Chapter 917 Japanese Ambition 2

"If this is the case, the situation in the entire Far East will undergo fundamental changes. The British Empire has always believed that the existence of the Dutch East Indies is conducive to the stability of the Far East. Neither we nor the French or Spanish have ever fought against the Dutch East Indies. idea." This time, Lloyd George was telling the truth. The British did acquiesce to the Dutch control of the East India region. During the Napoleonic Wars, although the British once controlled this area, they still controlled the area after the war. It was returned to the Netherlands.

Rather than talking about the reasons, it can only be said that it is in the best interest of the European powers for the Netherlands to control this place. Is the Dutch East Indies rich? That's for sure, for example, now, the oil in Borneo. Historically, in 1930, the oil production in the entire Kalimantan region was 6.74 million tons, and if this number is broken down to the current fuel production in the Dutch territory, it is about 4 million tons! And how much fuel consumption does Japan currently consume per year? Less than 600,000 tons! After the Dutch East Indies, Japan directly changed from an oil importing country to an exporting country!

In addition to oil, the Dutch East Indies are also very rich in copper mines. For example, the current western New Guinea region has a world-class copper mine. With this copper mine alone, the Netherlands' copper mine output accounts for 10% of the total. Arrived in the top five in the world! Another example is nickel mines, tin mines, coal mines in Sumatra and other resources. With these resources, Japan has completely transformed from an island country into a powerful country that is not only self-sufficient in resources but also has considerable export capabilities! Not to mention there are more than 1.9 million square kilometers of land and a large amount of territorial waters!

Why does the Netherlands have this place? It's not because of how strong the Netherlands is, but the result of compromise between many parties. The British are definitely not willing to let a powerful country like France own this fertile land, and France is definitely not willing to let the British own it. When the two sides are at loggerheads, At that time, it became acceptable for a country that was not very powerful and had withdrawn from the stage of world hegemony to own this place.

So the Netherlands is still the master here. However, if this place is replaced by another Far Eastern country with great potential, then the UK will definitely not be willing to accept it, because if any country owns this place, as long as the leadership is not ridiculous! Then it will definitely achieve great development.

Imagine how terrifying it would be to have a Far Eastern Empire that included Japan, half of Sakhalin Island, the Philippines, and the entire Dutch East Indies? These strip-shaped islands directly control the entire Far East region like a big hand. If an empire with tens of millions of people, a total area of ​​more than 2 million square kilometers, rich resources, and quite aggressive empire rises in the Far East, Lloyd George assured that this is definitely not what the British government wants to see!

"Do you have anything else to say?" Lloyd George asked after taking a deep breath and calming down his fluctuating emotions.

"No more." Katsura Taro couldn't see any information from the other person's face, and after a brief hesitation, he finally said. He didn't know the attitude of the British, and he didn't know that once this request was made, it would be time for both sides to see their bayonets see red. However, this was a decision made by Japan's top leaders, and it was also the best time for Japan's expansion in his eyes.

At this time, Katsura Taro and the Japanese government behind him have no way out!

"Well, from now on, I will not discuss any related matters with you or the Japanese government behind you. This is beyond my scope of authority! I will never agree to such a condition. I will discuss it this afternoon , state this matter to your country’s government immediately after you return, and your country can also inform our government through diplomatic channels. As for who will discuss relevant matters in the future, whether someone will replace me, and how the empire will choose, this is not my business. ." Lloyd George picked up the hat on the table and put it on his head.

From Lloyd George's point of view, he could no longer continue the negotiation, and it was impossible for the British Empire to accept such conditions. "If I were given a choice, I would rather let the Dutch East Indies be ruled by local natives than hand it over to Japan! We will not allow an Asian version of Germany to appear in the Far East!" In his diary, the British envoy wrote this Road, and there are similar statements in the telegrams sent back to China.

"By the way, if I had to choose, I would definitely refuse!" After saying that, the British envoy walked out of the captain's room of the Hyuga battleship without looking back. Katsura Taro was left standing in front of the sand table.

"The British don't agree?" After a while, when Katsura Taro was still looking at the huge sand table and lost in thought, Japanese Combined Fleet Commander Ijuin Goro walked into the captain's room of the Hyuga and said to the former.

"No one knows the outcome until the last moment. Generally speaking, Lloyd George's reaction is within expectations. Maybe we will change our negotiating opponent in the future." Katsura Taro said calmly.

"Okay, let's not talk about politics, let's talk about some things that soldiers need to pay attention to. The Americans seem to be very determined this time. They sent the latest Nevada-class battleship to the Bismarck Sea area. The current situation is like this. In New Wave On Melania Island, we and the Americans each occupy half, we are in the west and they are in the east. Both sides have deployed no less than 40 warships of various types in this area, including 2 battleships from both sides. We The enemy was the USS Fuso and the battlecruiser USS Kongo, while the opponents were the USS Nevada and the USS New York."

(The island of New Pomerania is actually the current island of New Britain. It is located in the Bismarck Sea. In its northeast corner there is a name that cannot be bypassed in the history of naval battles in World War II. It is called Rabaul!)

"According to the intelligence reality, both sides have now begun to lay mines in certain areas. The possibility of misfire is increasing, but I want to know whether the empire is ready to go to war with the Americans?" Ijuin Goro said.

"Do you think we are ready?" Katsura asked.

"I don't think so. Japan is still too weak now." Ijuin Goro said.

"Then please exercise some restraint first." Katsura said, rubbing his somewhat numb temples.

"Okay, I will inform Lieutenant General Kato Sadayoshi." Ijuin Goro didn't talk nonsense. "So what should we do if there is a misfire? Lieutenant General Kato Sadayoshi said in the telegram that both sides are very nervous."

"You can't suffer a loss, but it's better than fighting to death." Katsura frowned, and then gave an ambiguous answer, "I have to discuss with the senior management on how to do it specifically. In short, it's best not to cause anything recently. Come."

Something happened, so I will update 2 times today~~~! Please subscribe and support~~~! Sunday at the latest, there will be some "black history", well that's it~~~!

I also recommend a novel from the late Qing Dynasty, "Iron and Blood" written by Silent Destiny. The time travel is relatively early and the content is rich. You can take a look~~~!