Chapter 476: Secret Deal

The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Grenada were only a tiny fraction of the British Empire's vast overseas colonies. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info even,It can only be regarded as some corners and corners.。 Compared to a core colony like India, it is nothing at all. Churchill believed that if the Americans could agree to exchange the three colonies for the warships, Britain would not object.

Bryan and Minister Daniels, after thinking about it for a moment, said to Churchill: "Your Excellency, I need to report to His Excellency the President. Such a major event needs to be decided by His Excellency the President! ”

Churchill nodded: "I can understand because I also need to report back home." However, I believe that as long as we both have good intentions, everything will be fine! ”

"Yes, Your Excellency, may we have a happy cooperation." Brian said.

Although, Brian would love to get more colonies from the British, or better ones. But he knew that although Britain was in crisis, they were not so easy to succumb. You know, they've always been very precious to those colonies. Now, the British actually agreed to take out the colony for warships, which is already a very big progress.

Immediately after Secretary Bryan and Secretary Daniels left the hotel, they rushed to the White House to pay their respects to Woodrow? President Wilson reports on the outcome of the negotiations.

For the high price of being able to sell those ships for a billion and seventy million dollars, Woodrow? President Wilson was still very satisfied. This is undoubtedly a huge amount of money for the American Republic.

However, for the British payment method, is it to replace it with colonies, Woodrow? President Wilson, on the other hand, was a little less satisfied. After all, the British colonies of the Bahamas, Jamaica and Grenada, although very well located, were too small.

"I agree in principle with the British for the colonies in exchange for those warships. However, it is not enough to exchange the Bahamas, Jamaica and Grenada for so many of our warships. Tell the British that it would be better to add Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua and Barbuda to the mix. "Woodrow? President Wilson said.

In this way, the United States would be equivalent to taking all of Britain's colonies in the Caribbean. This allows the United States to occupy a great advantage in the Caribbean. These islands in the Caribbean Sea could even be used as a springboard for further expansion into South America.

"Your Excellency, if you add two more colonies, I'm afraid the British won't agree." Brian frowned.

"Now the British have a request for us, and even if they are dissatisfied, they should not refuse our request! After all, there is no other country in the world that can provide them with such support except that we can help them. Moreover, if they lost the war, all these colonies would go to the Germans. That would be a huge threat to the American Republic, and we must try to avoid that as much as possible. "Woodrow? President Wilson said.

"Yes, Your Excellency. Once the Germans had these colonies, it would be very bad for us. However, Your Excellency, I think we can adopt some tactics, such as making a deal with the British, where, if they can defeat the Germans in the war, then we will return Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua and Barbuda to them. If they were defeated by the Germans, then these two colonies would naturally belong to us. Minister Daniels suggested.

"That's a very good idea. Your Excellency, it would undoubtedly be very difficult for the British, even if they had bought warships from us, and then combined them with the fleets of France and Italy, to defeat the Germans. Therefore, those two colonies must belong to us in the end. Brian said.

Woodrow? President Wilson nodded: "Okay, let's do it!" ”

At the same time, Churchill was also in contact with the country. To buy warships from the United States at such a high price, he had to get domestic consent. Besides, such a major event as the transfer of colonies must also be authorized by the country. Otherwise, he simply wouldn't have succeeded.

Prime Minister Asquith was also very angry when he learned that the Americans had offered a sky-high price of $170 million. The Americans clearly treat them as fat sheep and slaughter them fiercely! At such a price, if the British built their own warships, it would have been enough to create an even more powerful Royal Navy.

But Prime Minister Asquith also knows that it is Britain that is begging the United States to buy those warships, not the United States insisting on selling them to them. Therefore, no matter how harsh the conditions of the Americans are, they can only agree. Otherwise, there would be no way for Churchill's plan to continue. That undoubtedly means that Britain has completely lost the war and has no chance to turn the tables again. When the time comes, the British will lose completely, and not only everything they have, will be snatched by the Germans.

As for exchanging the colonies for those warships, Prime Minister Asquith agreed. Most of the senior officials in the British cabinet did not object. After all, colonies were important to Britain, but it was the most important thing to ensure that Britain won the war. If they lose the war, they will pay a greater price for it.

Therefore, after venting his anger, Prime Minister Asquith still instructed Churchill to agree to the Americans' terms.

However, Churchill was equally dissatisfied when he learned of the new demands made by the Americans. It's just that the Americans' attitude is very resolute, and he has no choice, so after consulting the country, he has to accept the Americans' conditions in full.

Subsequently, Britain entered into a secret agreement with the United States, and the British used the colonies of the Bahamas, Jamaica, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, and Antigua and Barbuda for 170 million dollars to purchase 12 battleships, 5 battle cruisers, 20 light cruisers, and 50 destroyers from the United States. At the same time, Britain will also transfer 381 mm gun technology and new steam turbine technology to the United States.

These warships will be driven back to Britain by the British to find a way to transport a group of naval sailors from the country, plus the sailors they recruited from Canada. The U.S. government will keep the deal a secret until the British bring the fleet back home. Of course, in order not to leak the news, the American side demanded that the British must drive these warships away within a month.