Chapter 21： The turmoil caused by the revelations

"Belgium is more than luan, and the Netherlands is constantly expanding in the Pacific?

Is this title enough to catch the eye?

This was the hottest topic in the West throughout January 1862.

Is it not enough? there are more.

The British Empire is coming?

It wants to build a naval base in the central seaport city of Ostad on the Belgian coast?

According to a leaked Belgian government "confidential intelligence report", following the establishment of the British Empire's first military base on the European continent in Gibraltar in southern Europe, the British Empire intends to establish a permanent military base in the central coastal area of ​​Belgium. , which is also the UK's second military base in continental Europe.

But the strange thing is that neither Belgium nor the British Empire has denied or acknowledged the information that this intelligence was leaked. "

Now there are influential newspapers in the West, including the British Empire's "Financer"/"London Times"/"The Times", France's "Le Figaro"/"Le Monde", and Prussia's "Berlin Daily" / "Nord Zeitung", Austria's "Corona" / "News", Spain's "Madrid" / "Spain Herald", Sweden "Domestic Post" / "Nordic Times" and Norway's "Evening Post" "Daily Report", "Holland Business Daily"/"New Rotterdam", "Voice of Tsarist Russia"/"St. Petersburg Daily", "New York Post"/"Chicago Daily" and so on.

They all have significant influence in their own countries, and it is difficult for other countries to get involved, except for one newspaper, which rose five years ago and was headquartered in the Principality of Luxembourg, which is far from the Netherlands. With the same geographical location, in the middle of the four wars, it has become the fastest growing, most widely distributed, most widely published, and most trusted newspaper in European history.

It was the most influential European Times from 1857 to 1862. In addition to Luxembourg and the Netherlands, it also has branches in the Kingdom of Belgium, the French Empire, the British Empire, the Kingdom of Portugal and the Kingdom of Spain. , and Luxembourg's neighbors, the Kingdom of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia, the Kingdom of Bavaria, the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Württemberg, etc. in the German Confederation, the "European Times" has its own distribution steps. It can be said that it has created history and become A newspaper that is read every day across Europe, so its influence is generally visible.

Her consistent style is a fair, just and open strategy, and her position is impartial. These are the sources of its recognition.

Its new issue every day is enough to attract people's attention.

A new day finally arrived on February 1, 1862.

As before, as soon as their eyes fell, they didn't want to leave. The news in this issue is the same as before, because it's too exciting.

According to the exclusive revelations received by Luxembourg's "European Times" from people familiar with the matter, according to the investigation results of the joint civil agencies of France, the Netherlands and Prussia, using the resources of these agencies, the intelligence results from the highly classified military intelligence services of their respective countries show that, If the base is built, it will not only not supply the British Empire's huge warships with fuel and daily necessities, but also replenish ammunition and provide warship maintenance, etc. The British Empire will use this as a more substantial ability to dominate the western coast of Europe. This could be a terrible nightmare for countries along the western coast of Europe.

The British Empire will find a frontier base for policies affecting European countries in the southern part of the Beihai Sea. This threat, which is having immediate consequences for the Netherlands, France and even the German Confederation, is ringing alarm bells for both France and the Netherlands.

However, these non-governmental organizations refused to disclose more details, saying that they did not receive more corroborating information for fear of revealing the secrets of various countries.

The information that the report tried to prove that the British Empire really intended to do so was that a research report and a proposal from within Belgium had been reviewed and approved by Prime Minister Valvatai Frel Alban, and is now ready to be sent. Going to the Belgian Parliament for a vote, if passed, it will take effect immediately as long as the Belgian King Leopold I signs it.

With such a certainty, it is hard for people to think that it is just groundless and purely fictional.

The second source of information is that a colonel of the Dunkirk Fleet of the Northern French Navy said in an interview with this newspaper: "The frequency of warships from the British Empire has increased in the past month, which is obviously very important. Probably in preparation for the construction of a naval base."

The colonel also said: "If troops from the United Kingdom do come into Belgium, it will be the greatest threat that France has ever faced will be the time when France needs to face the most powerful enemy threat. It's even more threatening than the original Holy Alliance period, because at that time there was only one alliance with discordant hearts, and now a sea hegemon is building a bunker next to France's couch and staring at you to sleep, can France sleep? "

The third piece of information is an expert from the Kingdom of the Netherlands who is familiar with the internal political situation in Belgium. He is also a specially invited expert of this newspaper. Hermann Van Rompuy, Dean of the School of Foreign Affairs of Leiden University, revealed in an interview: " The Netherlands is very worried that the British Empire will establish a base in Belgium. After all, it is about 100 kilometers away from the Netherlands. This will make the United Kingdom the first time to threaten the Dutch mainland. This is a very scary thing. I think, not only us I don’t want this base to be settled and built, and other European countries will not agree with Belgium’s approach, so I say through the European Times, the British Empire, you are doing this, be careful to cause public anger!”

Finally, the dean also told this newspaper vigilantly that he mentioned that in the report submitted by the Netherlands to Congress earlier this year, the British Empire may consider establishing naval bases in Belgium, Norway, Portugal, Sicily, Italy, etc. The operation of casting a wide net is the net profit of one fish, which can be described as "well-intentioned", reminding countries to be careful to introduce wolves into the house. The story of the Netherlands and Belgium in 1830 is a lesson from the past!

There are many sources of intelligence revelations with no beginning and no end. Some French and Dutch civil and government personnel have paradoxical concerns and statements on various occasions. Even the intelligence and public opinion circles such as Prussia and Hanover have joined in. There are so many of them. People and mouths, can piece together a new pretext, so as to spread the seeds of the so-called "British Empire Threat Theory" in the world......