Chapter 998 Information Porter

"Permanent Secretary, the minister is confused about the arrangements for the visit to the Soviet Union." Dixon followed behind his immediate boss and revealed Macmillan's true thoughts in a casual tone.

"This is reasonable, but thank you." Standing at the door of the minister's office, Alan Wilson turned around to express his thanks, and then pushed the door open to see what this old antique, potentially spiritual American had to say.

Macmillan expressed his welcome with a gentle smile, "Alan, please take a seat. Many people say that you are an extremely diligent civil servant who helped the previous minister solve many things."

"Dear Minister, you can't say that. Minister Harold has just taken office, and so have I. Many matters were decided together." Alan Wilson gave the honor to the former Foreign Secretary, Shi Shiran sat down and said, "Unlike you, dear minister, you have been leading diplomatic work since World War II. You are a complete expert. We are ready to follow the instructions and implement every decision of the minister."

"Oh no, ministers cannot decide everything." Macmillan said with a pun, "Especially in diplomatic work, we should pool our wisdom and make the best choice for Britain."

"The minister's mind is astonishing." Alan Wilson looked at Macmillan's face and estimated that he would never become prime minister.

If you want to stop Macmillan from becoming prime minister, it is actually very simple. Let Eden spend his five years in office peacefully.

This group of conservative giants will all be in their 70s or 80s by then, and they will not have the strength to do anything they want to do.

You must know that the current Prime Minister Eden is three years younger than Macmillan. What does this amount to? This is equivalent to Kozlov, the current number two man in the Soviet Union, who is two years younger than Brezhnev.

As long as it wasn't for Kozlov's own physical problems, Brezhnev would never have had a chance against Kozlov, who was younger and more senior than himself, and who had taken the lead.

Kozlov's lead over Brezhnev was as solid as Brezhnev's lead over Shelepin, and even more desperate.

In view of this, the current situation is to allow Eden to safely complete his term as prime minister. Even if he only serves one term by then, Macmillan, who is already 70 years old, will hardly be able to become the successor.

Macmillan did not know that this young deputy minister, who always smiled everywhere he went, was speculating on his own destiny. The fate of the prime minister was destined to twists and turns because of his appearance.

As Dixon said, the arrangement of the visit was the reason why Macmillan called Alan Wilson. The Labor government had no problem accepting this itinerary. The Conservative Party's hostility to the Soviet Union was more obvious, especially Macmillan. Lun.

"The current situation is one of relaxation." Alan Wilson sat upright and replied with a smile. "Our visit to the Soviet Union is also based on this judgment. The United States is preparing to hold the American Expo in Moscow to show the superiority of the free world. Life, adopt healthy competition methods to make the Soviet Union realize the gap. Taking this opportunity to go to Moscow is also to strengthen the US allies and out of considerations of the special relationship between Britain and the United States."

"In addition to this, there is another consideration." Before Macmillan could speak, Alan Wilson said thoughtfully, "This is also a test. In addition to maintaining the pattern of the three giants in World War II, we must also consider Since de Gaulle came to power, France's relations with the Soviet Union have eased. France has been Britain's main competitor in Europe for seven hundred years. Judging from the history of World War I, France has a history of harmonious relations with imperial Russia."

"We also used this informal occasion to talk with Mr. Nixon, the American vice president, about our attitude towards France. France seems to be taking a more neutral stance in Europe. This may destroy the balance, and overall Ministers cannot be allowed to directly visit Washington. This is suspected of isolating France, which is harmful rather than beneficial in the current situation. That is why such a third party is needed. However, this third party is the Soviet Union, which feels like pulling out a tooth from a tiger's mouth.

"

"Maybe one day in the future, when the documents are declassified, this will become an interesting story."

Alan Wilson found two important reasons for Macmillan in one breath, hiding his dark thoughts of wanting to watch the kitchen debate and be an eyewitness to improve his qualifications. Although he is currently in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he is not without competitors. Whatever There were double digits in each count. Senior Whitehall officials with the same position and more seniority than him were gone.

If there is a famous scene in which he can gain a sense of presence, his role as Cabinet Secretary-General in the future will definitely be self-evident. Of course, you can also serve the British Empire by the way.

The reference to France's role also makes sense, and if Alan Wilson remembers correctly, after coming to power, de Gaulle described the relationship between France and the Soviet Union as a special partnership.

Special partnership is generally used in the relations between the United States, Japan and Germany. Since then, the relationship between France and the Soviet Union has heated up sharply.

Of course, there may be some changes now. In the original history, France and the Soviet Union were getting closer. It was a linked relationship as the United Kingdom moved closer to the United States. In order to check and balance Britain and the United States, De Gaulle developed relations with the Soviet Union.

It may not develop like this now, but it does not mean that France will not withdraw from NATO. France will not allow NATO to be stationed on its territory. What kind of future this will bring, whether it is controllable or unpredictable, remains to be seen as we go.

Although Macmillan was the British Foreign Secretary before the war, he had been out of office for fourteen years. Although he frequently questioned the Labor Party's foreign policy when he was in the House of Commons, he was not in his position after all. He had no doubts about the current foreign policy legacy of the Labor Party. , not all of them are understood yet.

In addition, Alan Wilson did not avoid the question at all. The Soviet Union and France were circling back and forth, and for a while, he actually felt very reasonable. "No wonder, many people think highly of it."

"It's very high, but it can't be mentioned." Alan Wilson didn't feel that he couldn't be mentioned at all. He just made a humble gesture, "It's all the result of discussions among the department's diplomats. The credit belongs to everyone."

After walking out of the minister's office, Alan Wilson breathed a sigh of relief and finally passed the first hurdle.

The Conservative group has been away from the government for too long. Now these ministers are easy to deal with. Once they re-enter their roles, there may be a fight.

For his minister, Alan Wilson, who was the permanent undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, set a goal that Macmillan must not be allowed to become prime minister in the slightest.

This is also for the collective interests of civil servants. With the coming to power of the Conservative Party, the vigorous nationalization movement will be temporarily terminated. This is not necessarily a good thing, especially for civil servants.

Not only civil servants were having a hard time getting along with ministers, but also the bureau. When he learned that Churchill's son-in-law had doubts about the military's military expenditure and scale, Mountbatten immediately took action.

Reaffirming the role of the navy and gaining public recognition was indeed Mountbatten's first priority as head of the military. "We must first let others admit that our ships can become the carriers of large-scale traveling rockets in the future, and then other matters can be put on the agenda."

This is the first cornerstone of the policy pursued by the Admiralty. The second cornerstone is the assurance of support for amphibious strike forces operating around the world to protect British interests.

"India and China have exchanged fire in the Himalayas." This telegram from Nepal was sent by Li Jisheng, the specially appointed High Commissioner for the Three Himalayan Countries before the British evacuated British India.

As Britain withdraws from South Asia, because India's geographical advantages are indeed great, Li Jisheng cannot act like he is superior to others as he did when British India still existed. What's more, New Delhi has shown restraint in dealing with the British legacy and has not forcefully driven it away.

Li Jisheng also showed his flexible moral side and maintained harmonious relations with New Delhi. After learning about this exchange of fire, Li Jisheng immediately informed London of the incident via a telegram from Nepal.

"Langjiu incident?" Alan Wilson thought about it for a long time and remembered the name of this firefight. China and India started fighting during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This does not mean that there were no conflicts before. It just means that there was no good opportunity.

The border friction had already begun. Alan Wilson's first thought was whether to inform Portugal and make profits from this matter! No way, Alan Wilson is a pro-European deputy secretary who always wants to make the cake bigger.

But as soon as he thought about it, he stopped trying to build a bridge. He didn't trust China in this era.

The occurrence of a firefight does not mean anything. I intervened in a hurry and rushed to connect the matter before it was over. What should I do if I am betrayed by China? So far, we are class brothers in the third world. What is Britain? It is not scientific at all for old-style imperialism to be scolded in Chinese newspapers several times a month.

His fingers tapped on the table and made a thumping sound. Alan Wilson still couldn't bear the desire to cause trouble. He picked up the phone and called Wick, the secretary to the permanent undersecretary. Naturally, the UK could not intervene. This would hurt the country and the United States. relations with the former colony of India.

But Goa is there, and it is quite normal to get this news. The permanent undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can turn a blind eye to this matter, but at most he can only ask the United Kingdom to exercise restraint. Can he still control Portugal?

At this moment, Alan Wilson was just a porter of information, conveying this exchange of fire to the Governor of Portuguese Goa, and he had to convey it in a roundabout way. Put aside the suspicion and stay out of the matter.

As for Foreign Secretary Macmillan, my dear Foreign Secretary has so many things going on every day that he has no time to pay attention to this isolated incident.