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Text Chapter 662 The next trick

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    London, Whitehall.

    Entering late October, the UK has ushered in the most uncomfortable season. The city is shrouded in smog and it seems like it will never stop raining.  Compared with the weather, what happened during this period made the whole of Britain feel the taste of severe winter in advance. Economic decline, bank bankruptcy, factory closures, unemployment benefits, etc., re-enacted the scene in the United States a year ago.

    People¡¯s attention has quietly changed, and Londoners who love to talk about the world situation are beginning to worry about their jobs and jobs.  Workers went out to hold riots, women used every penny conscientiously, the list of household expenses was reduced, and even children used their extracurricular time to collect metal and sell it to support their families.

    In the first few years after the Paris Peace Conference, the British Empire seemed to have found the pride of an empire on which the sun never sets. However, with the rapid rise of new forces such as China, the United States, and the Soviet Union, the British Empire increasingly felt that it was beyond its capabilities, with countless loopholes to fill, and countless  Money was spent on suppressing the national independence movement. When Gandhi fell, his heartbeat could be heard across the sea.

    When the U.S. economy broke out, the United Kingdom adopted an extremely rapid response policy. The pound zone and tariff barriers helped ordinary British people withstand the first wave of shocks, so that they felt that depression and crisis were still far away from them.  However, with the rapid development of China and the United States, the United States released its national debt and accelerated its efforts to devour the few export markets. China took the opportunity to monopolize industries such as tea, raw silk and jute, and attacked related industries in India and Sri Lanka. The ship of the British Empire was finally overwhelmed.

    A violent tsunami of stock market crash washed over the British Isles, and the torrential floods destroyed all the pride and vanity after the Paris Peace Conference.  In just one night, the prosperity of the Victorian era was completely destroyed. When the British looked up, they discovered that what they had seen before was only a moment of setting sun.

    Whitehall, known as the second heart of the Empire on which the sun never sets, was also affected by this storm. The generals opened the purchase list and marked off the warships originally planned to be built. The staff reduced the planned cruise route by half, and then  Sadly, one battleship after another was sent to the disassembly platform.  Some people even paid attention to reducing naval wages. Fortunately, this proposal did not pass, otherwise God knows whether the sailors of the Royal Navy would launch a mutiny.

    The Navy is known as a "money-burning" service. The annual consumption of just one Hood can purchase 80 fighter jets or 90 tanks.  In order to maintain the world's naval supremacy, the Royal Navy burns tens of millions of pounds every year. It may have been able to sustain it before the crisis. After all, there are huge colonies for blood transfusions, and there is no huge army like China and the Soviet Union, but now  

    In the small living room on the third floor of White Hall, Henderson looked at Yang Qiu and Chen Shaokuan, who had come to participate in naval negotiations with serious expressions, and felt the urge to take a bite.  What do they have to worry about?  Spend billions on a trip to Europe and the United States!  Looking around the world, who else has the strength to spend money like this?  Even if Japan doesn't renew the contract, it can't compete with you even if they spend money to build ships!

    He resisted the urge to curse because this negotiation was too important to Britain.  The last negotiation in Washington only limited the number of capital ships, but not many restrictions on cruisers and destroyers. This has led to various countries launching cruiser competitions in recent years, so the United Kingdom has brokered continued negotiations to curb the number of these two sub-class warships and continue to ensure  Maritime supremacy of the British Empire.

    Although Japan withdrew from this negotiation, because it is still a party to the Washington Treaty, it must still abide by the restrictions of the Washington Treaty before it expires in 1936. But even if there are no restrictions, Japan, which is short of money and resources, will not be able to make much trouble. If China does not renew  It would be too bad to fully expand the navy, so Yang Qiu's attitude suddenly became extremely important.

    He first looked at Alexander, the Minister of the Navy next to him, and then turned around and said: "Mr. President, Prime Minister McDonald still hopes that you will think about it again. The British Empire is trying to persuade Japan to return to the negotiating table, but even if they don't come back, I think they will  It cannot threaten your country¡¯s maritime security.¡±

    Yang Qiu raised his eyebrows with a stern look: "Mr. Henderson, is this the way your country came to me to solve the problem? During the last naval negotiation in Washington, our country made great sacrifices and concessions, resulting in the tonnage of the main ship  Far less than Japan! Originally, we could just bear this loss. After all, we are all former allies, and our country needs to ensure land security and cannot maintain such a large navy. But what about now? In the past, there were treaty constraints that could ensure maritime security.  Balance, now that someone has withdrawn, once they build more capital ships, how can I protect the sea? Please note that this is not 1884, let alone 1894! We have the right to use all means to protect the safety of coastal cities, waterways and fishing grounds.  "

    These words gave Henderson a headache. Japan's unwillingness to renew the contract has been unexpected, and Italy has been ready to make moves recently. If China withdraws again, the naval treaty may become a dead letter.

    Seeing his appearance, Chen Shaokuan next to him secretly wanted to laugh.  In fact, China has already sent a telegram willing to sign the treaty.??Yang Qiu deliberately pretended to withdraw, just to make Britain feel that you had suffered a big loss by forcing me to sign the treaty. If something happens in the future, don't blame me.

    How could Henderson not know that Yang Qiu was actually using the Navy negotiations as a bargaining chip, so he winked at Alexander.  This old lord is one of the few senior officers in the Royal Navy, and he is also a member of the royal family, so he always likes to put on airs when speaking, and asks in a serious manner: "Mr. President, what do we need to pay for your country to sign?"  ?¡±

    This was tantamount to a showdown, but Yang Qiu's play was not over yet. He stood up excitedly and waved his hand: "General, can I think you are joking? What do you think the cost is higher than tens of millions of people along the coast and tens of billions?"  Property, dozens of important waterways are more important? I cannot accept such a thing. Either we increase the tonnage of our country's capital ships to 500,000 tons, otherwise I will not be able to convince the people."

    500,000 tons Henderson gasped, and Alexander, as the Lord of the Navy, jumped up anxiously: "This is impossible! This negotiation is just a supplement to the negotiations in Washington, not a new allocation negotiation.  The last treaty will not end until 1936. Even if Japan does not renew the treaty, they will not be able to build capital ships! This will not cause harm to the maritime power of the Far East at all."

    "General! You should know that the capital ship is the fist of the navy, and the real strength is the cruiser and destroyer. Although Japan is a signatory to the Washington Navy, it is not allowed to equip new capital ships before 1936, but what about cruisers? The tonnage of our capital ship  There are already few, and this negotiation will limit the number of cruisers. If we cannot obtain the tonnage of capital ships, do you, General, want us to withdraw from the treaty and start a cruiser race with Japan?"

    Yang Qiu was tit for tat, glaring at the grey-haired old man in his fifties without any sign of weakness, but Henderson's eyes suddenly narrowed. What did he say just now?  "I hope we will withdraw from the treaty" is he planning to sign it?  Henderson is indeed a veteran politician, and he quickly grasps the details in every word.  But before he could say anything, the hot-tempered Alexander probably had been suppressed for too long. He raised his bull's eyes and shouted loudly: "Mr. President, I would also like to remind you that although the British Empire has a friendly desire and does not want conflict, don't think that we  We will always give in! The Strait of Okhotsk, Suez Canal, and Malacca Strait are all under the control of the Royal Navy, and we can close these sea areas at any time!"

    After these words came out, even Chen Shaokuan's face suddenly darkened, and Yang Qiu stared at Alexander tightly, as if he would leave immediately if he disagreed.

    The increasingly strong smell of gunpowder brought the atmosphere in the living room to a freezing point. Henderson, who was watching, saw the two of them speechless and felt a sense of pleasure in his heart. However, he also knew that these words were only a deterrent. If he really wanted to use these methods,  I'm afraid it's war.  So he quickly calmed down the atmosphere: "I'm sorry, Mr. Lord, I was just too angry just now. The British Empire is the protector of the ocean, not the destroyer." After saying that, he asked Alexander to leave temporarily and prepared to have a private chat with Yang Qiu.

    After seeing this, Chen Shaokuan also walked out. When they were alone in the room, Henderson continued: "Mr. President, there are only two of us now. I don't think there is a need to go around in circles. Although Lord Alexander's words are a bit excessive,  But I think what I said above is still correct. Japan's domestic economy is in difficulty, and the Washington Treaty has not been abrogated, so they will not have new battleships in service before 1936. As for cruisers, even if they are built in large numbers, they will not be right.  Your country has caused too much impact. Besides, I think your navy already has sufficient self-defense capabilities. Unless you want to go on a cross-sea expedition, or have a large number of overseas colonies that need to be protected, otherwise I really can¡¯t think of anything.  The reason why we need such a big fleet.¡±

    Yang Qiu had actually made up his mind to sign a long time ago, but he was just pretending to be a compromise.  Although Alexander's words were unpleasant, they were right. At present, he was really not sure that he could break through the three lines of defense of the British Navy, so he lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Henderson, I never planned to do it."  To have an arms race, all I need is a guarantee.¡±

    "Please rest assured that we have tried our best to persuade Japan to come back. Even if they don't come back, please believe us. The British Empire will never allow them to serve new battleships before the expiration of the Washington Treaty." Henderson played a trick and only said  Service is not mentioned in construction, which opens the door for Japan to build in advance.  It can be seen from this that although the UK hates withdrawing from negotiations, deep down in its heart it still prefers to rely on Japan to contain China.

    Of course Yang Qiu knew what England was paying attention to, and deliberately thought for a long time before slowly walking up to him.  In just two steps, a chilling smell made Henderson swallow his saliva involuntarily. Looking at the approaching figure, he felt a chill in his heart for some reason.

    Yang Qiumu looked at him with an extremely serious tone: "Mr. Henderson, I hope this is the last time, no! It must be the last time! This is the last time I make a major contribution to national security.?Give in.  So please tell the Prime Minister that although I do not want a conflict between our two countries, let alone compete with you for maritime control, the UK must ensure the safety of our sea lanes and oil transportation lines!  If a scenario like the one I just spoke were to arise, thenI would automatically consider it a declaration of war on our country!  "

    Henderson was subdued by this momentum and nodded subconsciously, but immediately realized that something was wrong, but after thinking about it, he didn't know what was wrong.  However, Yang Qiu's agreement to sign made him sigh in relief, and he quickly stood up and left to report the good news.

    Looking at his back, Yang Qiu, who was still angry just now, suddenly smiled. It¡¯s time for Saudi Arabia to establish a nation (To be continued)
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