Chapter 998 – Porter of Information
“Permanent Undersecretary, the Minister is confused about the arrangements for the trip to the Soviet Union.” Dixon followed behind his top boss, and in an offhanded tone, divulged Macmillan’s true thoughts.
“The matter makes sense, but thanks.” Standing in the doorway of the minister’s office, Allen Wilson turned back to express his thanks, then pushed his way in to see what the old, potentially spiritual American had to say.
Macmillan expressed his welcome with a gentle smile, “Alan, have a seat, many have said that you were an extremely hard working civil servant who helped the previous minister with a number of things.”
“Honorable minister, you can’t say that either, Minister Harold also just took office, so did I, many things pro were set together.” Alan Wilson gave the former Foreign Secretary the glory and sat down with a flourish, “Unlike you, the Honorable Minister, who was already leading diplomacy in World War II and is a total connoisseur, we are ready to play it by ear and carry out every decision the Minister makes.”
“Oh no, the minister can’t decide everything.” Macmillan said in a double entendre, “Diplomacy, in particular, should be brainstormed to make the choices that are best for Britain.”
“The minister’s chest is surprising.” Alan Wilson looked at Macmillan’s face and estimated that he would not be able to be prime minister.
Wanting to extinguish Macmillan’s path to the prime ministership is actually quite simple, letting Aidan go through his five-year term in peace.
This batch of Conservative Party giants, by then, are all seventy years old and eighty years old, by then, even if they want to do something, they do not have the strength.
Keep in mind that the current Prime Minister, Aidan, is three years younger than Macmillan in age. What is this equivalent to? It’s equivalent to Kozlov, now the number two man in the Soviet Union, being two years younger than Brezhnev.
As long as Kozlov himself is not physically ill, Brezhnev will never stand a chance against Kozlov, who is younger than himself, senior to him, and one step ahead of him.
Kozlov’s lead over Brezhnev is as solid as Brezhnev’s lead over Sherepine, and more desperate still.
In view of this, the present situation was for Aidan to finish his term as Prime Minister in peace, when Macmillan, who was already seventy years old, would be almost impossible to be the heir apparent, even if he were to serve only one term.
Macmillan was unaware that the young, smiling Permanent Under-Secretary, who smiled everywhere he went, was speculating over his own fate, the destined fate of the Prime Minister, which had been thrown into a tizzy by his presence.
As Dixon had said, the scheduling of the trip was the reason Macmillan had called Alan Wilson, for which the Labor government had no problem in accepting, the Tories’ hostility to the Soviet Union being a little more pronounced, especially Macmillan.
“The general situation now is one of détente.” Alan Wilson squared his shoulders and replied with a smile, “Our visit to the Soviet Union is a judgment based on that. The United States is preparing to hold the American Exposition in Moscow, which will be used to show the superior life of the free world and take the approach of healthy competition to make the Soviet Union realize the gap. The opportunity to go to Moscow was also taken for the sake of the American ally to make a statement, for the sake of the special relationship between Britain and the United States.”
“Beyond that, there is another consideration.” Without waiting for Macmillan to speak, Alan Wilson said with a thoughtful look, “This is also a test, in addition to maintaining the pattern of the World War II triumvirate, there is also the consideration of France’s détente with the USSR since de Gaulle came to power, and France has been the main rival of Britain in Europe for seven hundred years. Looking at the history of World War I, France has an old history of rapprochement with Imperial Russia.”
“We also took the opportunity of this informal occasion to talk to Mr. Nixon, the Vice President, who was present on the American side, about how to approach France, which seems to be gaining a more neutral foothold in Europe. This could upset the balance, and it is not always possible for a minister to make a direct trip to Washington, which would be suspected of isolating France, and would be harmful in the present situation, and that is why such a third party occasion is needed, except that this third party is the Soviet Union, which is very much a kind of tiger’s mouth.”
“Perhaps someday later, when it comes time to declassify the documents, this will become a windy anecdote as well.”
Alan Wilson in one breath to find two important reasons for Macmillan, hidden his own want to see the kitchen debate, do pro-experience to brush seniority of the dark thinking, the current although he is in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but it is not without rivals, a random count of double-digit, the same position, more senior than him senior Whitehall senior officials are a sea of people.
If there is a famous scene, can let him in the middle of the brush sense of presence, if the future to do the role of the Cabinet Secretary, is certainly self-evident. Of course, by the way, he can also serve the British Empire.
The reference to the role of France is also justified, if Alan Wilson is not mistaken, de Gaulle, after taking power, described the relationship between France and the Soviet Union as a special partnership.
Special partnership, which is generally used over US-Japanese and US-German relations, and since then French-Soviet relations have heated up dramatically.
Of course there may be some changes now, the original history of France and the USSR coming closer was a linkage as Britain moved closer and closer to the US, and de Gaulle developed relations with the USSR in order to counterbalance Britain and the US.
That’s not necessarily how it will play out now, but that doesn’t mean France won’t pull out of NATO, and France is not going to allow NATO to be stationed on its soil, and what kind of future that will produce, whether it’s manageable or unpredictable, will have to be seen as it goes along.
Although Macmillan is the pre-war British Foreign Secretary, but has been out of power for fourteen years, although in the House of Commons, no less than the Labour Party’s foreign policy questioning, but ultimately not in his position, on the current Labour Party legacy of foreign policy, not all understand.
Coupled with Alan Wilson did not avoid the question at all, a moment of the Soviet Union a moment of France back and forth around, for a time surprisingly also gave birth to a very reasonable feeling, “No wonder, many people have a very high evaluation.”
“Very high is not to talk about.” Alan Wilson did not feel that it could not be talked about at all, but just made a modest gesture, “It’s all the result of the department’s talented diplomats, after discussing it. The credit belongs to all.”
Walking out of the minister’s office, Alan Wilson let out a long breath, finally got through the first hurdle.
The Conservative group had been away from the government for a little too long, now these ministers were fine to deal with, once they got back into their roles, there might be some fights.
For his own ministers, Alan Wilson, who is the permanent undersecretary of the Foreign Office, has set a goal that Macmillan must not be allowed to have even the slightest chance of becoming the prime minister’s candidate.
It’s also in the collective interest of the civil service that with the Conservatives in power, the roaring nationalization campaign is going to come to an end for the time being, and that’s not necessarily a good thing, especially for the civil service.
It wasn’t just the civil servants who were in the midst of a difficult grind with ministers, but the bureau as well, and learning that Churchill’s son-in-law was questioning the military’s spending and size, Mountbatten took immediate action.
Reaffirming the role of the navy and getting it recognized by the public was indeed Mountbatten’s first task when he took office as head of the military. To the public, he said, “We can only get others to recognize that our ships can in the future be the carriers of large swimming rockets before other matters can come on the agenda.”
This is the first cornerstone of the policy pursued by the Admiralty. The second cornerstone is the assurance of support to the amphibious strike forces on missions around the world to protect British interests.
“India and China have exchanged fire in the Himalayas.” This telegram from Nepal was sent by Lai Gee Sang, the specially appointed High Commissioner for the three Himalayan countries prior to Britain’s withdrawal from British India.
With Britain’s withdrawal from South Asia, because India’s geographical advantage was indeed great, Lai Gee Sang could not act like a man of the people when British India still existed. What’s more, the New Delhi side was fairly restrained about what was left of Britain and did not engage in hard-line evictions.
Lai Gee Sang also played a flexible and ethical side, and maintained an amicable relationship with New Delhi. Immediately after learning of this firefight, Rijisen informed London of it through a telegram from Nepal.
“The Langjau incident?” Alan Wilson thought back half a dozen times and remembered the name of this firefight. Just because India and China fought at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis didn’t mean there hadn’t been conflict before, just that there hadn’t been a good opportunity.
Border friction has long since begun, Allen Wilson’s first idea is to inform the Portuguese side, operating this matter for profit! No way, Allen Wilson is a pro-European permanent undersecretary, always thinking of making the cake bigger.
But a thought or terminate the stupidity of matchmaking from it, he did not trust China in this era.
A firefight appeared does not mean anything, their own heart anxious to intervene, things did not ferment in a hurry to hook up, by China betrayal how to do? So far, they are the class brothers of the Third World, what is Britain? The old imperialism, not a few times a month on the Chinese newspaper scolded, are not scientific at all.
Fingers knocking on the desktop to send out a thud, Alan Wilson still can’t resist the heart of wanting to get into trouble, pick up the phone permanent undersecretary secretary Wick to come to a trip, the United Kingdom naturally can’t intervene, which will hurt the relationship with India as a former colony.
But Goa is there, get this news is also very normal, the Foreign Ministry permanent secretary can turn a blind eye to this matter, but he can only let the British restraint at most, but also can manage to Portugal?
At this moment, Allen Wilson is just a carrier of information, will be this firefight, conveyed to the Portuguese Governor of Goa side, but also beat around the bush to convey. To clear the suspicion and stay out of it.
As for Foreign Secretary Macmillan, the Honorable Foreign Secretary has so many things to do every day, which have time to pay attention to this isolated incident.