yesterdays war

by gerald hall

  “Churchill is asking us to implement some risky ideas though. Not just with the guns, but also the engines that he wants to use.”

  “Those new engines that Churchill wants us to use would allow us to build capital ships that can stand up to virtually anything in the world. The engines themselves would be built here in England and have already been successfully used in several commercial ships built in Australia.”

  “I worry about using high-pressure steam boilers and turbines. The Germans have also been building them. But I understand that their reliability leaves much to be desired.”

  “I know. But this company that has proposed incorporating these engines into our new battleships says that their reliability is much higher than the German designs. The proposed power plants are running slightly lower pressures and temperatures than the Germans so that they will be much more reliable. This company also claims that these engines are far more fuel efficient than our existing designs.

  They are also offering to produce the engines at a cost that is very close to the price of our existing capital ship engine designs.”

  “The cost of the engines may very well be the deciding factor, Roger. You know about our continuing issues with funding.”

  “I’m afraid that you are right, Ernle. But these engines perform as promised, we may actually receive the best of both worlds.”

  “I certainly hope so.RodneyandNelsoncertainly did not turn out nearly as well as had been planned.”

  “Perhaps these newfangled aircraft carriers will be useful as the aviation advocates claim that they will be. That is another one of Churchill’s pet projects as well, you know.”

  The two senior officers continued to discuss the situation about the future of the Royal Navy. But they had no idea of what was really happening to alter the direction of future events. Even if they did know, they could not believe it.

  Chapter Twenty: The Kremlin Moscow, USSR May 1, 1937

  Josef Stalin sat at the head of a long table at one of the great halls of the Kremlin. Seated along the sides of that table were the other members of the Soviet Politburo, the supreme body of ministers that governed the Soviet Union. But Josef Stalin was the unquestioned leader of that vast nation as the Premier of the Soviet Union. Among the people present were the People’s Commissar for Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union Kliment Voroshilov, Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars Vyacheslav Molotov, Procurator General Andrey Vyshinsky, Foreign Secretary Maxim Litvinov and Deputy Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, Janis Rudzutaks.

  Even though Molotov was officially the premier and held considerable influence, Stalin was the real power in the Politburo.

  “Comrade Litvinov, your efforts in gaining influence for the Soviet Union in England and the United States have been very successful. It was very amusing when the Americans sent their comic Harpo Marx to visit us.”

  “I enjoyed his visit as well. It was also very ironic that the American comic’s last name was Marx considering who we received our ultimate philosophy from. Getting back to our successes, Roosevelt is far more willing to accept the power of the State being superior to that of the capitalistic individual. That gives us much common ground. The same is true of the politicians of the British Labor Party. There is still strong conservative proletariat movements in both countries that strongly oppose the collective peoples’ movement that we espouse, unfortunately.”

  “What about your diplomatic overtures with the Germans? We need an ally in Western Europe, even if only for a few years while we get our own house in order. There are many sympathizers for the Bolshevik cause in France, but they have proven to be ineffective in overthrowing the government there.” Molotov asked.

  “So far, the Nazis have shown little interest in reaching an accommodation with us. If anything, their leader Adolf Hitler has been publicly attacking us in his speeches to the German people. I don’t know if we will be able to convince Hitler to work with us on anything.” Litvinov explained while Stalin intently watched while chain-smoking cigarettes. His eyes were squinted as he also looked at the others around the table through a cloud of cigarette smoke.

  Finally, Stalin spoke up, “I have little trust in that snake Hitler, even if I share his hatred for the Jews.” ignoring the fact that his own foreign minister was Jewish. “That rabble rouser cannot bring back his despicable little country of militarists and capitalists from bankruptcy, much less arm it sufficiently to threaten us. But they do hold a strategic position that we someday wish to control.

  Comrade Litvinov, you are to continue to pursue a temporary alliance with the Germans, perhaps even offering to share control of Poland in order to gain acceptance. Germany’s technology and industrial prowess are also certainly of great importance to the Soviet Union.

  In any event, Germany is a concern for another day. Even if Hitler wishes to resist our Revolution, he will find us at his doorstep far sooner than he expects. However, we still face a greater threat from the counter-revolutionaries here within the Motherland.”

  There was little doubt in anyone’s mind at the table that Stalin would continue ruthlessly purging all who he even remotely suspected of being a threat to his power. His paranoia concerning threats to his regime had already become legendary. At the same time, Stalin continued to push for the Bolshevik revolution to be spread throughout the world.

  “What of our efforts by our foreign operatives to recruit more revolutionaries and destabilize more of the capitalist governments?” Stalin asked

  “We are continuing to have considerable success in many European, Asian and South American countries in the creation and expansion of revolutionary cells and movements. This also includes scientists, politicians and even military officers in England, France, Germany and America.

  There have been several notable exceptions to our worldwide progress however,Tovarich.”

  “Well, don’t make me wait, Comrade Litvinov. Tell me about where our efforts have been falling the most short of the party’s expectations. You know that failure is not acceptable.” Molotov pressed while Stalin looked on closely, his eyes squinting while he smoked a cigarette.

  “We have been making numerous attempts to gain influence in Australia, particularly through their Liberal and Labor political parties. For more than a decade, it appeared that we were succeeding. However, our agents in that country have reported a series of setbacks.”

  “What sort of setbacks?” an irritated Stalin interrupted.

  “Someone is pouring money behind the scenes in support of conservative candidates, at least conservative in terms of military spending and most social programs. He has directly or indirectly caused the defeat of at least seven regional candidates who had supported our Bolshevik Revolution and favored collectivist policies as well as a more friendly relationship with us.”

  “Do we know who this person is?”

  “Our agents say that his name is Harold Cavill. We know little about his background before the end of the war against Imperial Germany. Supposedly, he was a mining prospector who was incredibly fortunate and became wealthy discovering very productive mineral deposits. After that, he chose to exploit the people around him like a traditional capitalist to become even wealthier. Now, he is taking that wealth and buying political influence. Harold Cavill pretends to help the workers with schools, hospitals and wages. But he is gaining wealth far faster than any of the people who toil for him.

  He has also been influencing affairs in England and possibly even in America. He has made several visits to both countries, meeting with industrial and political leaders frequently. He has returned to Australia with skilled workers like engineers from America, England and even Germany to assist him with building factories and thus accumulating even more capital from the sweat of his workers’ toil.”

  “We must watch this man carefully. He is obviously an enemy of the proletariat as one of the greedybourgeoiscapitalists. If he continues to exploit the workers and interfere with our eff
orts to free them, we must consider eliminating him. I am sure that we have agents in the area who can accomplish this if necessary.” Stalin grimly told the rest of the Politburo.

  The others in the room all nodded in agreement. Many had died over the course of the Bolshevik Revolution, both inside and outside of the Soviet Union, with as little discussion.

  Stalin had already decided that more aggressive action would need to be taken to deal with the situation in Australia. After the meeting of the Politburo, Stalin asked for his People’s Commissar for State Security or NKVD, Nikolai Ivanovich Yezhov, for a private meeting.

  The diminutive Yezhov arrived at Stalin’s office only a couple of hours later. Initially, Yezhov stood at attention in front of Stalin’s desk.

  “Sit down,Tovarich. I have a concern that I want you to take care of. This is going to be different than most of the tasks you have undertaken for me. This involves a person outside of the Soviet Union who was never part of our people. He is a wealthy capitalist in the country of Australia. I know that it is far from our Motherland, but I have a strong feeling that he is a far greater threat to us than he appears.” Stalin calmly said.

  “What measures so you need to be taken against this threat to the State and the Revolution, Comrade Stalin?”

  “Do whatever you must to eliminate this threat. That will include summary execution of this capitalist exploiter of the Proletariat. However, you must take care that your efforts must not be traced back to the Motherland.”

  “Yes, Comrade Stalin. I will begin at once.” Yezhov declared.

  Stalin then sent Yezhov off to perform the ruthless tasks that the latter was already infamous for. The sadistic head of NKVD had come in from outside of the previous organs of state security, but quickly earned a reputation for torture and terror as he pursued Stalin’s real or imagined opponents. The ‘Poison Dwarf’ even personally tortured his predecessor Genrikh Yagoda and Marshall Mikhail Tukhachevsky to obtain their confessions.

  Stalin expected that Yezhov would be no less ruthless in dealing with this Harold Cavill. But the task would be much more difficult with the conditions that Stalin set though.

  Chapter Twenty-One: Cavill Industries Corporate Headquarters Derby, Western Australia

  September 14, 1937

  Courtney Martin, Harold’s most recent recruit from America was visiting the main office in Derby. He was an electrical engineer that Harold brought over right after the former had graduated from a major American university.

  “Good morning, Mister Sykes. I came over to see how much funding remains available for the new expansion at the electrical power plant.”

  “You still have a sufficient amount of project funds available, Mister Martin. What I am attempting to determine is what Mister Cavill up to this time? Sometimes, he drives me nearly to insanity with all of these projects of his.” Alan Sykes, his corporate accountant asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Harold Cavill is a man who is obviously brilliant and clearly also unnaturally fortunate as well. First, he becomes quite wealthy with the gold, silver and other mines that he discovers in addition to a variety of investments. Then he invests in constructing a shipyard in an obscure location and spends nearly every penny that he has upgrading it while buying old warships for scrap. At the same time, he takes what funds that he still has and invests them in even more obscure stocks and commodities, redoubling his fortune. He’s even built a steel mill right next to his new electric plant, both of which spew coal smoke all day and night but generate considerable profits for Mister Cavill and plenty of jobs for the people around here.

  He doesn’t flaunt his wealth, mind you. He lives on a small farm with his wife and children not far from that shipyard of his. If you didn’t know him when he walked past you, you wouldn’t have guessed that Mister Cavill was so wealthy. He dresses in ordinary workman’s clothes like everyone else around here. The only time that he wears fancy clothing is when he is traveling overseas. About the only extravagant things that he owns are that large German speedboat that he had shipped here last year and the big horse farm that he set up northeast of here.

  It is remarkable how he travels all over the world, spending money almost as prolifically as he makes it. He’s even built a couple of ocean liners that small aircraft can take off and land on. He did that without even having a customer ready for them.

  Fortunately, he sold those ships to an American shipping company shortly after their completion. Now, he is making plans to build a new aircraft factory next to his current facility that produces rifles and cannons. This is in addition to the aircraft factory in Sydney that he set up with Westland Aircraft that is building his new flying boats and the new facility to make radio equipment.

  Mister Cavill also wants to expand his engine factory to produce diesel motors in addition to the steamship and aircraft engines already made there. I now have invoices here for the purchase of ten thousand military uniforms from a textile factory in America. That’s enough to clothe half the town.

  He also owns nearly a dozen other industrial factories outside of Derby that he purchased in the past few years as well. Who knows what else he wants to purchase next? But I am afraid that even his funds have limits.”

  “What is wrong with Mister Cavill building and buying factories? He’s giving people real jobs. How many others are doing that right now? Since he started the militia to protect Derby and the surrounding area, it makes sense that he would want them to have uniforms so that people can tell the difference between the militiamen and an armed thug.”

  “Nothing is wrong with those things at all, I suppose. There are some people who say that Mister Cavill is single-handedly bringing this entire country out of the economic depression that has paralyzed most of the world’s economies. I certainly hope that he is making that kind of effect. But I worry about him devoting so much of his fortune in what appears to be a reckless manner.” Alan shook his head before continuing.

  “In any event, Mister Cavill says that the new engines that he is going to build are going to be used for tractors and perhaps even railroad locomotives. But these motors appear to be too powerful to be useful on any kind of tractor that I have ever heard of.”

  “Why do you say that, Mister Sykes?”

  “It is because of the specifications that I just received from Mister Cavill. He has had an engineer from America design the motors that he wants the factory to build. The specifications say that the motor is to be an in-line eight-cylinder diesel engine displacing approximately eleven liters. The motor is supposed to be capable of producing over five-hundred brake horsepower with the boost of a turbosupercharger.”

  “That would be a very powerful motor indeed. Perhaps those will be for the railroad locomotives though? He has contracted to build several new rail lines along the western coast and into the interior with the support of the state of Western Australia. Do the specifications that you saw describe anything else?”

  “The specifications for the designs mention the development of four, six and ten cylinder versions of the motor block. Subsequent development would involve pairs of the base motor blocks in a V-configuration or even a sort of parallel radial configuration for even more horsepower. The V-Twenty motor that they are proposing would generate over two thousand horsepower. The designer of the engines replied in his correspondence that the motors would be very suitable for marine use as well.”

  “Well, Mister Sykes. It is his money. So he can spend it as he pleases. If he is building factories, those new factories mean more jobs for the rest of us. Besides, he has treated all of us very well, even from the very beginning. It doesn’t seem to matter where we are a native-born Australian from the Outback or if we are someone from another part of the world. I suppose that we owe him more than a little, especially with how generous he has been.”

  “Some of his new investors are not completely happy about that, or about a number of other things that Mister Cavill has insisted upon. His a
bsolute demand on total control of product development and the retention of technology has angered a number of potential investors.”

  “Yet, they continue to approach him with offers, don’t they? Whatever they make not like about his methods, they obviously see how successful and profitable his initiatives are.”

  “I have to admit, that is true. Mister Cavill certainly made enough money on the sale of those two big ocean liners with the flight decks on top of them. They are being used all along the American West Coast from Baja, Mexico all the way up to Anchorage, Alaska. They use the aircraft primarily to deliver mail, people and light cargo along their routes. But I understand that part of the appeal is that some of the passengers also take flights over the ocean for fun.”

  “I heard that these new ships also deliver some bulk cargo as well.”

  “That is true. But mostly, the liners transport people. I’m frankly surprised that no one else has tried out such an idea.”

  “It was certainly a gamble on Mister Cavill’s part. He did not have any customers for those ships when he started constructing them. I guess that he just did it on faith.”

  “Sometimes, doing things on faith alone is a very scary proposition.”

  “Maybe that is why he and his family are always in Sunday worship services. He has to be getting such faith from somewhere, not to mention his success. Maybe it is a ‘God thing’. I don’t know.”

  “At least the newspapers in Australia have stopped referring to Mister Cavill as one of those ‘merchants of death’ that the liberals are frequently crying about. He does build a lot of military equipment at his factories. But Mister Cavill also manufactures a lot of civilian products like cargo ships, aircraft and trucks as well. We certainly see a lot of them being advertised about in the newspapers.” Courtney noted.