Chapter 184 – Ying and India as Close as Brothers

“Good!” John and Powell nodded at the same time, and on the other side the Viceroy of British India and General Mountbatten were discussing their own affairs, with Pamela Mountbatten on the sidelines, who was evidently not very happy.

For General Mountbatten was longing for the days when he would return to Europe and had been campaigning for it, and now that the war was over he still felt more at home on the mainland than in British India.

For this reason after the surrender of Japan, Mountbatten, besides receiving the surrender, was inquiring whether the native land had thought of him.

“Wait and see!” Governor Wavell said to be a little bit calm, there are still quite a lot of things going on in the homeland, and just because the war is over, doesn’t mean that the effects of the war will disappear immediately.

On the other side, Alan Wilson was also talking about himself. Whether the British Empire was in the hands of politicians or in the hands of civil servants was a good question.

Alan Wilson self-recognized that Britain was indeed in the hands of an elected government if it was limited to the British Isles, but if we were talking about the entire British Empire, there was no doubt that it was in the midst of a civil civil service.

Basically, the elected politicians were on the mainland, whereas the civil servants of the British Empire were all over the world.

Normally politicians would not go to the colonies at all, and what if there was an early election on the mainland when they first got there? What if the political parties rotated? Wouldn’t that be just getting to the place and having to go back?

Of course the advent of airplanes as a means of transportation is not good news for overseas civil servants. It’s much easier for politicians to get around than it used to be.

During the Second World War civil servants in British India faced a shortage of manpower, and apart from handing over some unimportant jobs to Indians, they had to think of ways to do things internally.

Tapping into the internal potential, students like Allen Wilson, who were themselves in British India, naturally became the backup force.

This was also the beginning of Alan Wilson’s career, and in retrospect it is a memory to be cherished.

Without the interference of pesky politicians, no one can now stand in the way of British India’s civil service community and unleash India’s fettered potential.

There are nearly six hundred states in British India, and the small and medium-sized states have limited ability to resist the Congress Party, so the only ones that can be counted on are Hyderabad and Mysore, which are the lords of the land.

Similarly, there are not as many as 600 states that have a large area and are self-contained and powerful. Including Kashmir, there are a total of 15 states, of which Hyderabad is the strongest and Maharaja Ali Khan has enough financial resources.

Kashmir first do not count, Nehru is absolutely will not let go, that is the origin of the Nehru family place.

Although Hyderabad state is strong enough, but there is a disadvantage, is no access to the sea, in the British Indian provinces in the middle of the siege, Mysore state is next to Portuguese Goa, Hyderabad state and Mysore state, there is a nominal isthmus similar to Mysore state, as if in the latter half of the world of India’s mainland and northeastern thin neck of the land is separated.

But this separation is only symbolic, and as long as the Hyderabad and Mysore Tupas have a common ground, that bit of administrative isolation is virtually non-existent.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Pedro, I wonder if he’s still serving in Goa? Find a chance to meet if he is still there.” Alan Wilson began the communication with this opening statement.

Back in the Brussels Conference, Allen Wilson had seduced Portugal into shouldering its responsibilities with the issue of Portuguese Goa.

The effect was obvious; the garrison in Portuguese Goa had reached 20,000 men, and it was clear that the close ally of the British Empire was shouldering its international responsibilities.

Once the situation deteriorated, Alan Wilson even wanted to leave a backhand, a part of the British army in India is not withdrawn to the mainland, or stay in Portuguese Goa, continue to exist in British India in name only.

The three native commissioners discussed, naturally, about the glorious future of British India as a whole, after half a year, there would certainly be some changes in the whole subcontinent, and Powell mentioned one thing, that the French side of India seemed to be shrinking.

“The French are most untrustworthy.” Allen Wilson righteously began to point out that this was a precursor to an escape. At a time when colonists all over the world were to be united, the French were trying to surrender.

Allen Wilson’s accusations ignored the fact that there were only a few enclave cities in French India, and naturally the French had no need to wade in with such a small stake.

Thinking of keeping the colonists directly united now? How about settling the score for robbing French India during the Seven Years’ War? But where France had land as large as Portuguese Goa in British India, it wouldn’t have wanted to pat itself on the back.

Although he knew that counting on the French would have been unreliable, but at the critical moment, Alan Wilson still hoped that the French would be stupid once again, and would be able to play a certain role in covering for Britain in the issue of the subcontinent

“It is still necessary to give the French a little benefit, France in the subcontinent for a day, even if only symbolic significance can help us a lot.” Alan Wilson sighed, “It’s disappointing that there’s still no Portuguese with international responsibilities.”

“Speaking of Portugal, Alan you were at the Brussels Conference and should know the cause and effect. When Portugal announced the reinforcement of Goa and Belgium announced its support for the return of Holland to the East Indies, the news was really exciting to hear.” John was full of joy, “The Dutch troop carriers had stopped briefly in Bombay, causing many people to stop and watch, even those in the Congress Party, they were silent.”

“I really didn’t think that one day, we would need the armies of other countries to help us accomplish deterrence.” Alan Wilson shook his head with a bitter smile, “But it’s better to have than not to have, we have to measure the material resources of India and tie the hearts of the nations, at this moment the European countries have to be closely united together, and stabilize their positions in order not to be taken advantage of by those two bastards. But for a short time, one asshole won’t be able to reach us, just watch out for one.”

Both John and Powell nodded in agreement, turning to gleefully talk about the Dutch warships firing their guns in Jakarta at the end of October, turning the whole of Jakarta into a sea of flames, which I’m sure must have been a deterrent to the rebels to some degree.

“Let’s not talk about that subject, it’s a Dutch problem.” Allen Wilson pulled away from the topic in a nonchalant manner after hearing that several thousand Jakarta citizens were killed in the midst of the indiscriminate shelling.

The strength of the Dutch navy was not worth mentioning in Europe, but that was in Europe, as a country with the East Indies as a colony, the Dutch navy, even if it was poor, was not comparable to a colony.

About the shelling of Jakarta to be deterred, Allen Wilson in the Brussels meeting just casually mentioned, I did not expect the old imperialist countries, even if lapsed there is still this ruthless, really go to implement.

Shelling is the Netherlands, was shelled is the Indonesians, this matter from beginning to end and Allen Wilson have nothing to do.

Besides, now is to talk about the problem of British India, talk about what the Dutch, that is not off-topic it?

The only aspect of the whole thing that had anything to do with Britain was the fact that two ex-British warships were involved in the shelling.

Britain supports the return of the Netherlands to Asia, but taking into account the national strength of the Netherlands may not be able to handle, but also because the war has ended, the Royal Navy has a number of battleships need to be decommissioned, the Queen Elizabeth class battleships Warrior, leased to the Dutch Navy to use.

Although the Warrior was a World War I-era battleship, the 30,000-ton displacement and fifteen-inch main guns were no sham. The result of the coastal cities facing this kind of main gun, the Battle of Songhu in the battles of the battleship within the range of the main guns of the soldiers have the most right to say.

The rest of the fleet was used to select a few light warships from the Far East Fleet in British India and give them to the Dutch Navy.

This Allen Wilson is not opposed to, if the independence of British India, the Far East Fleet of warships will certainly have a lot of the heritage will be left to India, rather than this would be better to give the Netherlands, at least the Dutch give money.

To say that the whole thing, let a person quite surprised is the Warrior battleship was leased to the Dutch Navy. It’s not for sale, but it’s clear that Britain is definitely serious about supporting other colonial powers and sharing the firepower for themselves.

This is very different from history, and can be considered very proactive, but of course this is also related to the British Malaya program. There is money to be made by using British Malaya as a base to support the Dutch and French in their battles.

“It would be better to have the Portuguese carry the flag and go around Jakarta. That would be even better!” Alan Wilson again pulled the topic to Portugal, “Goa now has more than 20,000 Portuguese defenders, it’s a waste to keep them, it would be better to carry the flag to the East Indies to brush up on their presence and reflect the unity of the European countries. Communicate with the Portuguese Viceroyalty sometime, and say that an old friend has returned, and that the issues that were not discussed in Hyderabad before can now be followed up.”

“Then I will find time to talk to Pedro.” John nodded, “I wonder when the submarine will arrive? Maharaja Salaman Khan is very much looking forward to this, at first when I spoke to him, I was a bit reluctant, but then I figured out that if the Tuban territories can’t be saved, sooner or later the money won’t be saved either.”

“Maharaja Salaman Khan’s thoughts are very correct.” Powell nodded his head in recognition, then said, “Then my side is to maintain a close relationship with Goa, train with the Portuguese army, and expect Portuguese support when necessary.”

“It’s the future when necessary, right now it can only be done secretly.” Alan Wilson corrected, “After discussing with the Congress Party and finding an opportunity I will go and have a good talk with the honorable Maharajas.”

“Talk to the NCP? Talk about what?” John said with a surprised look on his face, “Alan, but Nehru threw you out.”

“Don’t talk about such rumors that have no head, I have always had great respect for Mr. Nehru.” Alan Wilson, with a scowl on his face, flatly denied, “The Congress Party is a close brother of the civil service.”