"France and Spain's colonies may look vast, but the profits they bring their governments are extremely limited." Lord Hawkesbury waved a hand proudly. "At the same time, those places are all terribly underdeveloped."
As he spoke, he leaned back in his chair:
"There are no prosperous towns, and the number of immigrants is small. This means the colonies may even become a burden to them.
"I can share some information with you. By this time, the Prime Minister's envoys should already have arrived separately in the United States and the Portuguese-Brazilian United Kingdom.
"France's influence in Louisiana severely hindered the United States' westward expansion. The Philadelphia government indeed feared the French, but with our support, their army will soon cross the Mississippi River.
"In fact, several transport ships loaded with Flintlock Guns, Cannons, and Military Uniforms will arrive in Philadelphia at the beginning of next month—enough to arm twenty thousand soldiers. Naturally, there is also a loan of 250,000 Pound Sterling.
"As you know, France has only a little over a thousand soldiers in Louisiana. Even if the Spaniards there are willing to serve them loyally, they can gather at most two thousand troops. The Americans will defeat them before long.
"When that happens, Paris will have no choice but to dispatch a large Expeditionary Force to stop the Americans. And fighting in North America will consume an astonishing amount of military funding."
Mm. No one knew better than the British Government just how costly it was to fight the Americans in North America.
Lord Hawkesbury continued:
"Likewise, once His Highness João receives sufficient military funding, his newly formed Royal Guard will launch fierce attacks on Cayenne, New Granada, and other places. This will be a continuation of the war between Portugal and Spain on the Iberian Peninsula."
Kobzl had