British civil servant

"Want to go to Whitehall?" Mountbatten, who took the microphone, nodded with doubts, "Okay, then I will go. It doesn't matter, everyone is serving the British Empire?"

At No. [-] Downing Street, Prime Minister Attlee and Cabinet Secretary Edward Bridges were both present. After being inspected by the guards at the Prime Minister's residence, Mountbatten entered the heart of the British Empire. They both greeted each other with smiles and asked Mountbatten Whether it is going well in the new job position.

This question was asked once in the telegram, and Mountbatten was no stranger at all, saying that there was no difficulty at all, and he had already integrated into the big family of the Mediterranean Fleet, and he was in the prime of life, so he would not have any problems due to physical reasons.

"That's good. In fact, you should be honored for Mountbatten's achievements, but in this world war, His Majesty has too many things to do. There are knighthoods and honors every month, but until now Completely stop. I hope Mountbatten you can understand." Prime Minister Attlee nodded with a smile, affirmed Mountbatten's achievements in the war, and expressed the government's support for this award.

"Of course we also have to consider the balance of the matter." After Prime Minister Attlee finished speaking, Edward Bridges continued, "The achievements in the Southeast Asian battlefield, especially the Battle of Imphal, are yours. As for the guarantee of knighthood, speaking of it, I don’t know what General Mountbatten thinks of the Asian colonies of the British Empire, especially British India.”

At the time of the Battle of Imphal, Mountbatten was already the commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces in Southeast Asia. This greatest victory in the Asian battlefield of World War II can undoubtedly be regarded as Mountbatten's feat of knighthood.

At that time, Lord Mountbatten, commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces in Southeast Asia, learned that the Japanese army had crossed the Chindun River, and decided to withdraw the troops west of the Chindoon River along the border defense to the high ground near Imphal to organize defense.

This kept the Japanese attacking troops away from their rear bases, and the Japanese army was not only forced to fight against the wide Chindun River, but also had to rely entirely on the very unsafe jungle transportation line.

"I personally have a high opinion of British India and the Indian army." Mountbatten changed his statement at home. At this moment of great joy, he affirmed the positive image of British India against his conscience. praise yourself.

Attlee and Edward Bridges kept nodding and making eye contact from time to time, which meant something inexplicable.

Now that General Mountbatten has said that he has nothing wrong with his health and has a good impression of British India, there is no reason to refuse to take office.

Under Prime Minister Attlee's signal, Edward Bridges came to be the villain himself, "General Mountbatten, Governor Wavell is getting old, and now there is a vacancy in the position of Governor of British India. The importance of India, I don’t know who you think is more suitable for the position of Governor of India.”

"Ah..." Mountbatten, who grew up in the aristocratic group since he was a child, suddenly woke up, his eyes became sharp, he already smelled the smell of conspiracy, "This is something worthy of careful consideration, from the overall perspective It goes without saying that the importance of British India to the global interests of the British Empire is self-evident, and the position of governor must of course find a trustworthy candidate with extensive support and authority..."

Edward Bridges was surprised to find that Mountbatten should not join the army. If he was a civil servant, Whitehall must have a place.

Chapter 231 This Disgusting Words

"Oh, Louis, isn't there a very suitable candidate in front of us? You are so familiar with Asia, you have a wide range of contacts, and you are good at coordinating the interests of all parties." Edward Bridges did not give Meng Bewildered by the eloquence of the civil servants in Barton's class, he said directly, "There may be no more suitable candidate in the British Empire than you."

"I can't." Mountbatten flatly refused, his disinterest in British India was written all over his face, he just expressed his affirmation of British India just now, and now he can't immediately overthrow what he said before, and said in a hurry, " The matter of the Mediterranean Fleet is the most important thing, it is the lifeblood supporting the global strategy of the British Empire, and there must be no even the slightest problem."

"Any admiral can do things in the Mediterranean. We don't lack professional admirals, although the new admiral may not be more suitable than you." Edward Bridges retorted calmly. The Indian thing is just the opposite, and needs a man who is fit in every way, dignified, upright, compassionate..."

"The key is reliability." Prime Minister Attlee added while taking advantage of Edward Bridges' pause.

This almost interrupted Edward Bridges' train of thought, because he usually said this sentence, but it came out of someone else's mouth, which made the cabinet secretary himself very uncomfortable.

"Yes, the key is reliability." At this time, Edward Bridges did not express his dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister's snatching speech, "We can't find a more suitable candidate, and now the direction of the entire British India depends entirely on you. "

"No no, there are so many talents in the empire, we can definitely find suitable candidates. In all fairness, I have a lot of problems." Mountbatten was rarely humbled, which was a very rare thing in his 46 years of life But it did appear, "For example, when dealing with emergencies, I need time to think, which is not helpful for the problems of British India."

"Louis can rest assured that British India has a group of professional civil servants who are not inferior to the locals. They have rich experience and can help the governor solve the problem. Governor Wavell is a soldier, and there is no problem." Edward Bridges again Mountbatten's excuse was refuted.

Mountbatten himself grew up among the aristocrats, and the people he met since he was a child were either rich or noble, and he knew the words of civil servants very well, so after a short contact, he instantly saw through that he had hit his idea on himself and robbed the other party. Before you open your mouth, start expressing that you are not suitable.

But as the leader of the imperial civil servants, Edward Bridges personally acted, how could Mountbatten easily achieve his goal?

He has already seen that Mountbatten is also a master of speech, which is useful for ordinary civil servants, but he is not an ordinary civil servant, he is a cabinet secretary, the head of the civil servants of the entire British Empire.

The Tao is one foot tall and the devil is one foot high. It is very appropriate to describe the duel between Edward Bridges and Mountbatten at this time.

Almost instantly, Mountbatten thought of five different excuses, ten better candidates, and hundreds of reasons for evasion, indicating that the affairs of British India were of great importance, and the Prime Minister's consideration should be cautious.

Such a cautious attitude is naturally very acceptable. Edward Bridges pondered for a moment, saying that similar excuses are not valid. Although there are good candidates, Mountbatten has more advantages.

Although Mountbatten's military rank is not high, he is young and promising.Although Mountbatten said that he was born in a noble family and could not get along with the lower class, but he was more able to respect the corporals and achieve better results.

On the streets of London, Patricia is spending time with her sister, Pamela Mountbatten. After returning to China this time, the biggest change she has made to her sister is that Pamela Mountbatten seems to be a different person in terms of consumption. , The understanding of money seems to have become very indifferent, and it is completely different from the original thrift.

London has now partially canceled the rationing system, thanks to the end of the war, and the colonial specialties have been imported into the country again.

Just happened to bump into Pamela Mountbatten, who had a strong desire to spend, and after a while, Pamela Mountbatten was carrying big bags and small bags, and at the same time relieved her depressed mood.

"Pamela, as long as it's enough. There's no need for this." Patricia looked at her sister helplessly, "I'm getting married next month, and I won't be able to take care of you in the future."

"That man named John? Born in the same year as you, you two are very suitable." Pamela Mountbatten finally attracted her sister's attention, and commented like a little adult, "John Brabone seems to be coming soon Will be my brother-in-law, I wonder if he has any plans? The war is over, and it doesn't look like he's going to stay in the army forever."

"I didn't talk about it, but he is usually very interested in movies." Patricia followed her sister's words, then suddenly came back and said, "I was talking about your problem, you will marry after this , your husband will also work very hard."

"My husband turned me into this, so he won't find it hard." Pamela Mountbatten raised her jade neck slightly and said proudly, "He said that he is not interested in money, he can only serve more people To realize its value in life, he also said that all these body objects are entrusted to me for safekeeping."

here we go again!Patricia supported her smooth forehead, and said helplessly, "You are only so young, but you think about getting married every day. Have you two had any trouble?"

"Which one?" My sister was caught off guard by the sharp turn of the car, and Pamela Mountbatten looked confused, and it took a few seconds for her to recover, and said embarrassedly, "Not yet, but a man is outside It’s really not reassuring, but it’s true. Take your fiancé as an example, would a decent person go to a movie? Isn’t it all about beautiful female stars? Sister, you have to be careful. This is a sentence for you as a younger sister advice."

On this day, Alan Wilson, who was thousands of miles away, kept sneezing, which puzzled Vivien Leigh. With the current temperature in the subcontinent, how could it be possible to catch a cold?

After shopping for a while, the two sisters, Patricia and Pamela, were a little tired and decided to go home first.

At No. [-] Downing Street, the battle for magic has also reached its final stage, and Edward Bridges has already gained the upper hand.

"It's hard to imagine that a noble who bravely enters the war, where he has made military exploits and wants to be knighted for it, the first reaction will be to refuse. You must know that nobles represent a series of behavioral models. A real noble must It must be full of self-control, and must have strong spiritual strength. If it is because of fear of difficulties, even if you have the status of a nobleman, it is unconvincing. Of course, I have no prejudice against the general, but everyone knows The mediocre civilians in this world are the majority, and it’s hard to say what they think.”

"Aristocratic spirit, first of all, means that this person must be self-controlled, self-denying, dedicated, and serve the country. Aristocrats should have a noble character." Prime Minister Attlee said seemingly unintentionally, "In fact, this time the knighthood, It's not that there is no controversy at all, of course we all believe that those are just some grandstanding remarks and will not be affected by this."

"Edward, I heard that he is an earl, right? That is a very high title. I really hope I can also have the title of earl." When Prime Minister Attlee spoke, his face was full of envy.

Mountbatten glanced back and forth in front of the two, "My eldest daughter is getting married next month, it's not that I don't want to go to British India to take up the post, but there are indeed things that bother me, and I can't delay my daughter's marriage. "

"The date of the knighthood is set after Patricia's wedding!" Edward Bridges said this, and asked Prime Minister Attlee's opinion, "I don't know what the Prime Minister thinks?"

"How can we let other things interfere with the grand wedding?" Prime Minister Attlee said with a look of embarrassment on his face, "Of course, things have not been settled. If the knighthood is postponed... the people who made meritorious service during the war are indeed There are many, and His Majesty is a bit too busy, there must always be a process."

General Mountbatten left the prime minister's mansion in an unhappy mood, but when Edwina Ashley saw her husband return, her face was full of displeasure, and she asked, "Why did you go out and come back like this. "

"Edward and Attlee, they want me to go to British India as the governor." Mountbatten let out a long breath, and said with a face of reluctance, "They also threatened me with the knighthood, saying that I was the only one in Impala. If the commander in the Battle of Seoul refuses to go to Asia, he may have criticisms about the knighthood, and many people also have very different opinions on my achievements, so they say such things..."

As soon as the words fell, there was a sudden noise in the bedroom upstairs. Pamela Mountbatten stepped on her slippers and walked down the stairs with a rich expression that had never been seen in 17 years. He couldn't help baring his gums and shouted angrily, "My father is definitely not a person without responsibility. If His Majesty entrusts such an important place to father, father will definitely make some achievements and convince everyone."

Following Pamela Mountbatten's words, sister Patricia came out of her room with a look of what happened, as if she still didn't quite understand the situation.

Mountbatten lowered his head slightly, looked at his little daughter from under his eyelids, and said in a long voice, "Pamela..."

"Father, I'm here." Pamela Mountbatten stood there with a well-behaved face, "It is true that the environment in British India is complicated, and the locals may have misunderstood the British Empire, but overall Considering the overall situation, not limited to the microscopic specific affairs..."

Mountbatten listened to this set of speeches of civil servants, and slandered in his heart, "Who did I learn this from..."

Chapter 232 Anglo-Portuguese Friendship

"Oh, Louis!" Seeing that things were going out of control, Edwina Ashley had to say, "Actually, the governor of British India is not too bad, right? After all, it is the highest authority in a region. Chief Executive, it is also related to whether your future journey will be smooth."

Mountbatten was not attracted by his wife's diversionary words. He was still staring at his little daughter who said something different, and said, "Pamela, do you know what a civil servant does all his life? It's not about using gorgeous And words without nourishment, speaking words that no one has ever understood."

"What is it? Father?" Pamela Mountbatten smiled like a girl, which made people not vigilant.

"The most common thing that civil servants do in their lives is to avoid any really important issues. The reason why these rhetoric appear is for this purpose."

In the second half of the sentence, Mountbatten responded to his wife, sat down worriedly and said, "British India is fighting for independence. If I go, I will probably be the last Governor of British India. The big political forces have different opinions on the route after independence, but the common point is to get rid of the rule of the British Empire, which is a prerequisite.”

Although he has stayed in British Ceylon for a long time and enjoyed the sunny beach, it does not mean that Mountbatten has no understanding of British India. On the contrary, he is good at coordinating work and has a clear understanding of the propositions of the Muslim League and the Congress Party.

The current British India is a volcano that is about to erupt. If he goes to British India as the governor, whether the volcano will erupt during his tenure is a question that no one knows.

The Governor's Office implemented a divide-and-rule policy in British India, which fragmented India and created conflicts and internal strife among various forces in India that opposed Britain, making it difficult for them to form a joint force, thereby consolidating and expanding British colonies in India.

The implementation of this policy naturally led to the further development of Indian society, which has been in a state of slow or even stagnant economic development under the control of the Governor's Palace.

Implementing the rule strategy of divide and rule, dividing and disintegrating anti-British forces in India, and maintaining colonial rule are the core goals of the establishment and evolution of the provincial administrative system of British India.

Then, according to the changes of British colonial policies in different periods, the provincial administrative system of British India was continuously improved, the Indian nationalists were appeased, and the purpose of maintaining British colonial rule in India was achieved, serving the British economy and foreign policy in different periods.

"My dear, for a long time, in the perception of Indians, there were only two major powers in the world, one was the British Empire, and the other was the Russian Empire, which is now the Soviet Union. To be honest, Americans were not in awe of Indians. "

Mountbatten talked to his wife, "In addition to us and the Russians, Indians have only a vague and confusing understanding of other countries. It is the same today, except that we are powerful in India as rulers , The influence of the Soviet Union is also very large, but in invisible places."

Mountbatten said this in the hope that Edwina Ashley could understand that the so-called Governor of British India was not necessarily a good job with a lot of glory at this time.

"Father, this is the responsibility entrusted to you by the empire." Pamela Mountbatten interrupted after listening for a long time, "And this matter has probably been settled, and it even involves your contribution during the war. If If you dodge, this matter is very reproachable."

"Go back to the house and sleep!" Mountbatten took a deep breath and said every word, "I won't go to this powder keg."

Pamela Mountbatten curled her lips, turned and walked up the stairs. The moment she turned around, a knowing smile appeared on her face, and she couldn't hide it anymore.

She didn't care if British India was a powder keg, as long as she could meet that person.The only fly in the ointment is that Patricia is getting married, which may delay a little time.If only Patricia hadn't married...

"If you want me to go, unless you give me full power, and don't pursue any responsibility afterwards. I handle the affairs of the entire British India by myself and don't have to report to the cabinet, so I may think about it." After his daughter went upstairs, Mountbatten Then he said to his wife, "Then the cabinet will reject it, and I won't have to go to that ghostly place."

"That's fine." Seeing that her husband had made up his mind, Edwina Ashley reassured along with the man's mood.

Mountbatten was full of confidence, and felt that if he made such an unreasonable request, the ministers in the cabinet would definitely not pass it. Then the responsibility would be on the cabinet, not himself.It's not that I refused to go to British India to be the governor, but that the cabinet did not delegate power to myself.

At the same time that Mountbatten himself made a decision, Pamela Mountbatten, who was lying on the bed in the bedroom holding a doll, also made a decision. He felt that he should tell Alan Wilson the good news by telegram.

In a sense, General Mountbatten felt the state of the powder keg in British India, but Alan Wilson, who was sitting on the powder keg, could feel it better. He danced on the powder keg every day.

I finally found a chance to let Patel go. It doesn't mean that Nehru is easy to deal with. In fact, the latter should be the one who should be difficult to deal with. But now, during the gap period between the two governors, the whole of British India is the people. The public servant said so.

At this sensitive time, Pedro of the Portuguese Governor's Palace arrived in New Delhi and met with his old friend, the assistant to the British Indian Commissioner. The two sides gave a warm hug as soon as they met. Pedro sat down and asked , "How are you doing lately, Alan? The governor has left, isn't he relaxed?"

"On the contrary, I'm busier than when the governor was here." Alan Wilson sighed, relying on the advantage of age, although it made the other party feel fulfilled when confronting the actress, but time management always takes extra energy Yes, it is better to have a marriage contract to save a lot of time.

The so-called legal charm may lie in this!After sighing, Alan Wilson waved his hand and said, "Don't mention my business, what is the relationship between us? From a national point of view, even in the most tense period when the Third Reich was raging in Europe, Portugal did not finally stand on the side of Great Britain. The opposite of empire, not to mention that now everyone has a common purpose."

"The friendship between Portugal and the United Kingdom will always be maintained. I don't know why Alan asked me to come?" Pedro stared carefully at Alan Wilson's face, trying to see something from the other's expression.

As a glorious civil servant of the empire, Alan Wilson certainly couldn't let the other party see it, and poured two cups of black tea, "The chief executive of Assam province is doing tea business recently, which is considered a good thing. The advantageous industries in different places are different. The government will not hinder the provinces from generating their own income."

"British India has a vast land area. For example, Goa does not have such a large area, so there is no need to adjust anything." Pedro held up the black tea, showing envy in his words.

"That's the truth." Alan Wilson nodded in approval. There is such an advantage in having a large land and a large population.For ordinary people, the ceiling is high, and it is not easy to feel the hardships of life.People in small countries with few people are very sad, and they have to bear the much lower ceiling of the country.

It's even better for officials. There is another advantage of high ceilings, that is, officials naturally have a sense of distance from ordinary people.Ordinary people don't even know what an official wants to do, so why talk about objection?

This is like the village chief's corruption. The villagers know the village very well, so they can roughly calculate it.

But the mayor's eyes are smeared when he corrupts the citizens.The richness of British India endowed each province with different advantages, and it is not too much for the chief executives of each province to take advantage of this advantage.

Goa is more sad. The place is small and the population is small. It is similar to the relationship between the villagers and the village chief. When the village chief suddenly becomes rich, the villagers will definitely ask each other.

After enjoying the afternoon tea, Alan Wilson said slowly, "What does Pedro think of the subcontinent?"

"The huge population and market are the cornerstone of the British Empire." Pedro said honestly that the British Empire's nearly 300-year hegemony has a close relationship with the seizure of the subcontinent. This is a fact that all countries know.

"Our UK is known as the empire on which the sun never sets, but it is past noon after all, and there is no hot light before." Alan Wilson said with a sigh, and he became a colonist when the colonial era was about to pass. Or, to be fair, he felt very wronged.

"Actually, Goa is a good place. If it can be grasped, it can bring great benefits to Portugal. The geographical location is there, directly facing India's huge population and raw materials. If the subcontinent becomes independent, The importance will increase, it depends on whether Portugal can make good use of this card."

Finally, when it came to Goa, Pedro became more energetic and not sleepy at all. This is the purpose of his coming to New Delhi, but the owner here does not take the initiative to speak. If he mentions it, he may behave too much. A little impatient.

"The safety of Goa has always been a matter of great concern in the country." Pedro organized his words, hoping to get the attention of the UK, but not too eager, but this person was very anxious.

"Pedro, I understand, I understand everything." Alan Wilson smiled with a clear look, "No one understands the subcontinent better than me. I understand what you want. I don't want what I want." Do you know if my guest understands?"

"I don't know what Mr. Alan wants first. In the traditional Anglo-Portuguese friendship, we are very much looking forward to some important people playing a key role." Pedro was very kind and gave Alan Wilson a hint.

Chapter 233 Wilson Line

Pedro is well aware of the domestic importance attached to Goa. From the heart, Portugal has regarded Goa as its overseas territory and is constantly building and improving its infrastructure.

After Portugal occupied Goa, it gave Goa the same privilege as Lisbon and made Goa the capital of Portuguese India.

Portugal has stationed troops in the Goa area for a long time, established a naval base, and at the same time strengthened fortifications and other infrastructure constructions, as if it regarded Goa as Portugal's own territory.

Portugal also carried out a large number of immigrants and encouraged Portuguese to intermarry with locals.In order to strengthen Portugal's control over the Goa region, Portugal immigrated to the Goa region in large numbers, and encouraged Portuguese and local women to marry to increase the population.

Therefore, there are a considerable number of Eurasians in the Goa region, and Portugal has regarded them as its own residents.

The most important thing is that Portugal believes that the local Christian population has taken up the majority, and religion plus blood relationship has nothing to do with other places in the subcontinent.

"Portugal's reliance is actually not enough. The key lies in British India. If we clearly recognize the legitimacy of Portuguese Goa, we can solve most of the problems, if not all of them." Alan Wilson told Pedro He refuted his argument one by one, "Goa's population is too small. Even if you believe in Christianity, once the surrounding Indians flood in, the proportion of Goa's population will change easily. The small population is second, and the area is too large. Small."

"Actually, I have a plan that looks fair. It depends on whether Portugal can weigh the pros and cons and give an answer." Alan Wilson said to himself with a look of embarrassment, "Actually, I am very difficult to do, I have to say Responsible actions are usually accompanied by criticism and pressure. I hope that the two sides will coexist peacefully, and maybe neither side will appreciate it in the end. This is one of the reasons why ordinary people dare not easily try to solve the Goa issue."

Alan Wilson frowned, looking very embarrassed, indicating that this matter is very difficult.It seemed that before taking the last step, he was struggling with his conscience, and it was only in desperation that he had to make such a bad move.

Pedro will not be confused by this kind of performance, even though Alan Wilson's acting skills have improved significantly under Vivien Leigh's day and night guidance.But this still can't fool the Portuguese, good people will be civil servants?Also ran to the colony?

Finally, like countless predecessors of the British Empire, such as McMahon, Duran, and Curzon, will he leave his own mark in history?

McMahon Line, Duran Line, Curzon Line, Will the Wilson Line really appear?Although I have prepared in my heart, it is not easy to really make up my mind. This makes Pedro anxious. What does Alan Wilson mean?Could it be that you just call yourself to New Delhi for a cup of black tea.

If you are facing an African chief, Pedro will definitely let him go around, but it is different when facing Alan Wilson. It is very normal for a gentleman to weigh the pros and cons when considering a problem. , is understandable and worth the wait...

"Actually, the problem in Goa is not completely unsolvable. It just needs an opportunity." Under Pedro's eyes full of hope for progress, Alan Wilson finally said slowly, "This opportunity is very important. History is like this, there is chance in the inevitable, and the inevitable in the accidental, there is an opportunity that is fleeting, and it depends on whether Portugal can seize the opportunity."

"Mr. Allen, please give me some pointers." Pedro had a question mark on his face. He didn't know where the opportunity in Alan Wilson's mouth was. Why didn't he feel it at all?

"Then Mr. Pedro, I'll just talk casually, you can think for yourself whether my words make sense." Alan Wilson stopped using his words, "Simply speaking, Goa has several disadvantages, the territory is too small , the population is easy to be infiltrated, I will talk about the solution later, let me talk about the good news for Portugal, the so-called opportunity, that is... There are signs of drought this year, and Mr. Pedro is also working in British India It’s been a long time, and you should know that there was a drought last year.”

"Drought?" Pedro was a little puzzled when he heard it. What does it have to do with Portugal and Goa, but if the drought occurs for two consecutive years, it will be a big deal for the subcontinent. He asked, "I don't know what the government's countermeasures are. ?”