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Text Chapter 278: War or peace (please subscribe)

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    "Gentlemen, Mr. Stevens has sent back the Chinese fleet that arrived in the Pacific, including two battleships, four second-class battleships, four light cruisers, 16 destroyers, and 20 transports.  Supply ships. Mainly including two 'Plateau-class' battleships, 'Plateau' and 'Qinghai'. Four 'Chengdu-class' secondary battleships, 'Chengdu', 'Chongqing', 'Kangding' and '  Lhasa'. Four "Leshan-class" light cruisers 'Panzhihua', 'Guangyuan', 'Bazhong' and 'Zigong'. So, does our navy have the ability to defeat this fleet of China?"  William?  President McKinley asked.

    After receiving the letter from John, the U.S. Minister to Hawaii?  After Stevens' telegram, William?  McKinley urgently summoned Vice President Garrett?  Hobart, Secretary John?  Sherman, Treasury Secretary Lyman?  J?  Gage, Secretary of War Russell?  A?  Alger and Undersecretary of the Navy Theodore?  Roosevelt, and Colonel Mahan, the author of "Sea Power" were also invited.

    In William?  After President McKinley asked the question, everyone's eyes were fixed on Theodore?  Roosevelt, the actual head of the U.S. Navy Department.

    "Your Excellency, Mr. President, gentlemen, I have to admit that the Chinese navy's fleet stationed in Hawaii is very powerful. Their 'Plateau-class' battleship is actually an improved version of the British 'Sovereign-class' battleship, with a displacement of 14,000 tons.  The main scale waterline is 115.8 meters long, the total length is 125 meters, and the ship is 22.9 meters wide. The average draft is 8.4 meters and the maximum draft is 8.84 meters. The maximum speed is 17.5 knots and the endurance is 4700 nautical miles/10 knots.  The armament is two twin 305mm 50 times caliber naval guns, the secondary battery is 10 105mm single-mounted guns; 10 88mm single-mounted guns; 12 37mm machine guns; 6 450mm water torpedo tubes  . And our latest battleship, the 'Indiana-class' battleship, has a displacement of four thousand tons lighter than theirs, is more than two knots slower, and has the same firepower. Therefore, if it is a one-on-one battleship, the 'Indiana-class' battleship is not  The opponent of the "Plateau" class battleship. But fortunately, we have four "Indiana" class battleships, while China only sent two battleships to Hawaii, and the other two more powerful "Sichuan" class battleships have to stay at home to defend against Japan.  People. In addition, the Chinese's four 'Chengdu-class' armored cruisers are also very powerful. Except for the four 'Indiana-class' battleships, we have no battleships that can defeat them!" Theodore?  Roosevelt said.  The gap between the U.S. Navy and the Chinese Navy is really too big. Even if the United States plans to catch up now, it will still take a long time to catch up.

    "Mr. Roosevelt, do you mean that our navy cannot defeat the Chinese Pacific Fleet?" Vice President Garrett?  Hobart said, "Obviously, this is an answer that the senior U.S. government officials present here are unwilling to accept."

    "If we go to war, we may be able to win. However, this possibility is not very high, but it is not impossible. From my personal point of view, I hope that even if we have to go to war with the Chinese, we will wait until three years later. To  By then we will have a large number of cutting-edge warships in service, and our strong industrial strength will be enough to make up for the strength gap between us and Chinese naval warships!" Theodore?  Roosevelt said.

    "Colonel Mahan, what's your opinion?" William?  President McKinley asked.  Mahan is a very well-known person in the United States. It was his "Treatise on Sea Power" that aroused Americans' ambitions to expand outward. In addition, Mahan also served as the dean of the Naval Academy and personally visited the Far East to observe Japan.  The combined fleet and the Beiyang Navy, as well as the Japanese combined fleet and the Chinese navy, have rich experience in fighting.

    "Your Excellency, Mr. President, gentlemen. I have to admit that the Chinese Navy is very powerful, and the Pacific Fleet they stationed in Hawaii is also very powerful. However, I think that if the U.S. Navy goes all out, we will not fail to defeat the Chinese Navy's Pacific Fleet.  opportunity. The strength of our 'Indiana-class' battleships is slightly inferior to the Chinese's 'Plateau' class, but the gap is not big. As for the Chinese's four armored cruisers, we use two 'Indiana-class' battleships to defeat the British  It can be dealt with. In addition, if we station more cruisers and torpedo ships and form a force advantage on these two warships, it is also possible to win!" said Colonel Mahan.  Him and Theodore?  Like Roosevelt, he was also a strong supporter of the United States' outward expansion and played a large role in the United States' outward expansion.

    "So, Colonel Mahan, what you are saying is that if we go to war with China, if the Chinese don't send more reinforcements, we might be able to win?" Secretary of State John?  Sherman also asked.

    "No, no, Your Excellency Secretary of State. In addition to the performance of warships, naval warfare is more about human factors. Our naval soldiers do not have the energy to live in actual combat, and they cannot compare with the Chinese Navy that has experienced actual combat in this regard. Therefore, if we canIf war can be avoided, then we'd better not start a direct war with the Chinese Navy for the time being!  "Colonel Mahan also said.

    William?  President McKinley nodded: "Well, let's do this for now! We will try our best to resolve the dispute through diplomatic means. In addition, we will ask for help from countries such as Britain and France, hoping that they can help us. Finally, contact the Japanese, we can  Provide them with another loan so that they can continue to develop armaments, and then compete with the Chinese for leadership in East Asia!"

    "Okay, Mr. President! I will contact the British Ambassador to the United States and the Japanese Minister to the United States!" Secretary of State John?  Sherman said.

    Although the main naval force of the Atlantic Fleet in the United States has all headed to the Pacific, they are not ready to go to war with China. They can only rely on diplomatic means to try their best to avoid going to war with China when they are not ready.  Although outward expansionism has been on the rise in the United States, most conservative forces still disapprove of outward expansion.  In addition, everyone does not have much confidence in whether they can defeat their opponents, so this makes William?  The McKinley administration had to be careful about the situation.

    After the meeting, Secretary of State John?  Sherman immediately met with the British Minister to the United States and the French Minister to the United States, expressing to them the anger of the United States at China's crude and disrespectful interference in Hawaii's internal affairs, and hoped that they could provide support to the United States.  In this regard, the interests of Britain, France and the United States are completely consistent. The ambassadors of both countries to the United States have stated that they will convey their opinions to the country and require the country to take severe measures against China.

    That night, U.S. Secretary of State John?  Sherman also met with the Japanese ambassador to the United States, John?  Sherman reiterated the United States' support for Japan and said that the United States could further help Japan rearm its arms.  Regarding Japan, Japan is naturally very happy.  In the war two years ago, Japan lost everything and still owed huge foreign debts.  This made life very difficult for the Japanese, but even so, they gritted their teeth and reorganized their armaments.  However, due to military expenditures, their speed of rearmament was not very fast.  Now that Americans are willing to help, that's great.  After all, if they want to avenge their past humiliation and regain everything they lost in the war, they can only defeat China.  The olive branch extended by the Americans was exactly what they needed.  Although they know that the Americans are using them as weapons, Japan now has no other choice.  The next day, they signed an agreement. The United States will once again provide Japan with a loan of 20 million US dollars for Japan to purchase steel, machinery and equipment, etc. from the United States.

    On the evening of the 19th, Beijing, Xinhua Palace, Wang Yuze¡¯s study.  Chief of General Staff Xiong Wu and Foreign Minister Wu Tingfang came hand in hand.

    "Both of you, don't you have to stay at home with your wife recently? Come to my place whenever you have time!" Wang Yuze said with a smile.

    "Your Majesty, who said there are too many things going on recently? There is nothing we can do!" Xiong Wu said with a smile.

    "Okay! What's going on? Could it be that the Americans have reacted?" Wang Yuze asked.  With China taking Hawaii into its hands, the Americans will definitely not give up. Wang Yuze has been waiting for the Americans to take action.

    "News came from the Navy Department that the main force of the American Atlantic Fleet has set off from the Norfolk Naval Base, including three 'Indiana-class' battleships, more than a dozen cruisers, and more than a dozen destroyers. It can be said that the main force has come out in full force!  "Xiong Wu said.

    "What? Are the Americans really planning to fight us? Is the Pacific Fleet sure of defeating the U.S. Navy?" Wang Yuze asked.  This battle is crucial for both China and the United States.

    "Minister Zhang of the Ministry of the Navy is organizing a war game, which is not over yet. However, according to the information he revealed, if the Americans want to fight, the Pacific Fleet should be able to win!" Xiong Wu said.

    "That's good!" Wang Yuze said.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t think there can be a fight,¡± said Foreign Minister Wu Tingfang.

    "Oh? What's the reason?" Wang Yuze asked.

    "I believe everyone is very aware of the gap between the navies of the two sides. In addition, today the US Minister to China Sherlock brought the British and French ministers to China to protest again, saying that we were brutally interfering in Hawaii's internal affairs.  It is illegal and requires us to withdraw from Hawaii immediately. But I ignored them!" Wu Tingfang said.

    "Don't worry about them! If the United States wants to take back Hawaii, then send troops! In terms of diplomacy, we must remain tough. In fact, I hope that the Americans will fight us in Hawaii, not to mention a full-scale war, even if it is a  A low-intensity naval battle is also very good!" Wang Yuze said.

    PS: The fourth update is here!  Three updates tomorrow, no updates in the early morning!  (To be continued. If you like thisThis work, you are welcome to register as a member of Piaotian Literature to recommend this work. Your support is my biggest motivation.  )
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