"Alan, are you talking about the independence of British India?" Norman Brooke smiled.
"The cost of British India was too high. Back then, we should have created a barrier between North and South India instead of connecting the entire subcontinent with railways. As time went by, nationalists spread to all parts of India. But Dear Norman
Sir, the role of British India can be replaced. The subcontinent has a huge number of people, but it cannot exert its real strength. In fact, I think that as long as Malaya develops all its potential, it can completely replace India's role."
"If we change another place, we can completely merge colonies in Africa and create a huge colony. However, I do not recommend this. African colonies should follow the example of the partition of India and Pakistan and carry out separate management."
Norman Brooke nodded inconspicuously and said, "This time we have summoned the commissioners from each colony to come up with a response plan and work out a plan that is beneficial to us for the sake of the real British Empire."
The real British Empire in the words of Norman Brooke naturally included all existing colonies. As for the UK in the words of the cabinet, it was just the British Isles controlled by the party.
As for the plan that is good for us, it is of course a plan that is good for the civil service. Although Norman Brooke did not say it clearly, Alan Wilson understood it, and that was what he meant.
"Wait until they all return to London and come up with a feasible plan. You also need to be seated. Although the work in Newfoundland has been completed, the performance of 400 million pounds plundered from British India in the last two years will be enough.
Let you have the right to speak." Norman Brook said this and encouraged, "Go back and prepare. I hope that you can come up with something eye-catching at the meeting."
"I'll try my best, Sir Norman." Alan Wilson nodded, looking forward to this meeting in his heart.
How to safeguard the interests of the current British Empire, Alan Wilson made a general statement in the colonial assessment report to Prime Minister Attlee, but this time the meeting faced the same group of imperial civil servants, so we could do something practical
Something to help with some suggestions.
In fact, before World War I, the global market had been initially established. After World War II, due to the changes in the global structure, the cost of plundering raw materials was even higher than the normal procurement cost from the international market, which was simply unnecessary.
Maintain the original colonial system.
However, this is not a reason to give up the colonies, because the current industrialization is not just a country of Britain. There are still many competitors, so of course the imperial preferential system must be maintained as much as possible.
France is actually very different from Britain in its approach to colonies. Compared with other powers, France's colonial policy is very assimilated. French civil servants are used in government agencies, and the official language is French, which completely copies French politics.
system.
In education, children have the same textbooks as children in France. The textbooks all include "My ancestors are Gauls". This sentence is used verbatim in colonial textbooks.
This is also the main reason why Alan Wilson said that if France had occupied Ireland, maybe Ireland would now be an integral part of France. After all, Ireland is also a white ethnic group with Catholic beliefs, and the national and religious problems faced by France would disappear and become assimilated.
It can be said that it is very easy.
However, in fact, this is a double-edged sword for France to maintain its colonies. Although before World War II, this policy enhanced the aborigines in French colonies' sense of identity with France. It can even be said that they think that they are French.
, and most French people regard their colonies as provinces with the same status as mainland France, the most representative of which is Algeria.
The state machine is cruel in one aspect, that is, the more its own people attack, the more ruthless it is. China, which is also a mainland country, will lose half of its population every time it changes dynasties.
Therefore, after resistance occurs in some colonies, the native French people will often show their truest side. The first choice is to suppress them, and they will never allow these places to become independent unless they have to.
However, France's current attitude of strong suppression is not necessarily a bad thing for Britain, because there are still many overlaps between British and French colonies. The facts of Vietnam can be used to warn the people in Malaya.
The behavior of the French army in Algeria was used to cover the behavior of the British army in British Africa. In the final analysis, every country must consider its own interests. Britain and France must be united in the general direction, but Britain itself must be more united.
Christmas in 1948 had a different meaning to the citizens of London, because on this day, Prime Minister Attlee announced the abolition of the rationing system. This was originally to be announced on New Year's Day in 1949. It was regarded as a special day.
The third year after the war brought an end to the impact of the World War on Britain.
The UK is currently the first country in Europe to make rationing a thing of the past, a few months earlier than the Soviet Union.
Coming so many days in advance can be regarded as providing a good mood for British citizens. Alan Wilson was also in a good mood, holding Hepburn's hand and walking in Hyde Park, of course wearing a mask.
"How do you like the magazine that Lord Sheffield helped find? Are you satisfied?" Alan Wilson asked gently, wanting to know what Hepburn thought about appearing in the public eye.
"Very good, I heard that this magazine sells 1.5 million copies a year. I also went back to the Netherlands to shoot an advertisement, and it looks good now." Audrey Hepburn said with a smile on her face, "Thanks to
Where are you."
"For a girl like you, any man can't help but help." Alan Wilson said flatteringly, "I'm just an ordinary member of a large group of men, but seeing that you've gotten out of trouble, it's really
It’s delightful.”
"Thanks to you for Mr. Alim's help, but my mother is still a little concerned about his skin color." Audrey Hepburn sighed, "Actually, I think it's okay, I don't know why my mother is like this.
"
"Individually speaking, the proportion of good and evil people in any place is similar, but when South Asians gather together, it is very surprising. I worked in British India and have some understanding of this."
Alan Wilson thought for a moment and explained, "Studying the issue of national character is destined to be useless. If you see a book that evaluates others from a national perspective, don't waste your money. It's all lies. I've only seen
Each person has never seen any people..."
Hearing Hepburn's words, Alan Wilson remembered something that existed in Chinese history but also happened in India. Starting in 1856, Hindu Brahmins and Peace Cult Mullahs joined forces to spread prophecies throughout North India:
The British rule would end in 1857, a hundred years after the Battle of Placer. Villages were making pancakes to pass on communication signals and preparing for a joint uprising. There was a rumor among the Indian soldiers that their bullets were greased with lard and butter.
There were many rumors, and eventually a massive Indian national uprising broke out in 1857.
Of course, this resistance failed, and the fate of the British captives obviously did not become a reality.
So just because something similar happens, it doesn’t mean that similar results will happen. Otherwise, France would be better than Britain in terms of any hardware, so why didn’t the industrial revolution break out in France?
Alan Wilson has always avoided mentioning political issues when getting along with Hepburn. He only looked at Arim from the perspective of what he is like. He said that Arim is a good person, but it does not mean that Indians are good. Every time he gets to know someone, he always
Only through slow contact can we build trust, and the relationship of interest will be established faster.
As his fiancée is not in London, Alan Wilson spent this Christmas with the Hepburn family. In fact, given the current environment Hepburn is in, Alan Wilson can completely cook the rice and use his connections to silence Hepburn.
It's just that there is absolutely no need for him to do this, and he doesn't even want to use the method of throwing money at other women, and just wants to get along with him in a relaxed manner. Hepburn's mother knew that Alan Wilson's parents were gone, and her attitude towards this young man was quite different.
To be tolerant.
On Christmas Eve in 1948, Alan Wilson spent time at the home of Hepburn and her daughter. After dinner, he stood up and left. He declined Hepburn's farewell and said, "Have a good rest. I will come over to see you when I have time."
"
Before New Year's Day, Alan Wilson still followed the old habit of drinking with his colleagues in Whitehall, as if nothing had happened, except that Lord Sheffield would ask in private, "That person who seems very innocent
Whether the little girl has been captured or not, it is better to do this as early as possible."
Seeing that everyone is a man, Lord Sheffield, I understand, Alan Wilson nodded with deep understanding. It doesn't matter even if he didn't listen to a word. Nodding first is not a bad thing.
Finally, Gerald Edward, the British Commissioner for Malaya, arrived in London, ending Alan Wilson's days of idleness, and there was one more person at the Whitehall civil servant gathering.
"Has there been any response to my suggestion?" Alan Wilson secretly asked about the Healthy Malaya Movement.
"The effect is very good, Alan, you understand the mentality of the Malayan people so well." Gerald Edward sighed greatly, "I wonder what the hell the respected cabinet secretary is asking us to come back to?"
"It has something to do with the development of the colony, I don't know the details." Alan Wilson told the truth, he really didn't know.
In the following days, commissioners from various colonies in British Africa arrived one after another and received notification that the meeting was scheduled for January 2, allowing the commissioners of each colony to prepare information on how to manage their own colonies so that they could be discussed during the meeting.
All the commissioners who dominate the colonies are facing great enemies. Ministers generally do not pay attention to what officials in a certain colony are doing, but in the Cabinet Secretariat, they can be replaced.
At eight o'clock in the morning on January 2, the commissioners who had returned from the colonies in Asia and Africa arrived at the Foreign Office Building in Whitehall, together with Ismay, the Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign Office, waiting for the arrival of Norman Brooke.
Alan Wilson diligently showed his kindness to his old boss Sir Barron and proved himself to be a reliable person, until Norman Brooke came in.