xymnovel Chapter 28: It was Constantine who opened the doors to London, but more importantly, it was the Brit
Chapter 28: It was Constantine who opened the doors to London, but more importantly, it was the Brit
The ticking of encrypted telegrams echoed at an unprecedented frequency between the British Embassy in Athens and Whitehall in London. A fierce, albeit silent, "telegram war" had officially begun.
Sir Harding's second long telegram acted as a fuse, completely igniting the political powder keg in London.
Navy Department.
Lord George Hamilton, First Lord of the Navy, a burly, square-chinned old-fashioned nobleman, slammed his hand on the table, making the globe on it vibrate loudly.
"Suez! The key to Suez! Do you treasury buffoons even understand the math?" he roared at a secret cabinet meeting. "How much money do we spend every year maintaining our fleets in Malta and Alexandria? How much do we spend bribing those unreliable tribal chiefs to gather intelligence? Now, the Greeks are willing to turn tens of thousands of their sailors into our eyes and ears, all we need is a damn guarantee of their trust!"
"This is the most worthwhile deal of the century! A single promise in exchange for navigational safety and intelligence superiority throughout the Eastern Mediterranean! I strongly support Sir Harding's proposal! It must be passed immediately!"
Office of the Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs.
Joseph Chamberlain, the fervent advocate of imperialism, wore a cold smile. He addressed his aides: "The Greek naval orders will keep the factories in Birmingham busy for years. Greek merchant ships will solidify our lifeline to India. What we need is a stable, strong, and pro-British Greece to act as a wedge in the Balkans, to counterbalance the Russians and Austrians."
"Send to Sir Wilby of the Treasury, and dispel his ridiculous concerns, telling him that the interests of the Empire are far more important than the few percentage points of risk on his books!"
However, the Ministry of Finance.
Despite the immense pressure from the Admiralty and the Colonial Office, Permanent Under-Secretary Sir Reginald Wilby did not back down; instead, he became even more stubborn. His stern face was filled with contempt and disdain.
"An ally? A key?" His shrill voice echoed in the Treasury Department's conference room. "I think it's a key to letting the wolf in! Today we gave him guarantees, and he built a fleet. Tomorrow, he can use that fleet to threaten our interests in the Mediterranean! A country with no credibility, a bunch of greedy politicians! Why should we trust them?"
A strongly worded telegram was immediately sent to Athens.
"Important Hardin is being questioned," the telegram read coldly and directly. "Have you been misled by the sweet talk of that young prince? Are we supporting a future friend, or arming a potential traitor? The Empire's reputation cannot tolerate such a reckless gamble!"
Hardin, upon receiving the telegram, turned ashen-faced with rage. He immediately relayed the contents of the telegram (with artistic embellishment) to Constantine.
Constantine listened and simply smiled calmly.
"Sir, please give a reply to Sir Wilby for me." Constantine's tone was as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "First, please convey my respect to him and my gratitude for his prudent approach to the assets of the British Empire. Second, please also 'kindly' remind him of something."
"If the British Empire is unwilling to arm its friends, then my naval planners may have to start learning French or German. After all, French shipyards and German Krupp cannons are also very willing to establish 'friendship' with Greece."
This reply was like a precise slap in the face to those industrial giants in London.
"What? The Greeks want to place an order for ships in France?"
"Krupp? We absolutely cannot let the Germans get their hands on the main gun contracts for the fleet in the Mediterranean!"
The chairman of Armstrong-Whitworth shipyard, the president of Vickers, the director of John Brown shipyard… these industrial oligarchs, wielding immense power in Parliament, immediately sprang into action. Their newspapers began to proclaim the importance of "Anglo-Greek friendship" and the "lifesaving" significance of this order for the British shipbuilding industry. Countless MPs they had cultivated launched a fierce attack on the Treasury both inside and outside Parliament.
The "telegraph war" entered a heated phase.
The focus of both sides was on three key figures: the total amount of the guarantee, the annual interest rate, and the guarantee period.
Constantine's initial proposal was: a total of ten million pounds, an annual interest rate of no more than four percent, and a term of twenty years.
Sir Wilby pressed on: a total of five million pounds, an annual interest rate of 5.5%, and a term of fifteen years.
"Tick-tock...tick-tock..."
The telegraph machines worked day and night. Every tiny change in the numbers was accompanied by fierce exchanges of telegrams and undercurrents in London's political arena.
"I can increase the total to seven million pounds, but the interest rate must be five percent!" — Wilby.
"Thank you for your 'generosity,' but I have just received a dinner invitation from the French ambassador, who said they are very interested in our railway project." — From Constantine, relayed by Hardin.
"Eight million! 4.75% interest rate! This is the final line!" — Wilby, his tone almost roaring.
"Excellent. Our Merchant Marine Association is drawing up the latest map of pirate activity hotspots, which I think the Admiral of Malta will find very useful." — Constantine
The tug-of-war lasted a full week. Sir Harding had lost a considerable amount of weight, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter. He knew that the scales of victory were, little by little, irreversibly tilting towards Athens.
Finally, when Constantine cleverly revealed that Tsarist Russia's special envoy was secretly contacting the Greek Orthodox Church to discuss "deep cooperation" between "Orthodox brother nations," the last straw broke the camel's back.
Prime Minister, the Marquess of Salisbury, a veteran politician who has dominated European politics for many years, personally convened an emergency cabinet meeting.
He ended the argument with his undeniable, husky voice.
"Gentlemen, we are not discussing a loan, but the future of the British Empire in the Eastern Mediterranean."
"A Greece that leans towards Russia or France would be a disaster for us. A stable, strong Greece that needs us to rise is the pawn we need."
He looked at the Chancellor of the Exchequer and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"What I need is a friend who can watch over the Dardanelles for us, not a corpse that we have to pay to bury."
"I agree with Crown Prince Constantine's main proposal. Details can be discussed further."
When the telegram of the final resolution arrived at the British Embassy in Athens, Sir Harding's hand holding the telegram was trembling slightly.
He won.
Or rather, the young Greek crown prince, with his brilliant design, leveraged future orders and geopolitical value to effortlessly influence the national policy of the world's leading power!
Harding straightened his clothes, took the telegram that embodied the hard work of countless people, and strode out of the embassy.
He was going to the palace to inform the young "chess player" of this great victory.
He boarded the carriage, his heart filled with more anticipation than ever before.