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Volume 2 Beijing Story Chapter 106: Coercion, inducement and coaxing

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    Update time: 2012-07-22

    After the American Minister Rui Enshi said this, the ministers from Britain, France and Japan thought about it, yes, they must first listen to what chips the other side can give in return for agreeing to China's conditions for participating in the war, otherwise things will be really dirty.  I don¡¯t know how it turned yellow.

    Xia Yiting was no longer worried but curious. If Wang Geng really wanted to stir up some trouble, President Duan would naturally support him. As the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, he had nothing to worry about. Moreover, looking at Wang Geng's behavior  , I'm afraid that he won't agree to whatever responsibility I want to take for him.

    Wang Geng and everyone looked at him with expectations on his face. The man smiled, flicked the ashes from his cigarette and said,

    "We all know that China is very poor with little agricultural productivity and no industrial base at all. How much effort can China put in? It just has inexhaustible manpower and resources. When it comes to funds and equipment, you, the developed countries in Europe and the United States, have to come up with it.  ?¡±

    Everyone was disappointed when they heard this. What is the difference between this and the previously proposed Article 4 that China's support for the war is limited to labor and raw materials?

    "Since I am responsible for supervising the preparations for participating in the war, I naturally want to do something for the country and contribute to world peace. As long as you all here can support me, I dare not say how many people the United States will send.  We from China can send as many people as we want to Europe! If you want, send regular troops. What¡¯s the point of sending only laborers?¡±

    Wang Geng shocked everyone with his words, "China wants to send troops to Europe to participate in the war?!" For the ministers of the four countries who are familiar with China's history and the current game of forces, Wang Geng's idea really shocked everyone.

    "Wang Sang, how many people are there in the Chinese *** team? There are less than 20 divisions in total, plus dozens of mixed brigades. The total strength is less than one million. How can the Chinese government send troops after it enters the war?  Europe?" Japanese Minister Hayashi Gonsuke obviously didn't believe it at all.

    "How many active-duty troops does the United States have? How many active-duty troops does Japan have? How dare you laugh at our small number of people? We have more active-duty troops than your two countries combined!" Wang Geng's words sounded grandiose, but in fact they were not the case at all.

    The potential for war lies not in the number of standing armies but in the mobilization system and logistical support capabilities. China¡¯s nearly one million troops are fighting independently in the hands of dozens of local warlords, large and small, and are in a state of separatism. This is still the wealth that the Republic of China has accumulated over the years.  , although the Japanese standing army only has ten divisions with less than 300,000 people, the U.S. regular army only has 8 divisions with a total of about 200,000 people.

    ¡°However, Japan was able to mobilize nearly 1.8 million troops within three months. In its previous life, the United States mobilized and trained nearly 4 million troops within a year after participating in World War I, and once transported troops to Europe at a rate of 10,000 per day.

    "Wang Geng, are you sure that sending troops to join the war is also one of the choices of the Chinese government?" Zhu Erdian and Kant looked at each other, obviously a little overjoyed. Unlike Japan, Japan has always been worried that China's growth will affect Japan's interests in China, so it always  With a hint of doubt, the combined population of Britain and France is less than half of China's. How could I not be overjoyed to hear Wang Geng say that China actually plans to send troops!

    "That's right, otherwise what would I be doing as an errand to supervise the preparations for the war? If China wants to participate in the war, it will send an expeditionary force. How can it only be done by sending laborers as slaves!" Wang Gengyan said firmly.

    "How many troops can the Chinese government send to participate in the war?" US Minister Rui Enshi couldn't help but asked with emotion.

    "Of course our mobilization capabilities cannot be compared with those of Japan and the United States, but it is okay for the stupid bird to fly first. China has a population of 40 million, and the number of urban refugees and landless rural residents alone is no less than 30 million. It is not difficult to recruit 3 million new soldiers within a year.  !" Wang Gengshi said.

    "Three million?" The envoys from the four countries looked at each other, obviously in disbelief!

    "Of course, I can't raise 300,000 men without the support of funds, weapons, equipment, logistics, and supplies. How many troops China can send depends on how much money you are willing to spend! Anyway, the European War is fiercely fought in Europe, and it is not in Europe.  China, you also know that China is a backward agricultural country. Many people have never seen a car or a ship in their lives. It takes a huge amount of energy and investment to persuade them to join the army and cross the ocean to go to Europe to bleed and die!"

    As Wang Geng said this, he made a gesture with his hand to symbolize the ocean.

    The ministers of the four countries, except for the Japanese Hayashi Gonsuke, had mixed feelings and didn't know what to do. The ministers of the United States, Britain and France were obviously deceived by the huge prospects described by Wang Geng. The depletion of manpower and soldiers was a pain in the hearts of Britain and France.  , and the reason why the United States has been tossing about whether to join the war or not is that the huge casualty rate in the European War is its biggest worry!

    It is no easier for the peace-loving and freedom-loving American people to cross the ocean to serve as cannon fodder for their distant relatives in Europe. It is no easier to persuade young people to join the army than it is to persuade Chinese landless peasants to join the army and cross the ocean. In fact, the first batch of American expeditionary forces were drawn by lot.  The way of frowningPulled out on the face.

    "By the way, for five francs a day, you have to sign a five-year contract to sell yourself to a war-torn battlefield. This is a loss-making business. Don't even think about it. It will be invalid from now on! The people who have been sent out must be re-accorded to the new standards for me.  Calculate the salary! I don¡¯t want much, just consider it as an American blue-collar worker¡¯s $5 a day!¡± Wang Geng vaccinated everyone first!

    "What you said, Supervisor Wang, is too outrageous. Although five francs is a little less, how can it be five dollars a day? For blue-collar workers in the United States, only Ford cars earn five dollars a day, and other ordinary workers can't even get three dollars a day!" The American Minister  Rui Enshi was very sensitive to costs and started shouting in a hurry!

    "There are no German bombs flying above the blue-collar workers of Ford Motor Company. My people went to Europe to work for their lives. Who knows if they will have the luck to return home? How can this be the same!" Wang Geng shot disdainfully  He flicked the cigarette ashes in his hand and said.

    "Secretary Xia, are you sure that Wang Geng is really the supervisor of your Ministry of Foreign Affairs' negotiations with the United States? I look at him like a broker from Wall Street. If we calculate 3 million people based on the five-dollar salary standard, even the U.S. government will go bankrupt.  Ah!" Rui Enshi spread his hands and complained.

    Xia Yiting rubbed his hands and looked embarrassed. It was obvious that Wang Geng's performance was completely beyond his thinking ability. What else could he say at this time?

    "That's wrong, Minister Rui. Five dollars is just a treatment for workers. Soldiers participating in the war are not a matter of five dollars. The United States has always claimed that everyone is equal and everyone has the right to pursue freedom. How much treatment does the U.S. government give to American soldiers participating in the war?  How much treatment should be given to Chinese soldiers participating in the war? As compensation and reward, the squadrons participating in the European War can be integrated into the US military on the basis of maintaining their organizational structure and be under the unified command of the US Expeditionary Force Command! "

    Wang Geng was serious when he said this, obviously he was not joking!

    "How is this possible? How can your peasant soldiers get the same treatment as our workers? They can't read a single word and can't speak English!" Rui Enshi was obviously a little anxious!

    "According to you, the French army doesn't speak English. Doesn't it mean that they don't have to work for you for free? Who said that only by speaking English can you be a qualified soldier? Which country's soldiers in France, Germany, Russia and Austria can speak English?  ? Maintaining a strong establishment, providing enough liaison officers and translators, and arranging to learn daily English, three months is enough to cope with it! What's more, there are many illiterate people in the United States, and it's useless to be able to speak but not read!  "

    Wang Geng shook his hand disdainfully and said disapprovingly.

    The British Minister Juldian and the French Minister Kant looked at each other. Whether it was providing money or equipment and arms, Britain and France were now too busy to take care of themselves. The big financiers who participated in the war obviously had to be Japan and the United States.  , but the prospect that Wang Geng described that the Chinese government planned to send troops and not just laborers to participate in the war made this veteran diplomat who has been on the diplomatic battlefield for a long time couldn't help but feel excited.

    "If the conditions for participating in the war cannot be negotiated, everything that follows will be in vain. You can discuss it with your own government. The Chinese people love peace, but the days of selling Chinese people like piglets to do coolies are gone forever. I  I know that President Li and Vice President Feng are your good friends, but don¡¯t forget that only Premier Duan is the leader who can truly lead this suffering country out of the quagmire!¡±

    Wang Geng glanced at the envoys from the four countries present and said seriously,

    "You all have been personal and close friends of President Yuan Da. You should be able to see that, whether in Beiyang or China, apart from Premier Duan, there is no other more suitable candidate to lead this country. It is time for you and the governments of various countries to make a choice.  "
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