Chapter 30 MI6

Whitehall is a street in the city of London, England. It connects the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street. In and around this street are the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of the Navy, and a number of other British government agencies located here.

Therefore, people use Whitehall as a substitute for the British administration. And on the southwest corner of Whitehall is the symbol of the British government, 10 Downing Street.

The long wartime system was slowly lifting, at least for the civil servants of Whitehall, who had gotten used to running around the various departments every day, dealing with the information that came back from the various battlefields.

Edward Bridges, rubbing his eyes with one hand, had just finished his programmed meeting as Cabinet Secretary. Asking his secretary to invite Norman Brooke, the nominal head of the civil service, to come over, Edward Bridges took the opportunity to light a cigarette.

At present the Cabinet Secretary and the Chief Civilian Officer in the Civil Service were not held by the same person, and Edward Bridges and Norman Brooke jointly led the civil service community in Whitehall, aiding Prime Minister Churchill in his response to the World War, which was drawing to a close.

As head of the Cabinet Office Committee, however, Edward Bridges, the Cabinet Secretary, was significantly busier than the Chief Civilian Officer.

“Edward, finished your meeting with the departments?” Norman Brooke people have not yet come in, the voice has already first entered the Cabinet Office office of Edward Bridges, walked in just in time to see the Cabinet Secretary is thinking about life.

“Norman, as you know, unlike the Prime Minister and ministers, those of us who do things are always busy.” Edward Bridges squeezed out a smile, then stubbed out the cigarette in his hand, signaling to please sit down then said, “It seems that there is news from the front, Berlin seems to be the Soviet Red Army coming to take it.”

“Given the losses the Soviet Union faced in the invasion of Germany, that’s as it should be.” Norman Brooke said unimpressed, “And the Americans don’t seem to be willing to oppose this, we have limited influence in this matter.”

“The Americans? The Americans are simply deliberately humiliating us!” Edward Bridges grimaced, “It’s hard to imagine that the Americans would be more willing to listen to the Soviets than us.”

Norman Brooke shrugged, knowing that what the Cabinet Secretary had said was true, and turned to say, “After the war was over, Whitehall had nothing less to do than during the war, think of the huge number of recovered soldiers returning to the homeland, as well as the question of the status of some of the colonies, and even the question of how to divide up the German occupied territories could be considered trivial in the face of these problems. ”

Scratching his itchy scalp Edward Bridges, had to admit that the other had a point.

Norman Brooke was just about to open his mouth in relief when his eyes caught sight of the letter on the table, pointed and asked, “What’s this?”

“It’s a letter from Mountbatten to the Prime Minister, it was sent by my secretary, a commissioner of British India returned home to bring this letter to the Prime Minister, we have gone through the necessary checks, the other letter is to the Colonial Secretary of India, Leo Emery, and I have sent it to the Ministry of Indian Affairs.” Edward Bridges spoke up and explained, “The Commissioner who came back to report on his duties, I’ve sent him to MI6.”

“It’s just as well he’s back so we can know first hand what’s going on in British India, let MI6 ask about that.” Norman Brooke slapped his thighs and said, “The current situation of the colonies everywhere, would have been a major problem after the war, we have to solve it sooner or later, all the parties are now bickering, I have already foreseen that immediately after the end of the war, the Congress will start a heated argument.”

“Right, I was negligent. By the way, since it’s coming back from India, let’s get a senior MI6 officer with local knowledge to verify it, and it just so happens that I have such a person in mind.” Saying that Edward Bridges picked up the phone, MI6’s headquarters was on the same street, passing on information couldn’t be more convenient.

Alan Wilson, on the other hand, had nothing to do in the middle of a huge twenty-story building, looking out through the windows, it was hard to imagine that this building, which was part of the Foreign Office, was the current headquarters of MI6.

Then again, spies and diplomats did have a certain amount in common, some said that diplomats were legitimate spies, and they were supposed to do broadly similar things.

It wasn’t long before a man in his mid-thirties with a thick head of hair, dressed in a well-tailored suit entered, the visitor spoke in a fluttering, polite manner, “It’s the returning Hyderabad commissioner, Allen Wilson, isn’t it? I apologize for being late, I was sent from above to find out some information, let’s just talk casually, my name is Harold King Philby by the way, you can just call me Harold.”

“The reason I was asked to talk about India is because I was born in British India.” Philby sat in front of Alan Wilson and smiled as he opened his mouth, the other Alan Wilson relaxing.

Harold King Philby was born in Ambala, India to a father who served as a civilian official within the Indian government and was a well known scholar of the Arabic language in England. His parents had high expectations of young Philby, and when Philby reached school age, he was sent back to school in England.

“So Mr. Philby was born from British India!” Alan Wilson nodded in understanding, introducing the current situation in British India, focusing on Hyderabad, and finally added, “I believe that Mr. Philby also has a certain understanding of British India, in fact, I find it hard to believe that someone as gentle and elegant as you are is actually engaged in intelligence work.”

“It’s nothing strange, intelligence work especially likes to look for reserves from amongst Oxford and Cambridge universities.” Philby looked down at Alan Wilson’s file and explained in an unimpressed manner, then his words turned somewhat surprised, “You are a student of Oxford University’s Oriental College? The age of admission is surprisingly young, for you, the outbreak of the war may be considered bad news, delaying your studies.”

“Actually working early is not a bad thing.” Alan Wilson looked at Philby’s face and asked with a twitch in his heart, “I didn’t know that the intelligence department likes to recruit from renowned universities, so that’s how it is. Where did Mr. Philby finish his studies from.”

Philby looked up at Alan Wilson and laughed in a calm voice, “I went to school at Cambridge University, Trinity College, and if I also finished my studies at Oxford University, I can be considered your senior.”

Oh? Alan Wilson heard this, his face did not change but his heart dawned, Cambridge University, Trinity College? Born in British India? It seems that there is such a person among the Cambridge Five.

“Well, the Whitehall side wants to get first-hand information about British India, that’s why I’m having a conversation.” Philby, who had been wearing a smile from the moment he entered the room, said at this point that the questioning was over.

“I have just returned from British India and am somewhat of a stranger to London. Would very much like to go around with Mr. Philby when I get a chance.” Alan Wilson opened the invitation, he could be too interested in the Cambridge Five.