The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 618 - 308 Things in Iberia Are Always So Bad_2

"Who knows what the future holds?"

Arthur shrugged, "Perhaps the Deputy Secretary of the Navy is now floating somewhere near South America."

The Great Dumas added, "If you measure the Deputy Secretary by that standard, Mr. Carter indeed has met the requirements. After all, monkeys that can swim and speak English are quite rare these days."

Arthur glanced at the Great Dumas, "True, on this little island, monkeys who speak French have already been hanged as spies on the beaches."

The Great Dumas’s brow twitched, "I must say, Arthur, you have a good memory. Do you still remember that case file?"

Arthur just shook his head, "I can’t help it, the matters regarding France that I come across are mostly so bizarre and enigmatic that the impressions they leave are too deep to forget."

Napier, not understanding the exchange between the two, decided to steer the conversation back.

"Since there’s no problem with the people here, I might as well relay the orders from the Foreign Office. I now require a merchant ship bound for Portugal, the sooner it sets off, the better."

"You need a ship as well?"

Arthur touched his forehead, finding the situation absurd, "It seems the port quarantine policy in London is indeed too forceful. To tell you the truth, you are not the first person to come to Liverpool to purchase a ship ticket from me. The Embassy of the United States didn’t have enough influence, so they couldn’t arrange a ship to America from London. But how can the port management company dare to defy an order from the Foreign Office? Is arranging a ship from London really that difficult?"

The Secretary from the Foreign Office gestured with his hand, "Mr. Hastings, please don’t misunderstand. The Foreign Office certainly has the ability to arrange for ships to depart from London, but the current situation is special. The Foreign Office does not wish for too many people to be aware of General Napier’s journey to Portugal. Also, the Navy Department, out of secrecy, has not formally reinstated General Napier’s active duty status, they’ve simply returned his uniform and epaulettes to him temporarily."

"This..."

Arthur had originally thought that Napier was sent to command the anti-smuggling fleet in Liverpool, but upon hearing this series of messages, he immediately realized that things were not so simple.

Faster to react than Arthur were the two French political lads.

They keenly picked up on ’informal’ and ’Portugal’ as the key words, and connecting them to Napier’s previous concerns over their French nationality and the changes in European politics in recent years, what Napier was about to do almost jumped out at them.

Louis asked softly, "Does the Foreign Office intend to intervene in the Portuguese Civil War?"

Upon hearing this, the Secretary from the Foreign Office coughed softly.

"Officer Bonaparte, please watch your phrasing. This matter has nothing to do with the Foreign Office, as it has never officially announced any intention to intervene in the Miguelite War, and as I mentioned before, Mr. Napier does not hold an official rank in the Royal Navy, he is now a free man.

Where he wishes to go, what profession he wants to undertake, and from which side he wants to earn money, all that is his freedom. Britain is a free country, and we have no right to interfere in personal affairs. Naturally, the Foreign Office also advocates and encourages all citizens to do their utmost, to use their skills to achieve personal life values, and we are happy to provide them with assistance."

With the Secretary having explained it to that extent, it was natural for Arthur to understand the implications.

It was just like when the Foreign Secretary Viscount Palmeston previously addressed the Polish issue in the House of Commons: "Just because we signed the ’Treaty of Vienna’ doesn’t mean we have to ensure that the Russians abide by it."

If you apply the same principle, the absence of an official declaration by the Foreign Office does not mean that they are not intervening.

Just like during the Greek War of Independence, though Britain was reluctant to officially declare war on the Ottoman Empire, that didn’t stop them from sending out a group of Royal Navy officers, led by the ’Mad Bomber’ General Thomas Cochrane, to help train the Greek navy.

As a result, the standards used by the Greek navy were almost entirely British, and thus the Greek naval force became a stronghold of pro-British forces.

The General of the Greek navy, Andreas Vokos Miaoulis, who was Cochrane’s deputy, was even elected as one of the three members of the Supreme Council of Greece after the president was assassinated, as a leader of the pro-British faction.

It was due to the successful experience in Greece that the Foreign Office probably considered repeating the same strategy in Portugal.

Britain, as an ally with Portugal for over four hundred years, has always maintained a very good relationship since the 14th century.

However, due to recent years with ’Spain’s matters always being so troublesome,’ Britain no longer views this former maritime power as a main competitor. Correspondingly, Portugal, once considered by the British Government as the unyielding fortress on the Iberian Peninsula, was also neglected.

Of course, it’s not entirely fair to blame the Foreign Office for being heartless. The reason is that aside from its location in Western Europe, Portugal, whether in terms of population, economy, or natural conditions, does not resemble a Western European country.

They do not have land as fertile as France, nor do they have ports as abundant as Britain, let alone the coal and iron resources necessary for the Industrial Revolution.

Of course, Portugal is not without its assets; they do have a rich supply of resources when it comes to harsh mountains, difficult waters, and cunning people.