Chapter 619: Handing the knife to the United States
With an idea in mind, Alan Wilson once again stayed in Whitehall. In fact, he actually had something to chat with Whitehall, such as chatting with Edward Bridges, the Secretary of State for Civil Affairs and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, about the progress of combating smuggling in Hong Kong.
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The anti-smuggling work was very effective, passing through Hong Kong, British Malaya and the British mainland. In response to the call of the US allies, it relied on the work of the Royal Navy, and the stolen money must of course be confiscated.
Edward Bridges was very pleased with the progress in his work, and he said casually, "Perhaps our trade volume with China can be increased to 100 million pounds in the short term. In other words, we can seriously crack down on smuggling.
It will reduce losses by £100 million."
"Sir Edward, I think this is to be expected. The key lies in the protection of our military. This kind of anti-smuggling behavior will not be hindered by enemies or allies." Alan Wilson answered understandingly, "You know, sometimes allies
His heart is more vicious than his enemy's."
Edward Bridges nodded in approval, expressing his optimism about the promising future star prediction.
The so-called foundation is that even though the United States is now richer and more powerful than the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom still has quite a lot of overseas industries based on its accumulation over the past hundred years. This can be seen from the assets of 250 million pounds in a large country.
come out.
Although Chang Gong has been kneeling to the United States and signed a series of friendship treaties that dwarfed even the Qing Dynasty, it has not changed Britain's status as the number one investor in a major country.
From a monetary perspective, the British pound is the mortal enemy of the U.S. dollar. The British pound zone within the imperial system of preferential treatment is what the Americans have always wanted to eradicate. When British India became independent, the negotiations with Nehru also continued to focus on India.
Exports are subject to settlement in pounds sterling.
If compared with 1945, the current proportion of the pound in the world settlement market is certainly smaller. But in fact it is not much smaller. First of all, the pound area still exists.
Another very important reason is that the world's mainstream currencies will not change naturally. Even with the 30 million square kilometers of the British Empire, the United States could compete with the entire British Empire as early as the 1930s.
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However, the U.S. dollar is still only the currency of the United States, and is also suppressed by the British pound to a single-digit share of the world's settlement share. The so-called argument that a country can internationalize its currency by becoming the world's largest economy is ridiculous.
Alan Wilson could always hear this ridiculous argument in his previous life. Before World War I, Britain only accounted for 8% of the world's total output and only 13% of its industrial output, but its currency was stable.
As an international currency; until now, the British economy has further reduced its share of the global economy, but the pound is still the leading international currency, and its settlement share is not much less than that of the US dollar.
Before World War I, the U.S. economy was already one-fifth of the world's and its industrial production accounted for one-third of the world's. However, it failed to realize the internationalization of its currency. It can be seen that the fiscal and debt crises of sovereign countries without an international currency and the challenges of countries
If both efforts are made, the status of an international currency cannot be automatically transferred.
At present, the British pound is still the international currency second only to the U.S. dollar. In the future, the U.S. dollar will definitely have to think harder if it wants to gnaw into the British pound area.
In fact, until the oil crisis in the 1970s, the pound still accounted for one-fifth of the world's settlements.
This was the result of the accelerated decline of the Sterling Area when Britain was forced by the United States and the Soviet Union after the Suez Canal War.
The Suez Canal War's blow to Britain was to really let the world see that Britain was no longer a player on the same level as the United States and the Soviet Union. If Britain had not followed up with a series of actions, the pound might not have lasted until the 1970s.
If the British pound wants to return to its peak again, unless the UK can defeat the United States, it must defeat the United States through war.
On the contrary, if the pound wanted to become a general currency immediately, it would be easy. It would be better to go to war, challenge the United States or the Soviet Union and then be defeated. The pound would immediately be worthless.
As we all know, the current national strength of the United Kingdom is unable to engage in a life-and-death war with the United States and the Soviet Union. Therefore, the United Kingdom has only one option: to prevent any war that may disgrace the United Kingdom.
For the UK, maintaining inertia can keep the pound at its current status, while taking risky moves will only accelerate the decline of the pound's status.
"How to use the Xiangjiang River to expand trade? You should keep an eye on Malaya, which is not far away." Edward Bridges changed the topic when he said this. "It has spread throughout Whitehall. You and Pamela are getting married."
Yes, has the date been set yet?"
"It's just set for August, the specific time has not been determined yet. Didn't I come here to report on my work?" Alan Wilson politely answered Edward Bridges' doubts, and then said, "I hope my colleagues in Whitehall
Being able to go together when the time comes, knowing the connections of the Mountbatten family, makes me very stressed."
"I believe that my colleagues are willing to help." Edward Bridges readily agreed, even if it was for the benefit of combating smuggling.
As for when this issue will arise in the Federal Republic of Germany, which is already more than a year later than in history. Edward Bridges looked very serious, saying that the United States was very tough and Germany could not continue in this state.
"This matter is very complicated, Sir Edward. As far as I know, Hokkaido in the Far East is still occupied by the Soviet Union. Once we take a tough stance on the German issue and ignore the Soviet Union's protests, a Germany that favors the free world will emerge. Then
They may be hit hard in Germany's Soviet-occupied areas and Hokkaido. Haven't the Americans considered this?"
"Perhaps Americans have considered it, but after evaluating it, Americans feel that the consequences are bearable." Edward Bridges sighed, "Americans think differently now than they did five years ago. Compared to five years ago, Americans think differently.
They are now more confident, even arrogant, whether they are the Democratic Party in power or the Republican Party in opposition."
This chapter is not finished yet, please click the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Alan Wilson frowned slightly, he did not agree with Edward Bridges's view. If the Republican Party will still use Eisenhower as its candidate, then the current
America is still sane.
Don't think McCarthy is a Republican congressman, but in fact the changes in the tendencies of the Republican and Democratic parties have just begun.
Although Eisenhower was a soldier and was a senior American general in the world war, Eisenhower can be said to be the last generation of traditional Republican president.
During the Eisenhower period, the situation between the United States and the Soviet Union did not deteriorate much. Even at the end of Eisenhower's term, Americans believed that Eisenhower had not played a role in curbing the expansion of Soviet influence.
Some even say that the United States lost more during the Eisenhower period than in the entire Second World War.
During his term of office, Eisenhower did not express any ulterior hostility towards the Soviet bloc. On the contrary, he followed the traditional Republican ideas and focused on domestic construction in the United States.
The interstate highways in the United States were promoted by Eisenhower. The construction of interstate highways also standardized the road signs and design standards of American roads, and thus produced a series of unprecedented scientific research and explorations such as fire simulations in tunnels.
Although Eisenhower was a rare senior general of the US military serving as president, he did not take any action that intensified the international situation. A more famous action fell on the United Kingdom, which was the Suez Canal War.
"Could it be that Truman paved the way for the Democratic Party in order to save his sluggish approval rating? You know, after MacArthur returned to the United States, he made Truman disgraced. Now it seems that a military boss and a president are both losers." Alan Wilson disagreed.
He asked firmly, "Is this possible?"
"This is possible, politics is a thing." Edward Bridges smiled bitterly, "Every country is the same, and the same is true for the United States."
"I agree with the German saying that national competition is about comparing who makes fewer mistakes." Alan Wilson sighed. He had a feeling that the result of his many efforts was that NATO did not appear and the Federal Republic of Germany was not established. On the European side
The situation is less tense than at the same time in history.
But this surface cooling situation seems to be disappearing soon, and the blocked volcano may delay the eruption and become more violent.
Throughout July, while Alan Wilson was preparing for his wedding, two other things happened: the peninsula entered the rhythm of fighting and talking, and on the European side, negotiations between the United States, Britain and France on the three-nation occupation zone were intensifying.
France has the most resolute attitude. France combines the two issues of annexation of occupied areas and military alliance. Rene Plevin, chairman of the French Council of Ministers, launched the Plevin Plan. The plan includes the establishment of a European Defense Community by Western European countries.
Provide troops to form the European Army; the established German coalition government will join the European Army, but it shall not act alone, and shall not establish a Ministry of Defense, a Defense Force, or a General Staff Headquarters.
In order to re-form a coalition government as soon as possible, the Germans approved of the French plan, and anything would be fine as long as they merged the occupied areas.
But the Americans disliked this plan very much, thinking that France wanted to get rid of the United States.
Alan Wilson, who received the latest progress from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, suggested to Sir Ismay, the Permanent Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "The biggest headache for France now is that the war response in Vietnam is very difficult. Let us communicate with France so that France can let the United States step up
Large amounts of aid were provided to France to prevent the expansion of communism in Vietnam in exchange for abandoning the Pliven Plan. After all, we needed American troops to withstand the Soviet ground forces."
"We can also take the initiative to mediate between the United States and France and offer U.S. assistance to France's military operations in Vietnam in exchange for France's concessions. Sometimes the United Kingdom needs to work more directly for the unity of its allies."
Alan Wilson was eager to try. This was an opportunity to draw the United States into Vietnam. If it was done, it would not only help France, but also allow the United States to intervene in Vietnam.
This is simply killing two birds with one stone. Before the Korean War was over, Alan Wilson found the next battlefield for the United States to embody the majesty of the world's hegemon.