Britain is a constitutional monarchy, where the monarch serves merely as a nominal head of state, with power constrained by the Cabinet and Parliament. However, the royal family enjoys a considerable degree of prestige among the populace. Consequently, the Cabinet often seeks the monarch's support on various matters, especially during times of war.
To instill confidence in King George V regarding the Royal Navy, Prime Minister Asquith laid bare Churchill's naval shipbuilding plan. Upon hearing it, King George V beamed with delight.
"Excellent, truly excellent! The capital ships the Navy intends to construct are formidable vessels indeed! With these ships, the Royal Navy shall surely regain its former glory. We will exact retribution upon the Germans, decisively defeating them! They must learn that challenging the supremacy of the British Empire is tantamount to courting death," exclaimed King George V, filled with excitement.
"Yes, Your Majesty, we firmly believe that future victories will undoubtedly belong to the Empire," replied Prime Minister Asquith.
King George V nodded repeatedly. "Does the Navy face any difficulties? If you require my assistance, do not hesitate to speak. After all, I am the king of this nation; I must aid my country in vanquishing its foes!"
Prime Minister Asquith hesitated to decline but soon recalled the substantial wealth amassed by the royal family over centuries. An idea struck him—if he could secure financial backing from the crown, the government's burden would be significantly alleviated.
"Your Majesty, the primary concern is financial. To successfully construct these vessels, the Navy requires approximately seventy million pounds. Given the ongoing war, the government's pressure is immense, making it challenging to raise such a sum," Asquith explained.
"The royal family can certainly provide some financial support. Thus, I shall contribute twenty million pounds, and the government shall cover the remainder," King George V generously declared.
It is essential to note that during this era, money held substantial value. Twenty million pounds was indeed a considerable sum, equivalent to four hundred million marks at current exchange rates.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Asquith responded, elated. The royal family's twenty-million-pound contribution would at least address their immediate concerns, allowing the preliminary work on the Navy's shipbuilding plan to commence. They would find ways to procure the additional funds as needed.
However, as Asquith departed Buckingham Palace, his smile faded. He still felt an immense weight upon his shoulders. While royal support would allow the Navy's shipbuilding plans to proceed, they faced a myriad of challenges. For instance, these vessels would require at least two years to complete, but would the Germans afford them that time? This prospect was indeed daunting. Additionally, the German Navy's assaults on British maritime supply lines persisted unabated. Following their recent losses, the Royal Navy was clearly unable to retaliate against the German fleet, making it inevitable that their supply lines would eventually be severed. If that occurred, they might find themselves doomed long before the two years had elapsed.
"This cannot continue; otherwise, the British Empire is bound to face defeat," Asquith remarked, his countenance grave. However, how could he assist the Empire in this predicament? The Prime Minister began to ponder deeply.
As the car pulled into 10 Downing Street, a glimmer of clarity began to emerge for Asquith.
"Bring the First Lord of the Admiralty and the Foreign Secretary to me at once; I have urgent matters to discuss with them," Asquith instructed.
"Of course, Prime Minister," the secretary promptly replied.
Within half an hour, Churchill and Sir Edward Grey arrived at the Prime Minister's residence.
Although it was quite late, neither had yet retired for the night. As senior officials during a time of crisis, both were exceedingly busy.
"Gentlemen, I have called you here at such a late hour to explore any solutions you might propose to address the crisis facing the Empire's maritime supply lines. If we fail to resolve this issue, we may not endure for two years," Asquith stated.
Both Churchill and Sir Edward Grey nodded in agreement.
They were acutely aware that should the supply lines be severed, relying solely on British domestic resources would render their survival problematic, let alone waging war against the Germans.
"Prime Minister, the Germans have shamelessly employed unrestricted submarine warfare, and we currently lack the means to counter their tactics. However, addressing this issue is not entirely devoid of potential solutions. Admiral John Jellicoe has proposed a suggestion that I believe holds promise," Churchill articulated.
"Oh? What suggestion is that?" inquired Asquith.
"Admiral Jellicoe has suggested that our merchant vessels should fly the American flag or, alternatively, that we employ American merchant ships for our transport needs. This way, the Germans would hesitate to attack American vessels. Should they indeed possess the audacity to do so, it would actually be advantageous for the Empire. Let us not forget, the United States is also one of the great powers of our time, and their naval strength ranks just behind that of the Empire and Germany. If they were to join our side in this conflict, we could swiftly defeat the Germans," Churchill expounded.
Asquith nodded vigorously. "That is an excellent plan. If we implement this strategy, the Germans will find it exceedingly difficult to disrupt our maritime supply lines. Although we may incur additional costs, this is a reasonable trade-off."
"Prime Minister, I believe we should explore avenues to draw the Americans into this conflict. The Germans have demonstrated an unexpectedly formidable performance in this war. If we could entice the Americans to join our ranks, we could defeat the Germans with minimal expense," Sir Edward Grey suggested.
"Enticing the Americans has proven challenging; they have been waiting to see which way the wind blows before committing to our cause!" Asquith frowned.
"We might consider alternative approaches, such as increasing our orders for war materials from the Americans and continuing to borrow from them. This would effectively compel them to participate on our side. Should we lose the war, they would gain nothing," Sir Edward Grey said, a sly smile playing on his lips.
After a moment's consideration, Asquith expressed his support for this suggestion.
"Let us instruct our ambassador in Washington to initiate contact with the Americans. If possible, we should encourage them to join our side, even if it means conceding some of our interests."