Chapter 455 Diplomatic Struggle

  According to the order of the Red Fort, the expedition is scheduled to be launched on January 22, 1886. The advance team of the African Expeditionary Force will set off on this day in accordance with the traditional Chinese oaths. Swords...

  Until January 20th, where the sword is pointed, we have to wait for news from London.

   sounds a bit tricky, but in fact it is.

  Fortunately, no matter whether Mozambique belongs to the Zambezi River Basin or the Kingdom of Madagascar, there is no decent navy, and there is no defense against the sea. Fights and conflicts mainly occur on land, wherever they land.

  Meanwhile, January 20

  London, Downing Street

In the small conference hall on the right side of the second floor of the British Colony Office building, the two sides had a fierce dispute in face-to-face negotiations. One was the Assistant Secretary of the Colony, Lord Charles and senior expert Sir Claire, and the other was the diplomatic representative Tang Shaoyi and Huitong Bank representing Queensland’s interests. European Prime Minister Zheng Canghai, as well as assistant diplomatic representative Zhang Qiang, and some other people attending the meeting, the two sides clashed with each other, and their faces were red in contention.

"... Your Excellency Lord Charles, I think I have made the Queensland's opinion very clear. Based on the final action date set by the Lord Earl is the early morning of January 22, we must reach an agreement at 5 pm today whether or not an agreement is reached: At the end of the talks at 00, I regret your persistence, because our time is really running out. We only have more than one hour to reach a final agreement. It seems that this is a task that is destined to be impossible to complete. I am very pessimistic about this. Will continue the previous strategy plan for the Kingdom of Madagascar, but unfortunately missed the Mozambique region." Tang Shaoyi sighed heavily and ended her speech.

The assistant to the colonial minister, Lord Charles, turned red because of his emotions. He said in a threatening tone; “I don’t think I need to remind you. We will not admit any action without the permission of the colony department. With an attitude of endorsement but optimism, all the tacit understanding will no longer exist, and Queensland will be fully responsible for this."

"Lord Lord, repeating a sentence as many times as possible does not add to its weight. Queensland's actions are based on the consensus formed by the café's secret talks. Sir Clare was also present at the time. Any unilateral denial is extremely regrettable. If so, Queensland cannot promise to provide necessary trade facilitation in the occupied territories. This is our consistent attitude."

  "Mr. Diplomatic Representative, I am afraid you have got the priority wrong, right?"

"Don’t be so Lord Lord, Queensland is an autonomous government with legislative power. It has the right to decide the direction of colonization when it has the strength. I don’t think the Prime Minister's residence in Downing Street will hold any objections to this. Let us talk frankly and openly like businessmen. Let's talk."

   "Wow... this is the biggest joke I have heard this year."

"This year has just passed 20 days, and the days to come will be very long." Tang Shaoyi retorted, and then calmed down and said with a sincere look; "Please forgive me for being mean, this is really embarrassing, see. For God’s sake, let’s talk about the subject, Lord Lord, time is really running out. We ask the British Army to send a symbolic company even if it cannot send a battalion..."

"No, no, it's totally impossible. The British Army is not obliged to send a field force outside of the national plan. I have said it many times. This is a tacit understanding between the Colony Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the 2c plan for the British colonization of Africa. There is no connection, you can regard it as a small gift to add to the cake. If it succeeds, London will endorse it, and use diplomatic means to fix the occupied area. If it fails, it can only be carried by Queensland. London does not recognize it. We will not be held responsible, this is our official attitude."

  "We recognize this, but it is only necessary to send a company of soldiers."

"No, there is no discussion on this point. The occupying forces cannot play the British flag until they succeed, because we made a major commitment at the Berlin Conference. Damn it... It's all due to the **** Liberal cabinet making too many concessions. Thankfully, these fat worms from Feiying Gougou finally left Downing Street, otherwise, the relaxing afternoon tea would become unbearable..."

   "Uh... please forgive me for interrupting you, Queensland just needs a more orthodox name..."

"Sorry, this is exactly what London cannot give. We can secretly give diplomatic support to suppress the discordant voices from Europe, and we can also give some money and equipment. Although it is not much, as long as you successfully stand firm, we You can think of a way to mark a big site."

"I understand what you said, but the problem is that we were planning to have a big meal. Now the Colony Department has asked us to eat two big meals. This may make us choke, and the original strategy plan is no longer appropriate. It may be necessary to send more troops, or even fight an anxious, protracted war. The risks are greatly increased. It is only natural that we ask for more support."

"We can't give the support you want. The use of the British army has reached its limit. The Prime Minister’s residence will not support the opening of new battlefields outside of Plan II. It is the brilliant idea of ​​the new Colonial Minister Sir Robert to take the lead in attacking Mozambique. He needs A decisive achievement, the Earl of Queensland will have the friendship of Sir Robert."

   "But this friendship is too expensive, worth more than a million pounds."

"Okay, okay, let's talk frankly about what support you need. Please stop mentioning the British Army’s dispatch of troops. If the Secretary of War knows that he will tear me up, he can’t act under the banner of the British government. I think. The title of the Earl of Queensland is pretty good. He did this in the East Indies. In fact, he did very beautifully. You can talk about anything else."

   "Then let me think about..."

  Tang Shaoyi frowned as it was difficult, but in fact, she was already happy in her heart.

  Lord Earl’s point of view, he knows that he does not pay attention to acting under the banner of the United Kingdom. As long as the British Empire stands behind, no European and American country dares to bully Queensland publicly. That is pure death.

  However, seeing the new Conservative Party government eager to make achievements, Queensland saw opportunities to take advantage of it and immediately raised its offer.

  Originally, the secret agreement of the cafe was a small act in the private of the Colony Department, which should not be announced, and secretly supported the secret agreement of Queensland’s expansion in Africa.

  The newly appointed colonial minister, Sir Robert, was overjoyed after learning the details of the café’s secret agreement. He added Mozambique with a swipe of a pen. As for the Kingdom of Madagascar, he did not care.

  It’s just an island. Where can the Mississippi River basin with its many rivers and fertile land be more important? Greater political influence?

  Mozambique is almost a replica of the Congo River Basin, except that one is located in eastern Africa and the other is located in western Africa. Coincidentally, it is roughly at the same latitude, with the same rivers everywhere, and the climate is humid and rainy.

  The Dutch, the Spanish, the British, and the French successively tried to occupy the area, but they were all expelled by the hardline Portuguese. This reflects from another aspect that the rich resources of the Mozambique region are coveted.

  The Mozambique region has gold and ivory. The rain-rich forest pastures are suitable for agriculture and pasture. The high mountain forests are densely covered with abundant resources. It is indeed a good place.

  Sir Robert, Minister of the Colony Department, is a very happy aristocratic gentleman. He knows little about the situation in Africa, and he has a black eye for Australia. He belongs to holding a rolling pin and blowing fire. He knows nothing.

  Three new officials took office.

  Sir Robert needs such an extra surprise to write a rich and colorful stroke in his cabinet career. These accumulated qualifications are important weights for gaining the support of the leaders of the Conservative Party, and they are indispensable political capital.

  If it is operated properly, it may stand out from the fierce competition within the Conservative Party. It is not hopeless to sit in the position of Downing Street. It is not far from the No. 1 boss to enter the cabinet, and it feels within reach.

  If people do not have ideals, what is the difference between them and salted fish?

Who would have thought that Queensland would have greatly increased its offer and requested that the British Army dispatch no less than one battalion to land in Mozambique under the British flag. This is the so-called bullfighting and making a big flag. Everyone knows the truth that under the big trees it is good to enjoy the shade. .

The Pozi flag of this era is still very useful. At least the Portuguese dare not shoot first. They are scrupulous and restrained everywhere, which can greatly reduce the casualties in disputes. If you want to shoot, the British soldiers must fire first. Let's talk about hitting the opponent off guard.

Although the Portuguese hugged the British thighs tightly, they were actually not welcome. Because of the two major factors of Portuguese and Catholicism, the British repelled the Portuguese from the heart, and there was almost no intermarriage between the two royal families. Far inferior to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

  The Kingdom of the Netherlands is also a Protestant country. Although it speaks Dutch, English is also spoken. Therefore, it is also a member of the English-speaking countries. The British and Dutch royal families are closely related and have had a co-lord in history.

anyway

Queensland did not use the Pozi flag in the previous East Indies War. It used the emblem of the Red Mountain Dragon Earl. On the one hand, the Queensland army actually belonged to the Paramilitary National Guard, an independent dominion, and was the Earl of Queensland. The private army has no right to use the rice flag.

  Once the rice-shaped flag is raised, it represents the embodiment of the will of the British Empire. This is not a simple banner. There is too much content behind it.

on the other hand

  The British royal family wants to beat the Dutch, but is unwilling to completely tear their faces. The measure is very subtle. Therefore, maintaining the dispute between the two sides in the category of the noble war cannot rise to a higher level.

  Return to the topic

  After the diplomatic representative Tang Shaoyi took the lead in raising the request, the British really cared about it. The feeling was like...for fear that others would jump three feet high like the glory of the British Empire.

   shook his head like a gourd string, "NO, NO, Notatall". (No, no, it's totally impossible)

  This trick was to repair the plank road, and the dark Chen Cang really worked.

  Until 5 pm

  After arduous negotiations, the representatives of both sides finally officially signed the memorandum of the secret meeting, and each has gained a lot.

  They talked and laughed out of the small meeting room, and talked to each other cordially like long-lost family members. The red-faced quarrel seemed to be a matter of the last century. Maybe this is the normal state of diplomatic occasions!

  A word, too hypocritical!

"Congratulations, Representative Tang, I am deeply impressed by your outstanding performance, especially at the last minute, and decisively used my voting rights in foreign affairs. This is a highly responsible attitude towards safeguarding the interests of both parties. I appreciate this. "

   "I have not been able to insist on Queensland's interests. It is really frustrating. It feels like the end of the world."

"Please don’t worry, my friend, I will ask Minister Robert to write a letter to give you a high evaluation for your persistence in the negotiation. In fact, the diplomatic negotiation lies in your own background. You have performed well enough. I caused a lot of trouble."

  "Your Honorable Lord, thank you for your beautiful words." Tang Shaoyi replied rather bitterly, looking heavy.

  Defeat a tenacious opponent in a very difficult negotiation, which made Lord Charles, Assistant Secretary of the Colony Department, feel better. He expressed appreciation in an authentic London accent, and his tone contained unconcealed arrogance.

  At his insistence, Queensland’s diplomatic representative Tang Shaoyi retreated on the main issue. This was an out-and-out victory for the Colony Department, and the main credit of course belonged to Lord Charles.

  As for the compensation that Queensland is asking for, it is only Eritrea.

  Lord Charles didn’t know what Eritrea region was. After suspending negotiations for 5 minutes and listening to a brief introduction by senior expert Sir Claire, did he know what the Eritrea region is?

  Eritrea is located in the northernmost part of East Africa and the Horn of Africa. It borders Sudan in the west and the Kingdom of Ethiopia in the south. It now belongs to a northern province of the Kingdom of Ethiopia. It has several powerful indigenous tribes that are not easy to provoke.

The area is connected to Djibouti in the southeast, with an area of ​​approximately 124,000 square kilometers and a coastline of 1,200 kilometers. It faces Saudi Arabia and Yemen across the sea, and it is the strait of Mande, which is the choke link between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The strategic position is very important. .

  Queensland intends to connect the two places as one, so that from the Red Sea to the easternmost tip of the Horn of Africa, all belong to a whole colony, and the oasis has also expanded a little, nothing more.

  To say that the strategic location of the region is important, Queensland has already occupied the Red Sea Mande Strait to rush the Great Hanish Island, so what is the use of the 1,200 kilometers of red coastline?

  Can this vital Eurasian trade route be cut off twice?

  This is incredible!

  British and French have heavy troops stationed in the Suez River area. The arrogant British did not consider this possibility at all. This possibility is not even one in ten thousand.

Lord Charles only considered it for less than 30 seconds before nodding his agreement. As long as the Queenslanders succeed in establishing a foothold in Eritrea, London will promote the recognition of the signatories of the Berlin Conference. This area is the African Territory of the Earl of Queensland and has relevant rights recognized by the signatories of the Conference. .

at the same time

  The Colony Department promised to secretly support Queensland’s colonial expansion in Africa. As long as it can occupy the land, as long as it does not conflict with the British 2C plan, it will promote international recognition.

  After reaching the secret meeting memorandum, Zhang Qiang, the assistant to the diplomatic representative, immediately ran to the telegraph office more than a hundred meters away and sent the news to the Australian base camp and the awaited expeditionary soldiers in the Horn of Africa.

  (End of this chapter)