Ni Hua's speech in the Senate was a success. Although compared with Soong Meiling's historical speech in the U.S. Senate in 1943, Ni Hua's speech was less literary and less rigorous in structure, but it had more inspiring things.
What President Roosevelt needs most at the moment. Therefore, after the speech, in line with the old saying of "one becomes famous overnight," a wave of Nihua fever arose in American political circles.
The U.S. government has opened the door to Ni Hua. Even the Ministry of War and the Navy have issued invitations, hoping that Dr. Ni Hua will visit. The purpose is to learn more about the situation of the Japanese army from Ni Hua. Hu Shi sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek.
He said: "Ni Hua has brought about a turning point in Sino-US diplomacy, and the situation is very good."
It makes sense for Hu Shi to say this. You must know that the United States is still isolationist at this time, and pacifism dominates. Although Roosevelt has already made it clear that Japan regards the United States as an imaginary enemy, Germany has taken frequent actions in Europe and wants to expand the military power of the United States.
, to deal with the crisis, but the steps are difficult and restricted everywhere. China hopes that the United States will join the Sino-Japanese war and provide assistance. Let alone let the United States directly join the war, as long as the United States can truly stand on China's side and impose an embargo on Japan, what effect will it have?
Is it more than just a few Class A divisions? It can be seen from a simple example that the value of the aircraft sold by the United States to Japan in 1937 was US$2.484 million. In 1938, when the "moral embargo" was implemented, the United States
The value of the aircraft sold to *** increased to US$17.454 million. This shows that the moral embargo called by the US government does not work at all.
Due to Ni Hua's powerful propaganda and influence, as well as the cooperation of the Japanese army, the attitude of the United States has quietly changed.
The cooperation of the Japanese army mainly came from the conflicts between the Japanese army and Britain and the United States over the concession issue.
This little *** is that virtue. The army has the army's plan, and the navy has the navy's goals. Even within the army, there are also northern and southward factions. And everyone thinks that their own strategy is most beneficial to the great army.
Under this banner, the forces within the Japanese army went their own way.
Under normal circumstances, the Kwantung Army is currently confronting the Soviet Army in Nomonhan, and the Japanese army should concentrate its efforts to ensure victory in the battle. Like the Soviet Red Army, it should go all out, and the commanders of all arms will personally go to the front line to inspect. This is not the case for the Japanese army, the Kwantung Army
The Kwantung Army was fighting against the Kwantung Army, the North China Front Army was fighting against the North China Front Army, and even the Japanese troops in South China were ready to launch new offensive operations.
This does not mean that the Japanese army is really in chaos. The main reason is that the Japanese army has not really determined its strategic direction. It is still wandering at the three-way intersection of destroying the Chiang Kai-shek government, attacking the Soviet Union in the north, and attacking Britain and the United States in the south. Once the Japanese army determines a clear strategic direction, then
There will be no such messy situation.
This situation is reflected in foreign relations, and there are also big problems. For example, the relationship with Britain and the United States, the pro-British and American faction believes that Japan's strategic resources mainly rely on the United States, and it should put good relations with Britain and the United States first in its foreign relations.
.However, the mainstream consciousness that advocates the establishment of a new Japanese-Manchurian-China system believes that the fundamental strategy of the Communist Party is to completely drive the British, American, and Soviet forces out of East Asia. Only by driving the British, American, and Soviet forces out of East Asia can the Chiang Kai-shek government's foreign aid channels be cut off and its
Surrender as soon as possible.
It was this guiding ideology that led to constant conflicts between the Japanese army and the British and French concessions. The most representative one was the Tianjin incident.
In Tianjin, since the Eighth Route Army captured it, Japanese-owned enterprises, the Japanese financial system, and the Japanese concessions have all been wiped out by the Eighth Route Army. After the Eighth Route Army retreated, General Touichi Terauchi, commander of the North China Front, came to Tianjin and his eyes almost started to bleed.
The leading figures in the puppet Tianjin Municipal Government were basically suppressed, all the assets of the Japanese and puppets were wiped out by the Eighth Route Army, and the leading figures in Japanese-owned enterprises and overseas Chinese were basically executed by the Eighth Route Army in public trials. What was left to Juichi Terauchi was a group of wailing people.
Called pauper expats, the entire Tianjin economy has regressed for twenty years.
Not to mention, the Eighth Route Army was so ruthless. While announcing the takeover of the Japanese Concession, they even publicly auctioned the houses and land use rights in the Japanese Concession, and sold all the Japanese Concession to foreign countries in the British Concession, French Concession and Italian Concession.
People. In this way, even if the Japanese army takes back Tianjin, if they want to get back the land and houses in the Japanese concession, they will have to negotiate with Britain, France and Italy, and there will be endless diplomatic lawsuits.
After Temple Touichi returned to Peiping, he tasked Wang Kemin to find ways to restore Tianjin's economy. This Wang Kemin was really a bit of a weirdo. He was moving around, overt and covert, issuing public bonds, increasing taxes, and organizing donations.
The common people in Peiping and Tianjin collected a lot of funds after a great search, and began to support the establishment of Japanese and puppet enterprises.
The Japanese and puppets wanted to develop Tianjin's industry and commerce to put money on their faces. No matter how hard they searched for and raised funds, the capital hole would always get bigger and bigger. At this time, the Japanese and puppets set their sights on the British, French and Italian concessions in Tianjin. Because when the Eighth Route Army captured Tianjin
, taking into account international relations, it has not entered the concessions of other countries, which means that these concessions have not been affected at all. There is also a very key factor, that is, the British and French concessions allow the circulation of legal tender but prohibit the circulation of Japanese and puppet joint notes, and the Bank of China,
The Bank of Communications has 45 million taels of silver stored in the British Concession.
The Japanese troops in the Italian Concession are not moving for the time being. The reason is that they are currently fighting fiercely with Germany and Italy and will not destroy the Great Wall easily. France and the United Kingdom have nothing to worry about. These two countries are arguing with Germany and Italy in Europe, and the Nazis
How could you be polite to them?
Historically, the trigger of the Tianjin incident was that the Japanese army believed that the British and French concessions sheltered anti-Japanese elements. Now this reason has become an excuse for the Japanese and puppets to find money and take back the land and properties in the Japanese concession. The British Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Tianjin Concession did not know what was going on, thinking that Britain and Japan had a traditional friendship.
, simply ignored the Japanese army. As a result, on December 25, 1938, the Japanese army began to set up checkpoints and outposts in the British Concession to interrogate passers-by, and mobilized residents of other countries in the British Concession to evacuate to the city.
Taking action against the British Concession was an order given by Yamashita, Chief of Staff of the North China Front. This guy had a way of fighting and an even better way of making money. When I introduced him in the previous chapter, I said that when he was stationed in North Korea, he took a fancy to the family's wealth.
They simply created an unsolved case and killed the whole family from childhood to old age. Now I heard that the Bank of China and the Bank of Communications had reserves of 45 million taels of silver that issued legal tender in North China and were hidden in the British Concession.
All were green, and he directly ordered not to be merciful to the British until they handed over the money, banned the circulation of legal tender in the concession, and allowed the circulation of joint coupons in the concession.
But Britain and Japan were not hostile countries after all. No matter what they did, the Japanese and puppets could not just break up with the British. Things remained in a stalemate. The British could not lower their arrogant heads, and the Japanese did not dare to openly rush into the concession to rob it.
On April 9, 1939, Cheng Xigeng, the new Customs Supervisor of the Puppet Tianjin and Manager of the Tianjin Branch of the Puppet United Reserve Bank, was assassinated and killed by the Iron-Blooded Anti-Japanese Regiment at the Daguangming Cinema in the British Concession. Now the Japanese and puppets finally got the handle, and the Puppet Acting Mayor Wen Shi
Jane wrote to the British Consul General Pan Lena the next day, protesting, asking the British Consul to order the extradition of the assassination suspects in the British Concession Bureau of Industry in Tianjin, and requesting Japan to enter the British Concession to search for the murderer. This time the British Concession Bureau of Industry compromised.
, allowing the *** Gendarmerie to enter and assist in solving the case and extraditing the criminal.
As a result, the four heroes had no time to move and were arrested. On the subsequent extradition issue, British Consul General Pan Lena, under pressure from China and maintaining the authority of the British Empire, adopted a non-cooperative attitude to deal with the Japanese army. After a while, it was said that the ambassador was not there.
, and then said that there were doubts in the interrogation of the Japanese military police, which completely aroused the anger of the Japanese and puppet troops. The commander of the Japanese Tianjin garrison declared that "the British and French concessions are the source of conspiracy activities of anti-Japanese communists and a refuge for all kinds of violent actions."
, sheltering assassination prisoners was an act of indirect hostility against the Japanese army and a challenge to the construction of a new order in Dongye. On June 14, the Japanese army issued a proclamation and statement to isolate the British Concession, and immediately sent troops to isolate the British Concession from external traffic.
The Tianjin incident was a big one. In order to win public opinion, the Japanese army also organized demonstrations. Only then did the British Consul General in Tianjin, Pan Lonner, understand the true intentions of the Japanese army. He personally went to the Japanese Tianjin Garrison Headquarters and reported to the Japanese commander
It shows that the 475 million taels of silver stored in the British Concession by the Bank of China and the Bank of Communications have been withdrawn by the Eighth Route Army instructors. But how could the Japanese army believe it? They single-mindedly attacked the British Concession and waited for the British to bow their heads.
The silver stored in the British Concession by the Bank of Communications and the Bank of China was indeed taken away by the Eighth Route Army. Considering that this was the period of cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, the amount of silver was extremely huge. The British would definitely notify the Bank of Communications and the Bank of China when Liu Yimin evacuated Tianjin.
Ordered the Eighth Route Army Air Force to transport it to Xi'an. Later, taking into account the need for unity in the war of resistance, the CCP transferred this silver to the Bank of China and the Bank of Communications for use in stabilizing legal currency and military engineering construction in the rear area and rescuing the victims. The Bank of China and the Bank of Communications were grateful.
, opened a branch in Xi'an.
The Japanese army seized on the Tianjin incident to make a big fuss, and simultaneously attacked the Anglo-American and French concessions in Shanghai, Wuhan, Xiamen, and Guangzhou, with the intention of forcing the Anglo-American and French forces to withdraw from China.
At this time, Britain was concentrating on dealing with the situation in Europe and was unable to take care of the Eastern Front, so it had to negotiate with Japan. Therefore, after several rounds of negotiations between Japanese Foreign Minister Hachiro Arita and British Ambassador to Japan Clerk, on July 22
On the same day, the day before Ni Hua’s speech in the U.S. Senate, the Arita-Clutch Agreement was formed.
In this agreement, the British government recognized that Japan had "special needs" in suppressing anti-Japanese activities in China, and pledged to cooperate with Japan in public security and economic aspects. It was tantamount to an agreement in which Britain betrayed China's interests and compromised with Japan.
As soon as the Arita-Clutch Agreement was announced, it caused a strong shock. Chinese Ambassador to the UK Guo Taiqi was ordered to declare to the British government: The agreement ignored two most basic facts. First, the negotiations involved China's territory, sovereignty and interests;
But the Chinese government was not invited to participate; secondly, the Japanese army should not have any rights in any land it occupied as a result of aggression.
As soon as the diplomacy with the United States showed a clear turn for the better, the danger of Britain compromising with Japan emerged. Chiang Kai-shek urgently called Hu Shi, the ambassador to the United States, to inform Ni Hua that no matter what measures were taken, the U.S. government must be persuaded to express its position clearly to stop Britain from compromising with Japan, and
Sanctions***.
When Hu Shi found Ni Hua with sweat on his face, Ni Hua was visiting the Ministry of War accompanied by General Marshall. As soon as he heard what Hu Shi said, Ni Hua became anxious, turned around and said to General Marshall: "General, after these two days
I think you are a just person and worthy of our respect. My lover General Liu Yimin told me that General Marshall is a trustworthy person. He said that he has been in love with you for a long time and hopes to have a good time with you if there is an opportunity in the future.
My husband also told me that if I encounter difficulties in safety or other aspects when I come to the United States, I can come to you directly and you will help me."
Ni Hua is a smart girl. Liu Yimin did tell him that General Marshall has a better sense of justice and should soon succeed MacArthur as Army Chief of Staff, but he did not say that he would have trouble finding Marshall. Things are urgent now, and Ni Hua has an idea.
As soon as he moved, he borrowed the donkey from the slope and put a high hat on Marshall's head.
Marshall did not expect that Liu Yimin, the legendary Chinese hero who beat the little devil to the point of crying for his father, would think so highly of him. He suddenly aroused his heroic feelings and told her that she should make an urgent appointment with Secretary of State Cordell Hull now, and it would be best to meet with President Roosevelt.
Hu Shi said that Secretary Hull’s appointment today was fully booked and could not be accommodated.
Marshall looked at Ni Hua, who looked hopeful, and Hu Shi, who looked sad and depressed, and then personally called Hull in his office, saying that the War Department had an emergency and needed to meet with the Secretary of State, and that he would go over now.
After putting down the phone, Marshall took Ni Hua and Hu Shi out of the office, got in the car and went straight to the State Council.
Hull already knows the contents of the "Arita-Krechi Agreement", but he has a lot of things to do today and has not yet thought about the countermeasures in detail.
When Marshall broke into Hull's office with Ni Hua and Hu Shi, Hull was talking with Nagai Matsuzō, the Japanese ambassador to the United States.
The Japanese have indeed put a lot of effort into their relations with the United States. Nagai Matsuzō came today. First, he protested against the U.S. government for allowing Ni Hua to speak in the Senate, openly inciting hatred of Japan. Second, he reaffirmed the traditional friendship between Japan and the United States and clarified
His Majesty the Emperor and the Japanese government attach great importance to Japan-US relations and guarantee that Japan will never do anything that harms the interests of the United States.
Nagai Matsuzō is worthy of being a veteran diplomat. After finishing his diplomatic rhetoric, he began to recall emotionally that it was the United States that allowed Japan to change its closed-door feudal and blinded mentality, start the Meiji Restoration, and embark on the road of enriching the country and strengthening its army. Nagai Matsuzō
It is even said that from the emperor to the empress, the Japanese admire the United States of America very much and are eager to study and work in the United States. Now, there is no fundamental conflict of interest between Japan and the United States. They only have a common enemy, which is communism.*
Japan is willing to serve as a partner of the United States in Asia and jointly contain the communist Soviet Union.
At this moment, Marshall, along with Ni Hua and Hu Shi, knocked on the door of Hull's office.
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