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Chapter 473: Cabinet Discussion

After listening to Granville's words, Salisbury nodded, and then a trace of cruelty appeared on his face, "Tell the Italians, now that the Suez Canal is in our hands, if they don't cooperate, then their fleet won't want to pass through the canal!"

Hearing this, the others looked at each other, frowned, and then didn't say anything. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

Although Salisbury's slightly rude words are contrary to gentlemanly manners, these are extraordinary times, and appropriate domineering is more conducive to solving problems.

Even, several cabinet members nodded approvingly.

In their opinion, as the world's number one power, it should have this kind of domineering to lead the world. As for how the Italians felt after being threatened, that was their business, and it had nothing to do with the British.

"Hehe, since the Prime Minister said so, then I'm sure! The Italians will certainly not refuse our offer!" said Granville with a smile.

The Italians, of course, would not refuse, if Britain really closed the Suez Canal. Unless Italy is willing to make a detour to South Africa and cross tens of thousands of nautical miles of Atlantic and Indian Ocean shipping lanes, it will be able to resupply the Italian army that is attacking Ethiopia.

Otherwise, these armies would have been drowned by the Ethiopians' rifles, hairs, and bows and arrows because they had no ammunition.

Such an outcome is unacceptable to the Italians in any case.

So jamming the Suez Canal is equivalent to jamming the Italians by seven inches, and even in the face of the threat of the British, they can only agree but cannot, and dare not refuse.

And it can also be seen from this incident that with the coming to power of Salisbury, who has a tough personality and is full of foreign expansion, Britain's foreign policy is much stronger and more direct than when Gladstone was prime minister.

With that said, Granville made a note in his notebook.

"Prime Minister. The diplomatic envoy of the Nanyang Chinese in London submitted to our Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week that we would be able to reconcile the war between them and the Americans as a third country. I think we should have a clear answer to this!" Granville said with a calm expression.

"It seems that the Chinese can no longer support this war!" After listening to his words, Salisbury nodded. There was a thoughtful look on his face.

With the Egyptian war as a reference, Salisbury, as prime minister and first chancellor of the exchequer, knew very well how staggering the cost of supporting a war with more than one million men was.

Coupled with the logistical supply of the Chinese People's Army, it will have to cross the world's largest ocean, and after most of the American continent. to be able to transport supplies to the soldiers of the front-line troops.

The long supply line, as long as you know anything about military warfare, can understand how amazing the consumption is along the way.

Such huge consumption and expenditure is likely to be more than the Americans who support more than 3 million army troops. Salisbury was surprised that a political power, which had only been on the rise for only six years, had been able to drag on the war until now and inflict more than 1.5 million casualties on the Americans.

Now they may really not be able to sustain this war anymore.

"What about the Americans? Wasn't their president poisoned? What is the attitude of the U.S. government toward this war now?"

Said here. Salisbury's face showed a hint of ridicule.

Guy, among the major countries in the world, only the top leader of the United States has such a high mortality rate, but in the past 30 years, three consecutive presidents have died in assassination, which is really a great irony for the US government, which claims to be democratic and free.

Granville didn't know about Salisbury's thoughts. After listening to his words, he pondered a little, organized his language, and then said: "According to American law, their vice president, William Wheeler, has been sworn in as the new president in Congress. ”

"Also, according to our intelligence investigations, the new president of the United States is a total peacemaker. He has mentioned in public more than once that the most important thing for the United States to do now is to end the Sino-US war and restore the bad economic situation at home!"

"So. I think that if we propose peace talks as a third party at this time, the Chinese, who can no longer fight, and the Americans, who no longer want to continue fighting, will definitely sit down at the negotiating table. There is no doubt about that. But ......!"

After a pause, Granville's calm eyes swept over everyone's faces, and then he stared at Salisbury, who was sitting on the throne, and said, "I need to know the attitude of our British Empire. As for the Sino-US peace talks, should we obstruct them, or let them continue to fight!"

As soon as Granville finished speaking, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Oleg couldn't wait to say, "I think it's time for them to end the war." Only a peaceful United States and the Chinese People's Army can restore our economy and provide us with a good market for goods. Only in this way can the economy of the British Empire slowly recover with the help of them. ”

"I think so, too!" said Deputy Prime Minister William Obans, nodding beside him.

"The reason why the Chinese were allowed to attack the United States in the first place was to let them contain the increasingly powerful Americans. At the same time, it also weakens the rise of the Chinese in the Far East, and maintains the hegemony of the British Empire in the Atlantic and the hegemony of the Far East. Now that these two goals have been achieved, I think it is time for the Chinese and Americans to sit down and talk and end this war. ”

After listening to their words, most of the people in the cabinet also nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Salisbury couldn't help frowning, because most of these nodding yes were from the House of Commons, and they were far more concerned about the domestic economy than they were about the war between Chinese and Americans.

Thinking of the disagreement between himself and the House of Commons during this time, Salisbury couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Although he really wanted the Chinese and Americans to continue to fight until the mountains and rivers were exhausted. Then, the British Empire stepped in to restore the colonies in North America with minimal force and swallow the entire South Seas in one gulp.

Pity!

With China and the United States already in the mood for peace talks, and the majority of the British cabinet agreeing with this, Salisbury's idea is doomed to be impossible to realize.

"In that case, then inform their envoys that we, the British Empire, are willing to act as a third party and fight a war between them!"

Hearing this, Granville glanced at him, nodded, and asked again: "What about our position, which side should China and the United States stand on?"

"What is in our best interest is for China and the United States to create a balance of power in the Americas, as Germany and France are to continental Europe. Salisbury said after a slight pause.

"Judging from the comprehensive strength of the two warring sides now, it should be the Americans who are fighting on the ground that have a slight upper hand, so let's stand on the side of the Chinese for the time being!"

"But don't be too cheap Chinese! If they want to eat all the land they still control, it will never be." After bowing his head slightly and thinking for a while, "Let them give up the land east of the Mississippi River and give the land west of the Mississippi River to the Chinese!"

"This is the bottom line of our British Empire!"

After hearing his words, Frederick North, Secretary of State for War, frowned, "The most essential places in the United States are east of the Mississippi River, especially the states along the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, which are rich in resources, large populations, and strong industrial bases, which are the foundation of the United States. ”

"In contrast, the west of the Mississippi River, although the land area is larger, the vast majority of the unusable deserts, Gobi Deserts and high mountains, and there are not even 20 percent of the American economy in the past, there is no large-scale industry, and the population is less than one-sixth of the American population, which can be regarded as a wilderness. ”

"If you just give this place to the Chinese, will they be able to withstand the Americans recovering from the economic crisis?"

After listening to his words, the same question appeared on the faces of the surrounding cabinet members. Moreover, compared with the Nanyang Chinese, who are more closely connected to Europe and are almost the same Americans, are more likely to receive support from the European continent.

In recent years, the reason why the United States has been able to develop so rapidly is not unrelated to the support of talents and technology from the European continent.

However, Salisbury has a different opinion on this than others have doubted.

"Don't worry, although the area west of the Mississippi River is too inhospitable and there is limited support for the Chinese." But don't they still have the East Indies, and I believe that if the two are combined, they will be able to continue to resist the war of the Americans, recovering from the economic crisis, and regaining the western lands. ”

After speaking, Salisbury muttered slightly, "Of course, if you can, you can support the Chinese on other conditions, such as reparations!"

"I see!" Granville nodded.

"By the way, this negotiation is also a good opportunity for us! The personnel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs want to try it and see if they can get their hands on their secret airship production technology and fire-flame bomb manufacturing technology from the Chinese." This will greatly improve the combat effectiveness of our army, and it will be very beneficial to defeat the Egyptians and end the war in Egypt as soon as possible!" Salisbury finally added.

"I see, Prime Minister!" (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to come to the starting point () to vote for recommendation, monthly pass, your support, is my biggest motivation. For mobile phone users, please go to M. to read. )9