Chapter 918 The British Attitude 1
"The Japanese are simply crazy! I have considered the Japanese asking price, but I never thought it would be so high. If this continues, maybe our navy will be used to deal with the Germans in the North Sea today, and maybe it will be deployed after the war. Deal with the Japanese at the Singapore base in the Far East!" The telegram sent by Lloyd George was quickly sent to various key departments of the British government, and Churchill naturally received one. He has been so busy recently that he is even a little numb. He expressed his opposition to this as soon as he saw the telegram.
But Sir Fisher's attitude was a bit subtle and he did not express agreement or objection, and the same was true for Jericho. Looking at his colleagues who were somewhat different from him, Churchill shook his head helplessly. Politicians and military strategists looked at things from different perspectives. Perhaps in the eyes of ordinary generals, if the immediate crisis can be overcome, then it is okay to sacrifice a small, irrelevant country, but in Churchill's view, if he acquiesces to what the Japanese have done, or even endorses it, That is equivalent to opening another sealed demon! Now, Churchill wants to convey this opinion to the Prime Minister and the leaders of the Cabinet.
"The Japanese government has stated that this is their bottom line and will not make any changes. If we acquiesce and provide some economic and military support to the Japanese government, then the Japanese navy has expressed its willingness to help us deal with troubles in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. And increase the number of troops sent to Europe every month. And if we don't agree, then the Japanese have hinted that they will not rule out the possibility of acting alone." The Foreign Minister briefed all participants at the cabinet meeting on the current situation.
"In other words, whether we agree with it or not, the Japanese have plans to go south? Is that true?" Prime Minister Asquith said, putting his hands on his chin. Relative to some people's anger. Asquith was more sensible than the others. The current situation is not a question of whether Japan will take the Dutch East Indies, but a question of when to take it, or how long it will take, at what cost, and how much!
If the Japanese dare to do this in peacetime, Britain and France will teach Japan to be a new person in minutes, without even the threat of powerlessness. Simple economic and political pressure can make the Japanese succumb. Japan's light industrial products are now mainly exported In the UK, raising some tariffs can put Japan's textile industry into trouble, and restricting the export of some industrial products and raw materials can make Japan's already poor heavy industry even more poor... but now? Economic, political and military means are not possible.
But why did Japan still seek the consent of the British in this operation? The reason is simple. Japan wants to capture the Dutch East Indies at the minimum cost in a short period of time! To achieve this, the British must cooperate. For example, if the Japanese want to occupy Borneo, what is the most convenient way? Depart directly from the Philippines and land somewhere? Then transport supplies and other things from the mainland?
This is too troublesome. Naturally, it would be more convenient and efficient to cooperate with the British, land from East Malaya, and then pass through the British colonies. With the British providing logistics and transportation, it would be more convenient and efficient to directly and quickly control the entire island! What if you want to control Sumatra? The British can provide various supplies and help in West Malaya.
Even if it's paid, it's still more convenient than transporting it from Japan, right?
It is true that without the help of the British, the Japanese would indeed be in a lot of trouble, but at the same time, the Japanese could also use the excuse of their own inability to move and reduce their manpower and transportation support to the Allied Powers... The latter is because under the crazy attacks of Germany's underwater wolves, the British's monthly shipyards have far exceeded the amount of losses, and the lost transportation capacity can only rely on the support of other allies, and the increasingly expanding Japanese transportation The fleet is becoming more and more important to Britain's persistence in this war!
"We do not have the ability to stop the Japanese actions now. It is true that Japan's capture of the Dutch East Indies will cause a lot of trouble in the future, but that is a matter for the future. I think everyone is well aware of the recent successive failures of the navy. The Thomas Fleet did not fulfill its full mission in the Indian Ocean. The Fast Fleet lost 4 battlecruisers and 2 battleships in the first battle, and our blockade in the North Sea was actually attacked! The German battlecruiser detachment rushed to the anchorage less than ten meters away from the Grand Fleet. Kill all our auxiliary cruisers within a few kilometers!"
"Really, I am very, very disappointed with the entire battle situation, especially the battle situation at sea!" Asquith continued to ask after changing to a more comfortable position. "Well, I want to ask, if we reject Japan today, who can help us solve or alleviate the situation at hand?" Asquith said after glancing at everyone present.
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, have you agreed to the Japanese request?" Churchill asked with an unbelievable expression. In his many years of political career, no one has dared to force the British Empire without paying the price! This is simply unbelievable to him, a British Empire supremacist!
"It is impossible not to accept it at all, and of course, it is even more impossible to accept it completely! Japan can stretch its hands and feet appropriately, but it must be within our tolerance range, and we must also consider helping the Japanese. If they happen to What happens if you want more than Japan’s national power allows?” Asquith said meaningfully.
"And the situation in Japan is not good now. The Americans seem to be more determined this time, and the confrontation between the two sides in the Bismarck Sea is getting bigger and bigger. They are bluffing in making this request. I don't think Japan is in a confrontation with the United States. You still have the guts to launch an operation against the Dutch East Indies at the same time!"
"In that case, why does the Japanese government still make this request to us?" Churchill asked rhetorically.
"Because our situation is worse. The possibility of a direct war between the United States and Japan is not very high, but we have now failed three times in a row at sea. From the Japanese point of view, we should not mind that the Japanese start from a neutral position. Small countries get some benefits.”
"In fact, I really don't mind very much. For example, it is acceptable for the Japanese to occupy the western part of New Guinea, as well as some surrounding small islands. As for other places? For example, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, it’s better for the Japanese not to touch these places!” Asquith expressed his opinion.
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