Chapter 227: A Two-Pronged Approach

Although, thanks to Alan Wilson, the present British India may be in a worse condition than the historical British India.

But how does the saying go, if there are difficulties, you have to go on, and if there are no difficulties, you have to go on even if you create difficulties.

The more difficult the time, the more to play the subjective initiative, tap the internal potential, with the same boat to fight natural disasters.

Even if it is difficult to personally visit the front line, do look what difficulties, really can not, then move the pencil it, make decisions naturally have the following people to solve the problem, if the solution can not be said that the Indian civil servants incompetent, the British civil servants have given an impeccable and perfect plan, the Indian implementation of the problem.

In the discussion with the provincial administrators, and finally came up with a complete drought relief program. This program exemplified the excellent qualities of the civil servants of the British Empire.

The Viceroyalty of British India, as well as the provincial administrators, attach great importance to the severe drought that has occurred in some parts of British India, and pay close attention to the development of the disaster and its impact on production and life.

We should intensify our efforts to combat the drought, and effectively take drought relief as an important task to protect people’s livelihood and promote development.

It is necessary to insist on ensuring the safety of drinking water for the masses as the first priority, coordinate drought-resistant water sources and water demand, and scientifically dispatch water conservancy projects, so as to minimize the impacts and losses of drought.

We should put solving the problem of drinking water for the masses in the first place in the drought relief work, try to find ways to transport and send water to the masses, find water and drill wells, and help localities to speed up the construction of emergency water source projects, so as to alleviate the difficulties of drinking water for people and animals as soon as possible.

According to the needs of the current seasonal production, we should actively support the local water conservancy repair, dredging rivers and irrigating farmland.

From the words and phrases above is absolutely flawless, to do is any person, also from this set of programs to pick out the faults. The only fault may be that the Indians, who cannot read a word, may not even know whether this thing exists or not.

Of course, that is the Indian’s own thing, in attitude, the Governor General’s Office has shown a very important determination.

But there are always accidents in life, and if they do occur, one can only say that this may be life, and sometimes things like this happen.

“By the way, gentlemen, I remind you of some things with private friendship, the hands of the Indian currency is best not to stay, change into pounds or gold, once the natural disaster, the value of the rupee may not necessarily be able to solidify. Gold is more reassuring in times of crisis.”

Fighting drought kind of trivial things finished, Alan Wilson expressed concern for the legitimate property of many gentlemen.

In the hands of these Indian administrators, there must be Indian currency, just a matter of more or less.

Don’t mention Allen Wilson has not dried the money printing machine smoking now, usually the Indian rupee is not much of a stable currency.

In the face of a possible drought, this worthless currency could not be retained, and it was likely that the slightest breeze would result in the loss of the legitimate property of a large number of gentlemen.

“That’s right, we really can’t keep the rupees, change all these rupees into gold. It will be convenient to leave then.” Andrew, the Administrator of Bengal, couldn’t agree more with this reminder.

It took the civil servants of British India one-tenth of the time it took to talk about the drought than it had just taken to reach a consensus on the matter.

“We’ll contact each other by telegraph when the time comes and carry out the operation in a unified way; it’s not that difficult for us to work in British India and follow the customs of the country.” Alan Wilson reminded of the problem of gold, and then began to talk about the drought, “if necessary, grab some dirt on the face, in public directly lying down, passed out in the drought line, this is what is difficult.”

“Mostly because we haven’t done that either, though it’s not hard to say.” Burke, the administrator of the United Provinces, gave a bitter laugh and said, “When have we ever done anything like that, it’s not gentlemanly at all.”

“This year, everyone can get a more practical reward for their hard labor than in many previous years, making money, it’s not such a shameful thing, right?” See a lot of people nodded, Alan Wilson followed the advice, “We still want to continue to serve the British Empire, if this drought is not under control, our promotion …… to serve the Empire may have twists and turns, in the final analysis, it is all for our own sake. ”

Put a long line in order to catch a big fish, can not always think of a hammer deal, back to the country to do fables, that would be very short-sighted.

For example, the hair has been white, take off the glasses can not see the person of the central provincial administrator, but only fifty-nine years old, for a civil servant, is the age of the rich and powerful, but also in other colonies, continue to serve the British Empire for twenty years.

“At that time everyone telegraph contact, never act alone.” As the meeting came to a close, Alan Wilson relaxed again and said, “Maybe the situation is not as serious as we thought, but if there is a result we don’t want to see, collective action is always the strength of many, to make our enemies fewer and our friends more.”

The standard of drought depends on how one looks at it, and British India is in a state of dependence on the weather as it stands.

This state simply means that there are natural disasters every year, do not believe that you can look up the records of Chinese history, floods and droughts every year, just the scope of the size of the problem.

British India is this state, only sometimes the extent of natural disasters, did not reach shocking is the number of deaths, which can be regarded as this year’s year is not bad, does not mean that no one really starved to death.

If there weren’t a lot of starvation deaths, the Indians were used to it, after all, that’s how it had been for thousands of years.

In the meeting is almost over, Alan Wilson thought of another thing, a pat on the head some chagrin said, “look at me this head, if there is really a situation that can not be controlled, from the number of more ways to think. Four years ago the Viceroy’s Office had counted the population of British India, which was one hundred and sixty million. There is still a lot of leeway given to us, and as long as there are no major problems from the books, no one can accuse us.”

In 1941 the population of British India was one hundred and sixty million on the books, a figure which, in terms of authenticity, could not be more false. India’s own count of its population after independence was close to 400 million, a margin of error that was almost more than double.

Even if a real drought came, no one would see anything broken in the accounts, because the population statistics of British India were all false.

On this side of British India, in the drought may appear the problem, the emergency meeting at the same time.

Miles away, in London, the British India question was also being discussed, and Edward Bridges, with great honesty, laid out the possible difficulties to Prime Minister Airdrie.

“The problem is great, but there is no power on the home front to help British India.” Prime Minister Aidley wore a difficult face, showing the dilemma that even the landlord’s family had no spare food.

“Honorable Prime Minister, British Indian civil servants have always been synonymous with integrity and efficiency. This plea is not a plea for help, it is a plea for the mainland to help the subcontinent on another level.” Edward Bridges listened to Prime Minister Adderley’s expression was one of embarrassment, but his tone of voice was decisive words, which directly indicated that you, Prime Minister, have misunderstood.

Sure enough, Prime Minister Airdrie, who had always presented himself as a true socialist, once he heard that he was not asking for help, he let Edward Bridges continue, making it clear that the British Empire’s consistent stance was willing to provide all the support it could, except for help.

“Natural disasters can be overcome, the key is man-made disasters.” Edward Bridges spoke righteously, “If it wasn’t for the struggle between the Congress Party and the PML-N, which involved the energies of the British Indian civil servants, many disasters would have been preventable and controllable to a degree, such as the Bengal Famine.”

“Is that so?” Prime Minister Airdrie’s gaze held a hint of skepticism, even the Bengal Famine was preventable and controllable?

“Of course it is, the Bengal Famine broke out at a time when the PML-N and the Congress Party were struggling extremely hard, and the Japanese spread public opinion that led to the destabilization of British India, and a great deal of the energy of the local civil servants was devoted to combating this hostility. It was the lack of cooperation between the PML-N and the Congress Party that led to the outbreak of the Bengal Famine.”

Edward Bridges lied without a blush and pinned the entire cause of the Bengal Famine on the NCP and the PML-N, and even the Japanese.

“If the interference of the Congress and the PML-N in the Viceroyalty can be ruled out. I believe this drought can be fought.” Edward Bridges made his suggestion, “According to the news coming from British India, the Congress Party and the PMLN are also interested, in sending a mission to London to state their views on the future of the subcontinent.”

“Isn’t it a bit too childish to have the political power of two colonies, come to the heart of the Empire.” Adderley was a little hesitant, after all, it wasn’t as if this sort of thing never came up before, but he didn’t want it to come up on his term of office.

Do you think that normally Parliament wasn’t quite child’s play? Edward Bridges thought this in his heart but didn’t say it out loud, and said in a different way, “Actually, it’s not a bad thing to let the enmity between the two powers be known by the whole world. That way many countries understand how much effort the British Empire puts into maintaining the subcontinent as a whole.”

“In that case, Sir Edward, I’ll think about it.” Not making a decision right away, Adderley decided to ask Norman Brooke about it.

“Yes, Prime Minister.” Edward Bridges nodded gently and left the Prime Minister’s office.

Not long after, Norman Brooke received a telegram and headed to the Prime Minister’s office to stay for a long time, the news immediately reached the Cabinet Secretary’s office, “Prepare to send a telegram to India, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Edward Bridges, with a breezy demeanor, instructed his private secretary, “Tell Barron to take care of British India.”