Chapter 371: Starting with the Movie Market

“Norman, what do the Portuguese want with the battleships?” Prime Minister Adderley looked to the Cabinet Secretary, not particularly emotional about the request, “As far as I know, the Portuguese Navy is very weak.”

“Perhaps for the security of Portuguese Goa?” Normanbrook mused giving his answer, “Other than that, there should be no explanation, you, Prime Minister, have seen the earlier withdrawal routes of the British forces in India.”

“Oh, yes. Part of it was withdrawn to the Persian Gulf, part to Malaya.” Eardley nodded in understanding, he had indeed seen such a withdrawal report, but did it contain Portuguese Goa?

Allen Wilson stood to one side, part of the withdrawal to the Persian Gulf, part of the withdrawal to Malaya? Hadn’t this report written itself?

“This government of Portugal, that man Salazar?” Prime Minister Airdrie mumbled something inexplicable, then asked, “The Nelson class battleships, what is their status now. What are the technical problems?”

“It has been lying on the ship’s deck for over a year now, so naturally there is no problem from a technical point of view. Because the Portuguese Navy no longer has experience in handling large warships, if it is chartered, it may also have to send a group of naval officers and soldiers from the Royal Navy to help train.” Norman Brook said honestly, purely from a technical point of view.

After the end of the war, the two Nelson class battleships were withdrawn from active service, the “Rodney” was transferred to the reserve in the same year, and was de-commissioned the following year, and the “Nelson” was converted to a training ship the following year, and just this year it was de-commissioned as well, and the two battleships are already lying in the The two battleships were already lying in the shipyard waiting to be scrapped.

Prime Minister Adderley’s displeasure with Portugal was only in the man Salazar, and the man’s government.

“Does Alan know anything about Portugal?” Instead of mentioning the battleship charter, Airdrie asked Allen Wilson if he was credible about Portugal as a country.

“I also had a lot of contact with the Goa side when I was in British India.” Allen Wilson knew everything, “The local Portuguese officials in Goa also said to me many times that Portugal was an ally of the British Empire for hundreds of years. In the midst of the World War Portugal’s country is small, but also next to Spain, some decisions are out of their own hands. Also willing to sign an agreement with us, the British army can always use the port of Goa for repair. There should be a share for Portugal in this American aid program.”

“Let’s discuss this matter in discussion, want to see how the Americans judge it.” Prime Minister Adderley scratched his polished forehead, his brilliant head was shining brightly, showing that the head was engaged in thought.

Germany blitzed Poland, World War II broke out, and Britain declared war on Germany. Salazar was caught in a rather awkward situation. Portugal was a traditional ally with Britain, and deserved to be on the same side with it as it had been in World War I; but Italy and Germany also shared certain common interests with the Sarachan government.

However, Salazar was wary of both. Neutrality seemed to be the only option, and one that brought many benefits to Portugal. In addition to selling war materiel to both belligerents, free ports along the Portuguese coast flourished.

But it wasn’t really a big deal; not many even good friends could take a fire in the belly, let alone a country. Anymore, Portugal eventually joined the Allies, only after it became obvious where the war was headed.

Alan Wilson remembers the Marshall Plan is a part of Portugal, but the number is like he said before, not to say that completely is not, but also basically equal to no, he remembers the Marshall Plan, Portugal received the amount of aid, only higher than the Iceland, I big Iceland’s population of 120,000 people at present.

But this is also much better than Spain, in addition to Franco’s factor, currently replaced the new president said to live in harmony with the United States of Mexico, is violently tearing at Spain, to be the leader of the Hispanic world.

Even if we consider the attitude of the Mexicans, who are hardly giving up their anti-American stance, the U.S. is not going to include Spain in the Marshall Plan at this point in time.

Prime Minister Adderley did not want to lease the battleships to Portugal, but was not adamant about it either, and simply said he was thinking about it.

Allen Wilson in fact very much want this thing to succeed, put also is dismantled, lease may also be able to make a profit. Can be in the name of helping the Portuguese Navy training, share some of the costs. Two battleships are not young, but also a threat to the United Kingdom is not?

And there is another reason, in terms of colonial policy, Salazar also invested considerable energy. In the early years Salazar was Minister of Finance as well as Minister of Colonization and issued detailed decrees. The decrees called for greater control of the colonies, the removal of their autonomy, the encouragement of colonization, and the sending of missionary societies with the aim of strengthening the links between the colonies and the Portuguese mainland.

Such leaders and the countries they controlled were exactly the kind of fighters the British Empire needed at the moment. The colonialist family should unite with such countries if it is to unite.

It seems that in this case, it is better to wait for Mountbatten’s return and see if there can be a turnaround. Alan Wilson is not in a position to do that and influence the judgment of the Prime Minister.

Allen Wilson carried on with today’s report, and although he also spent four hours in today’s meeting, adding a bit to yesterday’s colonial issue, the main topic had changed.

This can not be blamed on Allen Wilson frying, colonial experts is his current persona, must make no one knows more than me, the more the discussion of the persona set up the more stable.

The main topic of today’s meeting is that Britain wants Belgium, the Netherlands, and even Luxembourg, to send their domestic troops to the British-occupied territories for defense, because the British army is currently undergoing disarmament.

Although Luxembourg has only one Grand Duke’s Guard in the whole country, with an establishment of only two battalions. But people like Allen Wilson never know what it means to be embarrassed, even if there is only one battalion, they should fulfill their obligation to send occupation troops, not to mention that the establishment of the Grand Duke’s Guard is still over the top, with two battalions.

He even the Americans to India to personally responsible for the exchange of dollars and rupees, never mind the fly meat is small people, definitely will not be too much to benefit from the small not to mention, now the British Empire also want to be thrifty.

Naturally there was a rebuttal to the difficulties expressed by Belgium Holland and Luxembourg, and now that the World War was over, what was the point of stationing troops at home? Domestic matters could well be left to the police department, and the army would be stationed in Germany, and at the time of vacation the army soldiers could return home by train.

“Now that the neighboring countries are allies, like the armies of Belgium and Holland, there is absolutely no need to station them in the country. We have to guard against a German resurgence, but above all we have to be anti-Soviet.”

Repeating what he had said at today’s meeting, Alan Wilson reported, “After patient communication, the three countries have agreed to move most of the troops remaining at home, except for the colonial troops, into the British-occupied areas to fill the vacancies left by the reduction of the British army, and in this way we can be a little more at ease.”

This was very much appreciated by Prime Minister Adderley, not that he was not willing to show the military might of the British Empire, but showing military might cost money.

It was true that Britain could not now be compared with the United States and the Soviet Union, and something had to be done about military expenditure. Disarmament is necessary, whether it is from saving military expenditure or post-war reconstruction above consideration.

Post-war reconstruction requires labour, and again the money left over from saving on military spending would give Prime Minister Airdrie more money to push for national health care, alloy tube schemes and nationalization.

If Holland Belgium and Luxembourg were willing to help Britain, that would certainly be good for Britain at the moment.

“Very well, the representatives of the two observer countries, tomorrow, should be back in Brussels. The proposal for the conference involving people’s livelihood and economic revitalization should ideally have come out with an outcome.” Adderley nodded with satisfaction, “After all, the Brussels Treaty Organization, the original intention of its establishment, in addition to defending against Germany, also bears the banner of post-war revitalization.”

The two observer countries that Prime Minister Eardley spoke of were Sweden and Denmark. Alan Wilson was not aware that the Brussels Treaty Organization still had two observer states.

After all, it had been two years since Allen Wilson had returned to British India after attending the first conference to add to the peace of the subcontinent, unaware that in addition to the six colonial powers plus one Luxembourg in the beginning, Sweden and Denmark had now been absorbed as observer states.

Now the Brussels Treaty Organization, there are seven member states and two observer states, the two observer states are Sweden and Denmark. Of course this is normal, an organization is always expanding.

“Civilian topics are not good for agreement, especially negotiations on fisheries agreements, dividing fishing grounds and such.” Prime Minister Adderley said with great difficulty, “Each country has its own ideas, especially the French are not willing to give in.”

“It’s not possible to have a meeting with no results at all. In fact, we can think of ways to make concessions where there are actually no concessions on the surface.” Norman Brook suggested, “Steel and coal are industries that are too difficult to negotiate.”

“Yes, the issue of steel and coal and these industries are not like the issue of colonization which is so easy to reach a consensus.” Prime Minister Adderley let out a bitter smile, now it seems that the Brussels Treaty Organization’s most capable of reaching consensus is really the colonial issue.

Not to mention steel and coal, even the fisheries agreement doesn’t make much progress, sighing, “But where are the industries where it’s so easy to reach consensus?”

“Actually, movies are considered an industry, right?” Alan Wilson spoke carefully, “Right now the countries haven’t even fully recovered their traditional industries, let alone movies that entertain the masses. Let’s just finish talking about the integration of the movie industry and consider it as the outcome of this meeting and just announce it to the public.”

“Won’t the French create obstacles?” Prime Minister Adderley still remembered the stubborn attitude of the French above the fishery industry.

“I don’t think so, movies were invented by the French.” Norman Brooke nodded his head a little and smiled, “France also holds itself to be Europe’s movie powerhouse and won’t object to this topic.”