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

good for them to know.
    ‘Receiving no satisfaction in the matter of the shell business from the War Office, French took steps to acquaint some of the principal Ministers with the situation. They tackled Kitchener, but he adopted the attitude that what had been good enough for him to use against the Boers in South Africa was good enough for Sir John French to use against the Germans, and flatly refused to do anything about it. As Kitchener was the idol of the public, to have forced his resignation might have brought the Government down; so they sought the aid of Lord Northcliffe.
    ‘He was the most powerful Press Baron of the day and he used the freedom of the press to attack the War Office. Soon, people who had never even heard of shrapnel before were saying in every pub in Britain how futile it was to burst shells filled with shrapnel bullets twelve feet above deep trenches, and indignantly demanded that high explosive should be sent to blow them in. The public assumed that Kitchener was far too busy directing the strategy of the war to be responsible for types of ammunition: so it was the poor old War Office that got the raw end of the deal. But there was such a storm about it that he had to give way, and the B.E.F. got the shells it needed.’
    I nodded. ‘Yes, I do remember now once hearing some story on those lines. But I’m no Press Baron, and I can’t imagine it would cut much ice if I wrote to
The Times
as a private individual, urging the adoption of the New Look.’
    ‘No; but it would if you wrote as Chairman of your Company, and you had some very concrete reason for doing so.’
    ‘Such as?’ I asked, now agog with curiosity.
    Sir Charles stubbed out the butt of his cigar, and turned his pale-blue eyes, that looked so enormous through the pebble lenses, full upon me. ‘It would be on the subject of E-boats,’ he said slowly. ‘The Admiralty has just passed an order for six more of them; and you know how much they cost—a million apiece.’
    ‘No, no!’ I protested. ‘I feel sure you’ve been misinformed about that, Sir. I only know the cost of the hulls; but I reallycan’t believe that arming them brings the total up to anything like a million.’
    ‘It does, Hillary. I’ve been into every detail. I know the share you shipbuilders get is only a fraction of that sum, and the biggest item is not the armaments either. It is all the scientific gadgets with which every ship of war now has to be packed. There are scores of them, and most of them cost a small fortune. I assure you that by the time a new E-boat has now completed her trials she has cost the country a million pounds sterling.’
    ‘Good Lord alive! That’s as much as a Dreadnought, which had twelve-inch guns and took a thousand men to sea, used to cost in 1914.’
    ‘I know; and another Dreadnought meant something in those days. But in a nuclear war these six new E-boats will be no more use to us than six fishing smacks.’
    ‘Then you want me to write to
The Times
calling public attention to what you have just told me?’
    ‘There is more to it than that. Your Company’s tender has been accepted for building two of these boats. The acceptance is probably already in the post to that retired Admiral who is your Sales Manager—what’s his name? Yes, Sir Tuke Waldron. When he informs you of this nice order he has secured, I want you to refuse it.’
    ‘What!’ I exclaimed, sitting up with a jerk.
    Sir Charles smiled at me. ‘I know that what I am asking is a bit hard on you and your shareholders; but I’m sure your Company is much too solid a concern to be at all seriously affected by the loss of this order. Quite frankly, I am appealing to you on patriotic grounds. You did not know about this contract before I told you of it, so you can honestly say that it was obtained without your knowledge. I want you to reject it, then write to
The Times
, saying what you have done, state the convictions you have formed this evening about the