A Mighty Endeavor

by Stuart Slade

  “Winnie? You mean Churchill has turned up?”

  “That he has. In Canada, and a mighty force has been unleashed upon the world. He went out on short wave radio there as well, announcing the formation of a govemment-in-exile in Canada and damning Halifax with bell, book and candle. You listen to this, Martyn.”

  Once again, Sir Eric paused before reading the contents of the message. When he started, it was in a copy of Churchill’s rolling tones. “I stand at the head of a Government-in-Exile representing all Parties in the State: all creeds, all classes, every recognizable section of opinion. We are ranged beneath the Crown of our ancient monarchy. We are supported by the whole life-strength of the British race in every part of the world and of all our associated peoples and of all our well-wishers in every land, doing their utmost night and day, giving all, daring all, enduring all. To the utmost. To the end. This is no war of chieftains or of princes, of dynasties or national ambition; it is a war of peoples and of causes. There are vast numbers, in every land, who will render faithful service in this war, but whose names will never be known, whose deeds will never be recorded. This is a War of the Unknown Warriors; but let all strive without failing in faith or in duty, and the dark curse of Hitler will be lifted from our age.”

  “Eric, this changes everything. That went out twelve hours before the King made his speech, so His Majesty must have known its contents. The Canadian Government must have known what Churchill was going to say as well, so the fact this was transmitted means it has official support. Take this speech together with the Daventry message and it’s as clear an indication as we are going to get that we should fight on. Halifax is being completely cut out of the picture.” He paused for a second and caught his breath. “This is going to be an interesting Cabinet meeting.”

  Student’s Canteen, Nottingham University, Nottingham, United Kingdom

  “You’d better divide these up between you.” Rachael Cohen put the sideplate with her two pork sausages on it on the table. “Four of you; I make that half each. David, will you do the honors please?”

  David Newton exchanged glances with the three other students on the table. With food rationing in place, a half-sausage was a princely gift. The problem was, they all knew Rachael was going short on food because the canteen offered no dishes that met her dietary laws. It wasn’t the canteen staffs fault, since they were trapped by the rationing system as well. They did what they could and had given her extra portions of veggies to make up for the food she couldn’t eat. Newton reached out and carefully divided each of the sausages in half. It was an old tradition; the person who divided the food up would be the last to choose which portion he wanted. It made for a scrupulously careful division. “Thank you Rachael. Are you sure there’s nothing we can get you to make up for it?”

  She shook her head and smiled. “That’s very kind, but keeping kosher is important to me. With everything the way it is, we can either stand up and be counted or run and hide. I hate hiding.”

  There was another exchange of glances between the four students. Somehow, they’d get hold of a kosher meal for Rachael. Freddie Williams broke the silence. “Any word from Germany, Rachael?”

  She shook her head sadly; the joy of a second ago faded quickly. “None at all. We thought that when the war ended and communications with Germany improved, we’d hear from Aunty Becky and her family, but there’s nothing. My mother is getting frightened. Daddy is just worried and says we should give thanks for being over here where we’re safe.”

  “Did you hear Winnie’s speech last night?” Colin Thomas sounded excited. “He tore into That Man like a berserker. Shook him like a terrier shakes a rat.”

  Thomas loved his similes and his overuse of them brought a collective smile back to the group. George Jones looked around carefully. There were rumors that the Black Shirts had undercover people hiding in the university. People were beginning to watch what they said, even in private. “I couldn’t believe Winnie was dead. He just wasn’t the kind to just go to the grave in silence. I wonder how he got out?”

  “They say he drove from Windsor to Portsmouth and then walked to Southampton and caught the Clipper to Shannon and New York.”

  “That’s not what I heard.” Colin Thomas frowned. “I heard he went to Holyhead and took a fishing boat to Ireland before catching a Clipper at Shannon.”

  George Jones shook his head. “I heard from somebody in the know that a Yank submarine picked him up from Portsmouth and took him to Canada.”

  “Why would the Yanks send a submarine?” Newton sounded doubtful. To him, the story just wasn’t plausible. In fact, none of them were. Something smelt a little off about the whole business. “Anyway, that really doesn’t matter. The important thing is that somebody’s challenging That Man at last.”

  Cabinet Room, Government House, Calcutta, India, 11:30 AM, 29th July, 1940

  “So, Winston is back.” Lord Linlithgow spoke thoughtfully. “Have we any idea how?”

  “The official story is that he was warned of the protective custody warrant issued by the Halifax government and went to ground somewhere in North Wales. Once the heat had died down a little, he got a fishing boat to take him over to Northern Ireland. From there, he crossed the border to the South and laid low again. Then, he caught a Pan-American Clipper from Shannon to New York and got the train from there to Ottawa. I should add there are other stories in the wind, including him going south to Portsmouth and then to the Channel Islands, after which he was taken out by Royal Navy submarine. Yet another version has him going out via France and Spain to Portugal and then another Pan-American Clipper.” Sir Eric Haohoa put the text of Churchill’s message on the Cabinet Room table. “This went out by short-wave radio. The very fact that it was allowed to do so means that Canada at least has repudiated the Halifax government.”

  “They have no authority to do so.” Sir Richard Cardew was emphatic. “What DomCol says is the final word. Their decisions must be obeyed.”

  “One of the primary lessons of every commander, be he military or political, is to know when not to obey orders.” General Claude Auchinleck, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army and thus a member of the Executive Council of the Governor-General of India, spoke very carefully. “The actions of Lord Halifax do not sit well with me.”

  “Then resign, retire and leave the role of government to loyal officers.” Cardew spoke nastily, anger and contempt dripping from every syllable.

  “Sir Richard, General Auchinleck is a soldier of the utmost integrity. He voices, as is his duty, thoughts which most of us entertain. The purpose of a council meeting is to hear all opinions, weigh all the evidence available to us and make a decision that reflects our considered opinion on what is best for the people whose governance we hold in trust. We are not a rubber stamp for the officials in DomCol and while I sit here, we never will be. Is that clear?”

  Cardew grunted noncommittally and Lord Linlithgow let it pass. He was tempted to fire the Cabinet Secretary, but it was politically unwise to do so. The man represented a significant following outside this room and removing him from the bounds of collective responsibility would be counterproductive. “And so we move to the key business of the day. The Daventry Message. Sir Martyn, will you read the key part of His Majesty’s message out please?”

  “The Powers of the Crown will pass through the direct Representative to the Col/Dom Cabinet in Committee in trust George VI Rex.”

  “What the devil does that mean?” HH was bemused.

  Sir Martyn looked at Lord Linlithgow and got a brief nod. “Well, ‘The Powers of the Crown’ are constitutional and laid down the Constitution and the Common Law; there is no real argument here. The next bit, ‘will pass through the direct Representative to the Col/Dom’. The direct representative in the case of the Dominions is the Governor General, and the Crown’s powers pass through him anyway. Col/Dom is a simple contraction of Colonial and Dominion. We’ve used it that way ourselves this morning, so there is not much to ar
gue about there either. It’s the last few words, ‘to the Col/Dom Cabinet in Committee in trust George VI Rex,’ where all the trouble begins. The way this message was sent, there is no punctuation in it and inserting commas in the passage allows it to be manipulated in any number of ways.

  “If we add a comma after ‘Committee’, the message now reads ‘to the Col/Dom Cabinet in Committee, in trust George VI Rex.’ By associating ‘Col/Dom’ with ‘Cabinet’ it transfers power to the local authorities. Furthermore, by reducing the words “in trust’ to a parting salute, it also removes a possible condition imposed by His Majesty on that power. Essentially, this echoes the Canadian repudiation of the Halifax government. We should bear in mind that this message went out twelve hours after Churchill’s message from Canada. I believe it is adding His Majesty’s stamp of approval on the Canadian actions and encouraging all the other Dominions to do the same.”

  “I disagree.” Cardew had moderated his tone, but the simmering hatred was still there. “I read this message differently. I believe a comma should be placed after ‘Col/Dom’ to read ‘to the Col/Dom, Cabinet in Committee in trust George Rex.’ This makes it quite clear that the final authority still resides in Col/Dom as a representative of the Cabinet in London. It identifies the only Cabinet with a general purview as being the one in London.”

  Harold Hartley shook his head. “That would rather defeat the whole purpose of the statement in context. Either way we read this, though, it opens an even bigger can of worms. What does ‘The Powers of the Crown will pass through the direct Representative to the Col/Dom Cabinet in Committee in trust George VI Rex,’ mean? The way I see it, the only legally supportable interpretation is the literal one. The authority of the Crown is to pass through the Governor General to the Cabinet; there it is to be held in trust by the Cabinet, sitting as a Committee of Trustees. In short, Your Excellency, the red-hot potato has just landed in your lap and we, your cabinet, can advise you as trustees. And, as you pointed out, we rule here as trustees of the Indian people.”

  “Thank you, HH.” Lord Linlithgow hesitated, “I think … in this situation, it is apparent that we have to wait upon developments. His Majesty does nothing without careful thought and I believe the ambiguity of the Daventry Message is deliberate. It authorizes us to either follow London’s lead or strike out on our own as is dictated by local circumstances and the pressure of events. We must take that as our lead and not commit ourselves in any direction, until the way forward is more clearly defined. On that note, I will declare this meeting over.

  Sir Martyn, will you remain behind for a few minutes please?”

  Once the room was empty, Lord Linlithgow relaxed slightly. “You’re right, Sir Martyn. It is clear to me that the Daventry Message gives us the authority to cut loose. What is the present position of the Congress Party?”

  “Your Excellency, on independence, they still remain adamant that the working principle should be ‘as soon as possible,’ but this does represent a major shift in their position from the original ‘now’. Nehru is prepared to accept a two year official transfer period. During this time, he will hold the position of your Deputy Viceroy while you teach him everything involved in the post. Might I add, in passing, he and many members of his executive were quite appalled at the amount and variety of work involved in the administration of this country. At the end of two years, the position of Viceroy will be abolished and that of President instituted. Nehru will, subject to elections to be held at a later date, be that President. You will hold the position of Chief of Staff to the President and will continue teaching him how to run the country. Once that transition has taken place, the Cabinet will consist of Indian officials with us acting as advisors and facilitators. This will continue until such time as the new government is running smoothly. Congress expects that to be at least a decade. At some point in that process, India will leave the Commonwealth.”

  “That is a remarkable plan.” Lord Linlithgow was genuinely impressed at the acceptance of a drawn-out transfer of power. “I am astonished that Nehru has accepted it.”

  Sir Martyn hesitated. “Your Excellency, our discussions were in good faith, both sides wanting what was best for India. We have all put aside our personal beliefs and opinions in pursuit of a solution that would serve the greater good.”

  “Does that greater good extend to continuing the war?”

  “No, Sir. It does not. Nehru is personally convinced that India should stay in the war as a means of clearly marking the break with London. Getting the Congress Party to go along with him on that will be another matter entirely. For that, we must hope for an act of God.”

  Public Bar, The White Hart, Nottingham

  “Perhaps they weren’t so stupid, Bert. Perhaps they were very clever people indeed.”

  The police officer who had been in charge of the road block a few nights earlier was putting things together very quickly. “They made sure we kept quiet, didn’t they? Put the fear of God into us. And have you heard of their Blackshirt unit? Because I haven’t. They just appeared, took Winnie away and vanished. Nothing we can do about it now.”

  “We can lift a glass to them, Alf.”

  “Aye, we can do that. And they deserve the toast.”

  Foreign Office, Government House, Calcutta, India, 4:30 PM, 29th July, 1940

  “Sir Martyn, there are unannounced visitors for you. Sir Josiah Crosby, the British Ambassador to Thailand, and the Ambassador-Plenipotentiary from the Kingdom of Thailand.” Sir Martyn Sharpe’s private secretary had a strange grin on his face. “They seek an immediate interview on a matter of the utmost importance to the security of India.”

  Sharpe looked up. Sir Josiah was an old friend of many years standing and would be welcome at a moment’s notice at any time. The mysterious Ambassador-Plenipotentiary was another matter. Sir Martyn was curious to see what he looked like and, more importantly, what he was up to. “I will see them both right away. Could you hold them for a couple of minutes, with extreme courtesy, and then usher them in? I wish Sir Eric Haohoa to attend this meeting.”

  He picked up the telephone and called Sir Eric. “Eric, Sir Josiah and the Ambassador from Thailand are here. Yes, that one. Could you drop in please? I have a feeling you might want to attend to this.”

  Once Sir Eric had arrived, the guests were shown in. To Sir Martyn’s complete amazement, the Ambassador-Plenipotentiary was a young woman; short, with close-cropped hair. She was actually quite attractive, although her face exuded power and character rather than conventional beauty. She was wearing the traditional long skirt, tunic and sash of Thai women, but the fabric was deep green silk and the outfit was obviously very expensive.

  Sir Martyn gave little sign of the surprise that had taken over most of his mind. “Sir Josiah, good to see you again. Madam Ambassador, it is an honor and a privilege to meet you at last. May I thank you for the copy of the Armistice Agreement? So far, it is still the only full copy we have received of that document.”

  “I am not surprised.” The Ambassador’s voice was a level contralto. “If I signed a document like that on behalf of my country, I would want it kept secret as well.”

  In the background, Sir Eric snorted with laughter at the quip. He also had been shaken by the identity of the Ambassador, but he was getting a strange feeling that her presence on the scene would liven the situation up no end. And he liked her sense of humor.

  “What may we do for you?” Sir Martyn had arranged for tea and refreshments to be served.

  “It’s more what the Ambassador can do for you, Martyn.” Sir Josiah sipped at a cup of tea. “Her Highness has acquired a document that is both intriguing and deeply alarming from the point of view of Indian security. How she acquired this document, I do not know but I have inspected it most closely, along with our experts from the Embassy. We have no hesitation in vouching for its authenticity.”

  “The document Sir Josiah refers to is a report by one SS Standartenführer Odwin Noth. Essentially, it prop
oses that Germany’s next move should be a strike through Turkey and the Middle East to assault India. It envisages linking up with one Subhas Chandra Bose and turning India into a German colony. Noth believed that an attack on Russia would be a disaster for Germany and evolved this plan as an alternative. Our sources suggest that this plan was well-received by the highest political circles in Germany. I have both the original document that you may authenticate and an English translation. Personally, I prefer the latter; I find trying to read Fraktur gives me a headache.”

  She handed the Noth Plan over to Sir Martyn. He started to read the translation and his eyebrows lifted sharply. He looked at her and then started reading more closely. “If I read this correctly, then any acceptance by us of the Armistice signed in London would be meaningless. The Germans are going to invade us anyway, and all dropping out of the war would achieve would be to deprive us of any chance we might have of defending ourselves.”

  “Certainly, I would not place any great faith in German expressions of good intentions.”

  “On that, we may agree. Madam Ambassador, we need to see Lord Linlithgow immediately. May I impose upon you to wait here until I can arrange a meeting? It should only be a few minutes.”

  Cabinet Room, Government House, Calcutta, India, 6:30 PM, 29th July, 1940

  “Well, it’s a very courageous plan.” General Auchinleck put the Noth Plan down with a certain degree of reluctance. “Our people have confirmed the authenticity of this report and the accuracy of the translations?”

  “Our experts here have checked the translation and it is accurate. Authenticating the document will take longer, but Sir Josiah’s people in Bangkok have done so and are prepared to vouch for it. That is not the question though. What I must know is, does this represent a practical plan?”

  “In the final analysis, this is what Alexander did. The invasion of India part anyway. I would say that our SS Standartenführer Odwin Noth is a keen student of history. To attempt this with a modern army would be an operation fraught with peril, but I would hesitate to say it could not be done. I would merely say that I would not like to be the officer commanded to undertake it.”