, saying that the Americans should be asked for their opinion.

This meeting was held in the name of the European Reconstruction Program to avoid the participation of the Americans, and at this time, the British Empire’s permanent undersecretary of state for foreign affairs, thought of the Americans again.

Stating that without the Americans’ approval, this matter will be very difficult to deal with. And getting the approval of the Americans would require constant good offices and communication, which might not be effective in a short period of time.

Finally shifted the topic to the colonial issue saying, “The Dutch are now in a hurry, the native elite of the Dutch East India has declared independence, Nino, no need for me to say, you and I understand that this is a very dangerous sign.”

“It is a very dangerous sign!” By no coincidence, Ernest Bevin, the British Foreign Secretary, who was strolling in the gardens of the Belgian Royal Palace, rushed at Georges Pidoule, the Foreign Minister of the French Fourth Republic, and uttered the same words, referring to the change of heart in the Dutch East Indies as well, “Europe’s interests in Asia, after such a mess as this one by the Japanese, could do irreparable harm if they cannot be stopped. ”

“Good, Paris agrees, it is a harbinger of the collapse of order and must be dealt an unmerciful blow.” Georges Pidoule gave Ernest Bevin a very gratifying statement of France’s uncompromising attitude toward the colonial question.

This is exactly the attitude that London would like to see from France, and France’s resolute repressive attitude is to the advantage of the British Empire’s, and Ernest Bevin heard at yesterday’s debriefing that Alan Wilson expects the French to hurry up and return to Vietnam.

The advantage of this is to see the determination of the colonies to become independent, if France can not handle it, it will certainly need the United Kingdom to provide a certain degree of help, British Malaya can become the base of the French big fight in Vietnam, driving the local economy, and similarly, the Dutch suppression of the Dutch East India, also has this benefit.

Georges Pidoule was a resistance leader in France in World War II, starting a resistance movement in the south during the war, issuing underground publications.

Soon became a leading member of the fight and established links with Free France. Commissioned by Moulin in Lyon, he formed a press and newspaper bureau specializing in publishing news about the resistance movement in the country, publicizing the unity of the various factions of the resistance, and embracing Charles de Gaulle as the leader of the resistance.

Learning that this man was now France’s foreign minister, Allen Wilson knew it was a sure thing, and assured Foreign Minister Ernest Bevin that the French would show a tough attitude on the colonial question, the reason Allen Wilson gave for this was that Georges Pidoule was a French leader who had grown up in the midst of the war.

But in reality it was because, after de Gaulle established the Fifth Republic which ultimately chose to allow Algeria to become independent, Georges Pidoul set up the National Council of Resistance, which, along with General Soul Salan, advocated terror to prevent Algerian independence. And went underground, declaring de Gaulle’s government illegitimate.

Eventually, as the plot to destabilize the Fifth Republic was crushed by de Gaulle, Georges Pidoul began a life of exile abroad.

With such a man now the foreign minister of the provisional government, how could France not show a tough attitude on the colonial issue.

The Six Nations Conference was officially held the next day, with delegations from Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, Spain, and Portugal stepping into the room, and British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin giving a speech on the opening of this conference, “This is an age of reconciliation, and we need to look to the future, to seek common ground and to look back on the past, precisely because the European nations have lacked a sense of unity. The usual tendency to solve problems by force was the cause of the two tragic world wars, and it is hoped that this Brussels conference will be the beginning of a move towards unity among European countries.”

Undoubtedly, the modern society is established by Europe, this point the British foreign minister is still relatively modest, did not say that their own country established, the contribution of other countries are mentioned, as for the two countries in the Iberian Peninsula, can only be mentioned in the contribution of the era of the great voyage.

This meeting was able to bring Spain, but also out of the maintenance of the colonial empire unity of the larger perspective on the consideration.

It is important to realize that after the Spanish-American War, in which the Spanish Empire became a stepping stone for the United States to ascend to the world stage with a brand-new posture, Spain’s colonies were almost lost, leaving only the limited colonies of Western Sahara and Equatorial Guinea.

Spain’s colonies are now at the bottom of the list of the six countries at the Brussels Conference. Not to mention compared to Britain and France, but also inferior to Belgium and Holland, and even far inferior to his neighbor Portugal.

Portugal is now in the hands of the colonies mainly in southern Africa, the area of the Belgian Congo and the Dutch East India above.

Not to mention the fact that Spain’s current ruler was still Franco, who was ambiguous with Germany during the war.

In fact both Franco of Spain and Salazar of Portugal should strictly speaking be liquidated as allies of Germany and Italy. But at this time Germany had already been defeated, and considering that Britain still needed the solidarity of both countries in the colonial issue, the invitation was sent to the Brussels Conference.

The British Empire was still strong, and relations with Spain and Portugal were still relatively amicable, even if Spain’s Gibraltar was still occupied by Britain and never intended to be returned.

In fact, Germany did formulate a plan to attack Gibraltar, but the sophisticated Franco would not stake the fate of the country in a war that had not yet been won or lost, and Spain, after years of war, all the industries are withered, weak, and really not suitable for involvement in a Europe-wide war.

And in the midst of a meeting with Hitler, it gave Hitler, who was famous for his speeches, a run for his money.

Franco and Salazar two young comrades, after all, young, make mistakes is not unforgivable, this is the British Empire’s current attitude towards Spain and Portugal two countries. Maybe when also expect, Portugal and Spain in the United Kingdom can not worry about when acting as a fighter.

In fact, this time the Brussels Conference, and the 1884 Berlin Conference in nature is not different. It is just that in the Berlin Conference more than sixty years ago, it was the division of colonies occupied by European countries.

And this time the Brussels conference, is in this future is not clear moment, discuss how to keep the hands of the vested interests, has been the most powerful colonial empire, the British Empire also put down the arrogance of the heart, willing to sit down and other colonial countries together to discuss, this is not an easy thing.

The heads of state have, in principle, expressed their solidarity with each other on the issue of colonization, which is the easiest to achieve consensus.

When the heads of state move their mouths, the diplomats of the various countries have to run their legs, the heads of state set a principle of unity, and the diplomats began to negotiate around the preservation of the order of the olden days under this premise.

Allen Wilson, while speaking, rushed to the Portuguese representative to greet and show his goodwill, “Mr. Olivia, it is a pleasure to meet you, I have been to Goa before, and I can’t get enough of the beauty of the region, it’s a really good place, and I’m very close to the local commissioner, Pedro.”

“Thank you for the British Empire’s respect for Goa’s sovereignty.” Olivia reported back with a positive response, “It is well known that Portuguese Goa, with its military strength, could not have existed as long as it has without the British Empire’s goodwill in recognizing it.”

“The British Empire to Portugal should have the rights and interests, has never reported the attitude of respect, we are a gentleman of the civilized world.” Ellen Wilson with a reserved face opened her mouth to express her friendliness, and then her words changed and said, “However, some people may not be as good as we are, these backward areas, ah, really incomprehensible.”

Alan Wilson did not expect this Brussels meeting, not the anxious Dutch first to fight for support, not motivated to return to Asia, the French first impassioned, the first issue to cause discussion, but the Portuguese Goa issue.

However, this issue, and Allen Wilson just professional counterparts, can be said to give him space to play.