Chapter 288 – Thirty Million Dollars

Make breakfast, Joan Crawford is still whimpering, Allen Wilson had to bring the breakfast to the bedside, cover and put down, so that the cow that has just gnawed on the tender grass to wake up and enjoy it, and looked at the time to feel that it was almost time.

Leaning over to give Joan Crawford a kiss before changing into a dress to go to work, the sound of the door to her room closing came and Joan Crawford’s eyes opened at once, reaching up to touch her red lips and muttering to herself rather self-congratulatoryly, “It’s just as if it were my husband!”

Straightway she got up and opened the lid, giggled like a little girl, and enjoyed her breakfast beautifully; the loss of strength was something that had to be made up for, but now she thought that the trip to British India had been rewarding after all.

As she left, Joan Crawford lingered for a long time by the two large iron crates, still very curious as to what was in them, but the oversized locks reminded her that, let’s face it, it was best not to do anything rash.

On the whole, Alan Wilson, who was good at learning, could talk to Hedy Lamarr about patents or take the three of them around with him to see the sights and sounds of British India, all in full openness and fairness in the presence of the Viceroy’s security staff, of course.

Sometimes he had to give Joan Crawford a lecture on theater, which was all right, and he was even willing to talk to Derek, who was a fool for money, if Derek was willing, about the transfer of industry.

Of course we could talk about it, industrial transfer had already occurred a long time ago, globalization had likewise occurred once, only that time it was dominated by the British Empire, and the United States was nothing more than a foundry.

In the 1840s, Britain began to transfer industries outward, with Britain as the exporter and the United States as the importer.

This was the first industrial transfer. This industrial transfer made the United States a success, and enabled the United States to finally surpass the former Sunset Empire.

History does not simply repeat itself, but when it is related to the situation in the 21st century, there are actually similarities.

The United States has done things to China, in fact, the British Empire to the United States have done, in the face of the pace of the rise of the United States, but also taken all means except war, the same is not without consideration of war, just every time things come to a head, there are Germans come out to block the bullet for the Americans.

Can only say that the notorious destiny of the Americans, in the rise of the country’s good fortune, there is a back willing to attract fire for it.

The European side is not safe and sound, for example, the problem of Greece, so that after the Potsdam Conference calm Europe again waves, the world before the World War was dominated by the British Empire, although the United States is no longer afraid of this sunset empire, but still waiting for the time to rise to the top.

So like many countries in Europe that fought against Germany, such as Poland, Yugoslavia, etc., Greece resisted the German forces and also placed its government-in-exile in London.

After the war the Greek government-in-exile returned home under British escort and on December 3 of the same year, provoked a civil war. Two days later the National People’s Liberation Army (NPLA) engaged in a thirty-three day armed conflict with the British Army, which is seen as the beginning of the Greek Civil War. It was still the British Prime Minister Churchill who was involved in mediation.

Alan Wilson kept in daily contact with Edward Bridges by telegram, which, for the most part, still talked about the progress of cashing in with the iron ore, but always talked about something else.

Regarding Greece, Alan Wilson suggested pulling in the United States, and if the United States could be brought on board in good faith, the pressure on the British Empire would be much less.

To the Greek total is to be firmly suppressed, not to mention the potential influence of Greece on European civilization, is not this influence, just from the geographic point of view, can not be abandoned.

Alan Wilson knew that the Soviet Union had been hit hard by the World War and had sort of helped the Soviets before the Potsdam Conference.

But now it is different, Europe can be balanced but not unbalanced, to the Greek Communist must be firmly suppressed, Greece is different from Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia is easy to be blockaded by Italy.

Greece as a peninsula deep into the Mediterranean Sea, but Italy’s land situation is similar, the blockade can not be talked about, let the Soviet Union will only make the whole Mediterranean Sea around the situation faced by the United Kingdom has become serious.

In the telegram, Alan Wilson stated that Greece should definitely intervene, even if it had to take the initiative to ask the United States.

The defeat of the Communist Party of Greece and the popular armed forces under its leadership in the Greek Civil War had its inevitability. It was quite difficult to try to form a socialist state in the Balkans in a region like Europe where capitalism was strong.

Although there were armed and not small forces, the contrast in relation to the overall strength of the Anglo-American countries was very obvious. At the same time its own power and internal relations are intricate and complex, also brings a layer of shadow to the realization of its own strength.

“If playing the note of simultaneously holding back the United States and the Soviet Union, the same is not without a way, before pulling in the United States, we can first communicate with Turkey, using the United States and the United Kingdom to stand together as a bait, inducing Turkey to send troops to help the Greek government suppress pro-Soviet forces.”

Edward Bridges in his office turned to the next page with interest, “Greece and Turkey have a long-standing enmity, once Turkey is involved, the Greek government forces are instead not doing well, at this time the United States joins in, we still have an overwhelming advantage over the pro-Soviet forces, but we can also provoke Greece and Turkey not to get along, and at that time, we can draw back, and in the case of the Greek and Turkish question, it’s the United States against the Soviet Union.”

“Very much in the tradition of the British Empire.” Edward Bridges couldn’t help but sigh that being a colonial official was a real condescension, and that one should work in a bigger stage such as in the Foreign Office in order to utilize Allen Wilson’s talents.

If Allen Wilson knew that his talkativeness risked losing the opportunity to work in the colonies, he would have been very remorseful.

Loyal to the British Empire, but in this case used in the wrong place, there is a possibility of being sent to the Foreign Office, which is a daily hook-up, which is not intended to be an exile for him who is bent on working in the colonies.

Although he thought it might be worth a try, Edward Bridges said in the middle of the return telegram, “Alan, do your own thing, civil servants do things, nothing but steady, it can be said to be slow, the last thing we lack is patience, as long as we can achieve the purpose in the end is good.”

Edward Bridges was talking about cashing in on the iron ore, and actually talking about Greece. It seems pie in the sky, but it’s not impossible to take one step at a time and do something in many steps, for example in four stages ……

The first stage starts by asking the US if it is willing to exert more influence, especially on the situation in the Near East.

If the U.S. is particularly eager to say that it is willing to take over, then the second stage will be carried out, hidden from the U.S. to contact Turkey, send troops to help the Greek government forces, and launch a surprise attack on pro-Soviet forces.

After that Britain would look for an opportunity to withdraw from the Near East, leaving the US to tangle with the USSR in the Near East.

Finally, let the Americans worry about the Greek population that is boycotting Turkey because of their national feelings, and the jig is up. Each stage was spaced out for a period of time, and if the expected situation arose it was continued, if it was unexpected it was stopped and Britain had nothing to lose.

In fact, as long as the first stage, you can tell whether the plan is feasible or not, whether the United States is very eager to expand its influence, and if so, there is a need for this plan to be implemented.

In fact, compared to history, Allen Wilson’s proposal was only a little bit more different, that is, to lead Turkey to send troops to help the Greek government forces to suppress the pro-Soviet forces. All other conditions were the same!

This would have been Britain’s response on the Greek issue, except that Allen Wilson a reminder, more clear.

On the Greek issue, in fact, Britain and the United States are not facing the Soviet Union, the biggest supporter of the Greek Communist Party is Tito of Yugoslavia, so it should be considered to give Yugoslavia a lesson when necessary.

After a few more days of professional escorting and online flirting, Alan Wilson was already well acquainted with the three actresses who stayed in New Delhi, only two of them were not as familiar as Joan Crawford for the time being.

Derek, who was counting on being able to have a bright performance in front of the Morgan family, finally couldn’t help himself and sent someone to find Allen Wilson again.

The second contact between the two sides finally appeared on the premise that the delaying tactics of the commissioner’s civil servants were successful.

“Mr. Allen, I can acquire the Mysore iron ore mine for thirty million dollars. And at the same time give you one million dollars as a favor.” Derek said with an open-door expression, “One million dollars, you probably won’t be able to earn this kind of money in your lifetime.”

Eat kickbacks Alan Wilson is not refused, after all, he is a civil servant of British India well, the latter days of India even military sales are eating kickbacks, the fine tradition is of course learned with the British Empire, just did not learn the essence of the means of India is very easy to be caught in the act.

“Ten million and three hundred thousand pounds? Mr. Derek, let’s forget for a moment that you attempted to bribe a loyal Imperial civil servant with a backroom deal. Let’s talk about your insincere offer first.” Alan Wilson first gave the other party a hatchet, and then Shi Shi said, “I will first present a merger and acquisition case, the Messerby Mine Colorful Purchase, Mr. Derrick is familiar with it. It is your U.S. Steel emergence of the dominant old Morgan himself personally operated, the time in nineteen hundred and one.”

Rockefeller’s Messerby mine in Minnesota on the shores of the Great Lakes, is the nation’s largest iron ore mine at the time, when the proven reserves of 50 million tons, can meet the demand for the whole of the United States of sixty percent.

After a battle between the two sides, Rockefeller finally settled on the terms of the sale, offering a sky-high price of seventy-five million dollars and demanding that it had to be paid in U.S. Steel stock. Morgan did not counter-offer, and the deal went through.

After the merger U.S. Steel’s stock soared, and the Rockefellers got more than seventy-five million dollars in stock.

The Merseby Mine merger of nineteen hundred and one was finally priced at seventy-five million dollars, and now forty-five years later, Derek said something about thirty million dollars in a patronizing tone.

“It’s as if you think of me as a primitive tribal chief. It’s distressing to think of the expectations of a hundred thousand British Indian civil servants as a handout.”