Chapter 75 The Key Question

Say not nervous of course is lying to himself, Alan Wilson are trying to find a church, adhering to the spirit of the proclivity to talk to God his old man, after all, this part of Europe, his old man should still have a three thin face, although it is about to be asked how many divisions of the Pope’s comrade of steel cut off a piece.

Tension is a normal emotion, will not disappear because of anyone’s class and wealth is different, just embodied in different aspects, Whitehall, London, outsiders eyes here is the political center of the British Empire, every move affects the world situation of the place, the same is also in the middle of the nervous busy.

The Soviet victory parade and the Potsdam conference immediately after, also let all departments like a big enemy, the executive undersecretary of each ministry are in the middle of the nervous preparation, the degree of tension is not worse than the Berlin side.

The door to the Cabinet Secretary’s office was pushed open, and Norman Brooke said as he walked, “Edward, give me the program for the Potsdam Conference, and by the way, you should be going to Berlin before the Prime Minister.”

“Unsurprisingly, that should be the case.” Edward Bridges, cigar in his fingers, eyes behind the lenses showing recognition, pointed to the seat in front of him and said, “Norman, there are actually civil servants working hard in all departments, this kind of thing is not something to be worried about, but of course out of prudence, of course I have to go to Berlin first, to be faster than the Prime Minister, but is it? I’m not actually bothered by this ……”

Norman Brooke was stunned, there are more important things than the Potsdam Conference right now, questioning, “Is it something going on in the Soviet Union?”

“The Soviet matter is important, but not the most important. Norman!” Edward Bridges had a meaningful look on his face and said to himself, “For the British Empire, the war is over. The East is more involved in the colonies than in the immediate Germany that was so imminent, and now that the greatest danger has disappeared, there is no longer any need for a wartime Cabinet, and an election will soon be held.”

In wartime, of course, stability is more important than anything else, and a war-aggressive Germany is the most important thing. For this reason, Prime Minister Churchill and the wartime cabinet were unassailable, but now that the war is over, everything has changed again.

Who will be victorious in the upcoming general election will become a criterion for Edward Bridges to judge the next situation. And judging from the feedback so far, in fact, the hope of Airdrie is not small, but only overshadowed by the victory over Germany, the great victory shrouded by Prime Minister Churchill.

Adderley, the Labour leader, was born into a middle-class family in Putney, London, and spent his early years at Norfolk Heights School, Haileybury and Imperial Service Books and University College, Oxford, where he graduated as a solicitor.

A private secretary to Prime Minister MacDonald, the former leader of the Labor Party, Adderley was Deputy Prime Minister and Keeper of the Seals of the United Kingdom, Minister of the Home Rule, and President of the Privy Council during the war.

“In wartime, some rules can be broken, but in peacetime, we have to do things according to a certain system, Norman?” Edward Bridges called softly to the Chief Civilian, “If it was Adderley in power, I would consider early retirement.”

“Early retirement?” Norman Brooke looked stunned, his body involuntarily leaning forward.

“Not so fast, I will transfer the power of the Cabinet Secretary to the successor to ensure that everything is smooth and excessive.” Pressing the cigar out of his fingertips, Edward Bridges leaned back in one tactical motion, “I’ll let the next Cabinet Secretary grow up in the middle of two years and then leave Whitehall.”

“Wha-hee!” Norman Brooke’s face was brilliant, and he didn’t know what was going through his mind.

“My successor will have to stand firm in the face of politicians, including you and I know that the life of a politician is in elections, and the one thing they claim to be professional about is keeping up exposure, and as for the level of governance of the country? we won’t comment on that.” Edward Bridges got up and opened the window, turning his back on Norman Brooke.

“You’re right Edward, there’s no room for ambiguity about that.” Norman Brooke agreed as he turned his back on Edward Bridges.

“There’s also the tactical aspect of the fact that we assist politicians in accomplishing their grandiose long-held ambitions, and while the vast majority of them are ridiculously childish, we can’t show it.” Turning back, Edward Bridges looked expectantly at Norman Brooke.

“Your heir will be gentle, charming, old-faced, and have plenty of experience.” Norman Brooke followed Edward Bridges’ thoughts, already sensing in his mind that this was not a trial run.

“And especially reliable.” Edward Bridges added with a grin, “I have a responsibility to keep this excess in the midst of smoothness, that is the mission I have to the British Empire. Therefore I have found a successor who fully meets these qualifications!”

“So Edward do you already have this candidate?” Norman Brooke asked in an expectant tone.

“You see, the true meaning of doing what we do is not in finding the answers, but in finding the right questions. Let’s see who can find the key question!” Edward Bridges laughed dumbly, apparently at the fact that talking to smart people made him feel very comfortable as well.

It wasn’t by chance that Edward Bridges had decided to leave, as he himself was bound to Prime Minister Churchill during the war. This history is actually kind of quite early, in fact he became a cabinet secretary and had a huge relationship with Churchill, who wasn’t even prime minister at the time.

At the time of becoming a Cabinet Secretary, it wasn’t really entirely in keeping with the traditional customs of the civil service. Of course in tense moments like wartime these were fine and logical.

But now that the war was over, some of the problems would have to return to where they had been, and the rules that had been broken should be amended. Edward Bridges’ offer to return to tradition would keep the initiative still in his hands.

By the time the two men came out of the Cabinet Secretary’s office, there was a harmony that made the civil servants in Whitehall look sideways.

Alan Wilson, in the midst of the tension, like any other Berlin diplomat, was being paraded by Alexander Cadogan, Permanent Undersecretary of the Foreign Office, waiting for the military plane that had landed.

“For those who don’t know, the Prime Minister is already here?” Ivor muttered in a thin, whispering voice.

“More than the Prime Minister, Mr. Edward is more official than we are.” Alan Wilson stared ahead, maintaining the bearing of a young diplomat as he watched the military plane come to a slow stop.

Edward Bridges, the Permanent Undersecretary of the Cabinet, and often referred to as the current Cabinet Secretary, disembarked the military plane with ease.