Chapter 26 Transferred
“I can actually understand the protests from the Congress side, but out of the responsibility of the Hyderabad Commissioner, and out of respect for the monarch Ali Khan, I could not stop the Hyderabad side from being enthusiastic about this gathering, and I had no reason to stop it at all.”
This one-on-one encounter was actually quite unexpected by Alan Wilson, but quickly followed the previous explanation to set aside his responsibility, but General Mountbatten had a playful look on his face with a smirking expression, worthy of the Great British Dragon Pride. Such an airy look, let Alan Wilson unconsciously closed his mouth.
“I’ve heard this kind of words more times than you can say.” Reaching out and pulling out his ears, General Mountbatten commented with some amusement, “Look at you civil servants, every day you say these words that no one understands, and you still think that you are exceptionally smart, but in reality? Small things open the general assembly, big things pat your head.”
Mountbatten’s face, which seemed to be carved like a carving, was written with immunity to conversational techniques, and then the words turned to himself, “It’s just that I didn’t think that you’d walk your connections to my daughter, which is very surprising. To tell you the truth, I don’t really know or want to know what your purpose is, but now at the critical moment when victory is in sight, there must not be the slightest problem in British India, and a problem could make victory come a day late.”
For General Mountbatten, the most crucial thing now is to win the World War, compared to Europe where the news of victory has come at any time, things on the Asian side are not particularly clear.
In General Mountbatten’s mind, the result of the victory is naturally the same as Germany, the Allies attacked the Japanese mainland, the Japanese nationwide liquidation, to ensure that this country will not become a threat in the future.
Seeing that Mountbatten is immune to discourse, Allen Wilson is a bit dumbfounded, think about it, the other side is from such a high background, grew up in the midst of praise, contact with the illustrious. And Mountbatten has always been known for his sociability, just came to India and solved the problem of cooperation between British troops and other allied troops, definitely not what people think is useless.
“To be honest I’d like to make a concession to Nehru on this one, of course I’ve come to realize from Sir Barron that the Congress Party isn’t very tough on you, but I’m still going to do it.” Mountbatten held his head in one hand and spoke flatly, “The reason is like I just said, I don’t want any negatives until victory is imminent.”
Alan Wilson heard, could it be that he was going to be made an example of? Unable to help, his face changed about to explain.
“I have decided that I want to transfer you out of British India!” General Mountbatten said to himself, “This is not out of selfishness, and Pamela’s relationship is not big, just a temporary reassignment.”
“A temporary reassignment?” Alan Wilson recited, not quite understanding what Mountbatten meant.
“Just the appearance of making it acceptable to the GOP!” General Mountbatten explained, “The situation on the European battlefield is great now, the Allies have already broken through the Rhine River defense, and Berlin is close at hand, and that’s not even counting the Soviet Red Army on the Eastern Front. In fact the joy of victory will come at any moment. The end of the war was the most chaotic moment. Let me explain one more thing here, this is not a punishment for you, it is just a way to get you out of British India for a while, so that when you come back you can do things more maturely.”
Alan Wilson stared at Mountbatten’s expression very slightly impolitely, but immediately reacted that he shouldn’t have done so. But it seemed as if the other man had no reason to deceive himself.
“I have a pretty good relationship with Winston, I can write a recommendation for you, which department do you personally like the working atmosphere?” Mountbatten said this and asked back in a solicitous tone.
Mountbatten was not lying at all about this, he did have a very good relationship with the current Prime Minister Churchill. That was only part of the truth, the whole truth was that he was on good terms with all the high officials of the Allies that he came into contact with, almost without exception.
It was then that Alan Wilson woke up as if in a dream, some departments quickly passing inside his head, and said uncertainly, “Foreign Office?”
“Foreign Ministry? It’s somewhat similar to what you’re doing now, but I think the best fit for you is the Colonial Department.” General Mountbatten thought for a moment and shook his head, “Of course at present the war in Europe is the most important thing, in the process you can get a lot of experience, in this way, the British India Minister Leo Emery and my relationship is also good, I’ll let him recommend that you go to the Colonial Department to serve in the Colonial Department, but temporarily seconded in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to wait in Europe, once the Asian battlefield Japan can’t hold on, I in letting you come back.”
Europe? The front line of the U.S.S.R. confrontation? Berlin Wall? Thinking of these, Alan Wilson sighed that this is indeed a good place to go.
From the day Germany surrendered, the exciting history went into another phase.
“You don’t want to go?” General Mountbatten cocked his head and said with a face full of high-flying arrogance, “This is an opportunity.”
“Me, of course! Very willing to take on a greater challenge.” Alan Wilson opened his mouth, knowing it was a done deal, “I wonder when I’ll be leaving.”
“Give you a few days to process things, I hear you have a good relationship with Ali Khan, an appreciated aspect. You can spend the rest of the day saying goodbye to your friend.” Mountbatten was relieved for some reason.
By now, Alan Wilson still thought in his heart that this Great British Dragon Pride was merely an excuse to get the hell out of British India, until he froze and received two handwritten letters from Mountbatten, addressed to the two men, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Colonial Secretary for India, Leo Emery.
“You go to Sir Barron and arrange your trip to Europe, keep these two letters, and go about your business in the only free time left.” General Mountbatten said with his own handwritten letter in his hand, “You saw the contents of the letter just now, so this is a relief.”
On the surface at least, Allen Wilson did indeed roll out of India in disgrace in front of the Congress Party. This was considered to be the Viceroyalty of British India giving the Congress Party an explanation.
“What a surprise.” Sir Barron shook his head slightly and said, “Actually, it could have ignored the protests of the Congress Party, but with these two letters well, it might really be a good thing.”
“Is that what Sir Barron thinks?” Hearing the head of the British Indian civil service say this, Alan Wilson was instantly optimistic, and he also felt that this was not a bad thing.
“I didn’t say anything, good things and bad things are sometimes the same thing.” Sir Barron mused, “At least you’re free for a few days, forget all your troubles and take it easy, by then you’ll be on a boat to Bombay, there’s no danger on the sea now.”
Departing from Sir Barron’s, Alan Wilson hastened at once to the next occasion.
“Did my father transfer you?” Pamela Mountbatten exasperatedly whispered, “Why is he like that? Taking those Indians too seriously, I’ll go to him.”
“That’s not a bad thing, is it!” Reaching out and tugging at Pamela Mountbatten’s coat-tails, Allen Wilson shrugged, “Keep an eye on Hyderabad if you can, a couple of my assistants are doing a pretty good job.”
“You seem happy to be leaving British India?” Pamela Mountbatten asked with some skepticism.
“I’m downright sad about it, and I’m settling the matter when I get back.” Ellen Wilson’s lower lip puckered up and blew the hair out of her head lightly, “It’s good to get back to London too, I’m just in time to finish my thesis.”