Start 1861: I just inherited the Dutch throne

Chapter 1162: Report from the MI
Krakatoa ejected nearly 21 cubic kilometers of rock debris into the air, and a large amount of ash fell over an area of ​​30 acres (about 80 square kilometers).

Currently, the large amount of pumice piles near Krakatoa volcano are so thick that it is difficult for ships to pass through.

Ash plumes in the air shrouded the surrounding area in darkness for two and a half days, and the dust from the storm circled the Earth several times, causing red-orange sunsets over the past few months.

Our meteorological and geological experts even predict that this condition will continue for the next year.”

The person who spoke was Interior Minister Seta. He usually had a smile on his face, but now he showed a serious expression which was rare for him.

There is no way, the direct death toll is tens of thousands.
This does not include the injured and the number of people who have to be relocated from the disaster-stricken areas. As Home Secretary, he has the responsibility to bring a better life to the victims, but he finds that he is powerless to change these things.

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Jules Darneton glanced at William IV carefully, only to see that the latter had a frown on his face.

Deputy Prime Minister Josephine Beit asked gloomily: "Our Interior Minister, please tell us in detail the current casualties."

Seta lowered his head and responded.

The more William IV and others listened, the gloomier their faces became.

The whole atmosphere ended in this atmosphere.

On the afternoon of April 1883, 4, the Dutch Ministry of the Interior held a press conference. Interior Minister Seta painfully announced at the meeting that the death toll from the eruption of Krakatoa volcano in the East Indies had reached 20. In addition, a large number of people were burned, scalded, and injured by volcanic ash and volcanic rocks, with more than 36518 casualties.

In addition, as data is updated, the number of casualties will inevitably continue to rise in the future.

It is not known whether it is to compete with the Dutch newspaper for credibility, but the British Financial Times also published information about the volcanic eruption in the Dutch East Indies. The newspaper pointed out that the recent Krakatoa volcanic eruption has killed 36609 people and injured 17259 people.

《澳大利亚日报》据荷兰内政部当地时间 4月25日的最新消息，截止目前发生火山爆发造成超41034人遇难和至少18717人受伤，另外有超过500人失踪。

Hundreds of thousands of houses and buildings were damaged to varying degrees.

Dutch Prime Minister Jules Danetang said at Downing Street in Melbourne that the current rescue situation is worrying, but he said the Dutch government will not miss any opportunity to help the people.

"As citizens of the Netherlands, we will not abandon any of you. Rest assured, we have dispatched more than 1 soldiers to participate in the rescue plan, and we are already studying feasible policies to help residents of damaged houses, help you rebuild your homes and live a good life."

As the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Jules Danedan's words seem to have had some effect.

Soon after, organizations such as the International Women's Federation and the International Red Cross expressed their willingness to support the Netherlands and help the people affected by the disaster.

It seems to have played a good leading role.

On April 1883, 4, the Kingdom of Siam (the predecessor of Thailand), the Netherlands' eastern ally in the north of the East Indies, expressed its willingness to do its utmost to support the Netherlands in overcoming difficulties.

At the same time, the Nordic members of the Four-Nation Alliance, Sweden, Denmark and Spain, and Greece in Southern Europe also expressed their willingness to help the Netherlands.

Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Bolivia, Venezuela and the five Central American countries in South America all joined the team to support the Netherlands in fighting the disaster. Soon after, the United States of America followed suit.

Queen Victoria was furious when she saw the angry look on her eldest son, Prince Edward.

Looking at Alice constantly winking at Edward, I sighed in my heart and thought how nice it would be if Alice could talk to Edward about her identity.

In Europe, the custom is to pass down the throne to the eldest son rather than the youngest son, whether it is in the aristocratic royal family or in the common people's family.

This is basically a consensus among Europeans.

In Europe, the throne is passed down to the legitimate son rather than to illegitimate sons, especially for illegitimate sons, who have very few chances. Many would rather pass the throne to their nephews than to their illegitimate sons.

Therefore, although Queen Victoria was dissatisfied with her eldest son for many years, as a European, she was not immune to this sentiment.

After all, passing on the throne was not something she had the final say on alone. Although she was strong, just thinking about the scene of opposition was enough to make her feel guilty.

"Mother, the Netherlands is facing a disaster right now, and it's in the Strait of Malacca, where we compete with the Netherlands for an important waterway in the Far East. I always feel that it is in the best interest of Britain to take the life of our opponent while he is alive."

Prince Edward showed a relentless sign and said: "The Netherlands has been operating there for many years, and even deployed a large number of naval equipment and personnel on the island of Sumatra. According to our intelligence, there are at least more than 4 steam battleships and more than 30 naval ships deployed on the island of Sumatra.

If it is expanded to include Jakarta, the political and economic center there, then the Netherlands' dominance there will weaken in the future, and we can take the opportunity to expand our dominance in the Malay Peninsula across the Strait of Malacca."

Edward looked up at Queen Victoria. Although he felt uneasy when he saw her frown, he still expressed his thoughts and said, "If possible, we need to send more warships to gather there, and even land on Sumatra Island to occupy the frontier position across the strait."

Queen Victoria's expression became increasingly grim as she asked, "What if the Netherlands strikes back and sends more troops from Australia to occupy the Malay Peninsula, or even attacks Burma which we have just occupied?"

Then we will send more troops from India to fight back, and even use this as an excuse to attack the Australian continent. Then we will even have an excuse to attack the Dutch territory in Europe, such as Amsterdam, and their territory in the Atlantic Ocean. At that time, we will completely compete with the Netherlands to see if the Netherlands can afford this war for hegemony over the sea. "

The British military focuses on the sea, and our navy is larger than that of the Netherlands. We will definitely not lose to them."

Queen Victoria sneered: "Do you think we can win a war with the Netherlands in Europe?"

Crown Prince Edward said: "We will definitely win."

Queen Victoria then asked: "Do you think we can withstand an attack by the Dutch on our territories in the Indo-Pacific?"

"Your Excellency Crown Prince Edward, your optimism seems to be overdone. Come and take a look at the report provided by MI6 and then come back to me." After saying that, Queen Victoria threw out a document and left with an unhappy look on her face.

Alice moved her mouth and finally said, "The Netherlands is not our best target right now."

After saying that, Alice also left, leaving Prince Edward alone with a confused look on his face.

(End of this chapter)