The Ka of Gifford Hillary by Dennis Wheatley Read Free Book Online Page A

committee to devote one hundred million per annum to this purpose.
    This, then, was the optimum solution to be aimed at. Could it be achieved, the N.A.T.O. nations would possess such overwhelming superiority in the Air and in destructive power that the likelihood of the Soviets challenging it must be remote; while, should they do so, the Allies might confidently expect to destroy all the principal cities of Russia within thirty-six hours and bring the war to a victorious conclusion so swiftly that they would have sustained only comparatively minor damage themselves.
    As I put the paper down, Sir Charles asked: ‘Well, what d’you think of it?’
    I sighed. ‘It’s pretty tough on the Navy.’
    ‘I know. If the New Look goes through, I’ll never again be able to look any of my sailor friends in the face. But we must be realistic. To allow ourselves to be influenced by sentiment would be to betray the nation. The point is, do you agree with the main conclusions in that paper or not?’
    ‘I do. How can one help doing so? The whole thing is so damnably logical.’
    He stood up, came round to collect my glass, poured another ration of brandy into it, handed it back and said with a smile: ‘You’re going to need that, Hillary. The admission you have just made entitles me to make to you the request I have in mind. Of course, you’ve complete liberty to refuse it; but I hope you won’t.’
    Sitting down in the corner of the sofa opposite to me, he stretched out his long legs and went on: ‘As I’ve already said,when this thing goes before the House, as it must if we are to combine the three Services, there is going to be the very devil of an uproar. Even the cockneys, whose only experience of the sea is a trip to Brighton, are going to wave their wooden legs in defence of the Navy. “All the nice girls love a sailor” too, so even the women will be against us. As for the Admirals past and present, just think of the opposition they will stir up. That’s the trouble. There is a very real danger that the Bill will be thrown out; and you know what that would mean?’
    ‘If the Government were defeated on such a major issue, it would have no alternative but to resign and go to the country.’
    ‘Yes, and that would be bad enough; but far worse would follow. If we went out on that issue we’d have to fight the Election on it; and as the People are far more sentimental than the House it is a hundred to one that we would remain out. That would result in the status quo being maintained and the New Look being shelved indefinitely. If that happens, within another five years we’ll be completely at the mercy of the Russians.’
    I nodded. ‘Yes; from those papers I’ve read I’m convinced now that drastic measures provide the only solution. I’m still completely in the dark, though, about how I might be able to help.’
    ‘I’m coming to that. After much thought I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way we can hope to get this thing over is by preparing public opinion beforehand. Do you remember the high explosive shell business in 1915?’
    ‘No, I was only a babe in arms then.’
    ‘But surely you must have heard of it. After the first great land battles the Germans dug themselves in. Ninety per cent of the shells supplied to our Field Artillery were shrapnel. They had proved very effective against troops in open warfare, but were no earthly use against trenches and concrete pill-boxes. In consequence, the C. in C. of the B.E.F., General French, asked for less shrapnel and a big increase in high explosive shell. Lord Kitchener was Secretary of State for War. He was, of course, a great administrator; but the public thought of him as much more than that. His prestige with them was enormous, and being a veryself-opinionated, dictatorial type of man, he took full advantage of it. On military matters he rarely bothered to consult his colleagues in the Cabinet, but just told them afterwards as much as he judged it