Chapter 185: Losses inside the dike, compensation outside the dike
Chapter 1085: Losses inside the dike are repaired outside the dike
With An Yi's sudden attack, an uproar immediately broke out in the domestic political arena. The Wang Jingwei government, which was caught off guard, and Chiang Kai-shek's forces, who had real power, both complained secretly. No matter how careful they were, they never expected that An Yi would suddenly launch an attack. If he did not move, he would have no room for action.
Provoke the most fragile and sensitive nerves of the entire country and nation.
An Yi did not wait for Chiang Kai-shek to issue a call, so he led his brothers to fly to Guiyang and stated his last resort difficulties. In fact, he expressed a tough stance:
Dealing with Wu Liheng, the independent division commander of the 17th Army's ace division, is to suppress the national awakening of the entire country and is the ultimate means for the pro-Japanese faction to counterattack. At this time, we can only face the difficulties and never compromise, otherwise the damage will be irreversible.
After Chiang Kai-shek sighed, he could only describe what happened in detail:
Although the actions of the 17th Army have won the support of the people and made the people of the country who have been oppressed by the Japanese invaders and pro-Japanese governments feel proud, under the current situation, it is impossible to overthrow the Wang Jingwei faction. A nation that has experienced wars for hundreds of years has reached the point where it can no longer be
Unable
The entire middle- and upper-class society in North China has deteriorated to the point where it can be tolerated. Even Song Zheyuan, Yu Xuezhong, and Shang Zhen, who have tens of thousands of troops, have swallowed their anger and tried their best to protect themselves under the dual pressure of the Japanese invaders and pro-Japanese factions. It can be seen that they are frozen.
It’s not a day of cold,
The negative impact of the Baoding Incident was greater than imagined. So far, it has been unable to obtain support from European and American countries. Therefore, under the premise of trying to protect Hu Jialin, Chiang Kai-shek could only order his soldiers to pursue and kill him. This was also used by European and American reporters.
According to
Wu Liheng, who was caught on camera, was pushed out to take responsibility. A light "suspended review" was already the easiest way to deal with it. Politics is about mutual compromise, seeking a breakthrough and victory in the game, not a straight life and death contest on the battlefield.
At this time, An Yi felt better. He also knew that Wang Jingwei's government still had strong influence, and he knew that the selfishness and compromise of the national bourgeoisie would inevitably lead to many unexpected results.
Therefore, An Yi did not make it too difficult for Chiang Kai-shek. Instead, he allowed the whole society to make choices on the premise of protecting the interests of Wu Liheng and the Seventeenth Army. An Yi really wanted to see whether today's Chinese people still inherited the
The unyielding character of the Chinese nation? Will they share the same hatred for the fate of the Independent Division and Wu Liheng, and unite to fight against Wang Jingwei’s capitulating government?
After the principle issue was resolved, An Yi lost interest in staying in Guiyang and immediately returned to southern Sichuan. One eye was closely watching the dramatic changes in the national situation, and the other eye was looking at distant Myanmar.
In Yangon in spring, birds are singing and flowers are fragrant. In the square in front of the colonial government building of Burma under the jurisdiction of the British Governor-General of India, Sir Kinnard Dorman Smith, the highest military and political administrator in Burma, is leading his officials to warmly welcome the newly awarded knight of the British Empire.
The visit of the banned Ou Yaotingre and his entourage.
After some friendly greetings, the guests and hosts entered the building together. When they arrived at the conference room on the second floor, Ou Yaoting and Jinnard waved away their left and right sides respectively.
The two of them came to the room and sat down on a row of sofas in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Jinnard waited for the blond maid to serve Ou Yaoting a cup of fragrant tea and bowed out before asking with a smile:
"Dear Ou, thank you for your contribution to the prosperity of Myanmar's economy. In these short five years, you have successively invested in industry and transportation in Yangon, Mawlamyine, Mandalay and other places, giving us Myanmar
The government has brought huge benefits. Please come to my official residence this time. Is there anything you need my help with?"
Ou Yaoting nodded politely: "That's right. Next Monday, the large-scale rubber refinery I opened in Shalian across the Yangon River will be officially put into operation. At that time, I would like to invite the Governor to attend my opening ceremony!"
Kinnard shook his head: "Oh, I am just the Military and Political Commissioner of Myanmar, which is under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of India. I do not deserve the honorable title of 'Governor-General'. As for attending the opening ceremony, I heard that the rubber refinery will produce industrial tires and seals after it is officially put into operation.
Products such as rings, latex gloves and condoms will become important products for Myanmar's exports to earn foreign exchange. For such a project that benefits the country and the people, I am ready to attend the celebration even if you don't invite me, so there is no need to be so polite!"
Ou Yaoting said respectfully: "Thank you for your respect, sir! In fact, the purpose of opening a factory is to make money, and thanks to your good policies, I chose to invest in Myanmar. In recent years, with your unremitting efforts, Myanmar's
Long-term progress has been made in the development of industry and agriculture, especially transportation, with the new addition of Lashio to Baldwin
In the mining area, the two sections of the railway from Mandalay to Wangse Copper Mine have been opened to traffic. The road from Myitkyina to Daomao that I invested in building has also begun to make initial profits. I think if this continues to develop, it won’t be long before Myanmar’s economic development will
Arousing domestic attention, Myanmar’s administrative upgrade is imperative, so the Commissioner will naturally be upgraded to Governor-General.”
Kinnard smiled: "As the military and political commissioner of Myanmar, I have the responsibility and obligation to seek benefits for the people under my rule. As for what will happen in the end, only God knows, right? Oh, although I don't know if you bought Tao
What is the use of the nearly 100 kilometers of mountains in the Mao area? I don’t understand those red, white, and green ones.
What is attractive about stones, but I know that you have brought huge opportunities to our Myanmar. Oh, I know that your industry is mainly concentrated in the Straits Settlements, and Myanmar's industry is only a small part of your huge economic empire.
I implore you to increase your investment in Myanmar in the future, and I guarantee you will receive the best treatment."
Ou Yaoting knew that Westerners had no feelings for jade at all. They only liked diamonds, gold and silver, so he had no explanation. He looked around and said:
"Sir, I wonder if you have noticed the booming border trade between French Annan and Yunnan today? The wealthy southern Sichuan government uses French Annan's convenient and fast transportation to purchase large quantities of grain, oil, iron ore, rubber, etc.
resources, and Annan made a lot of money by trading electrical products such as tape recorders, hair dryers, juicers, electric shavers, vacuum cleaners, electric irons, and strategic materials such as tungsten, antimony, tin, and bristles with Sichuan.
The bowl is full.
"I heard that in the second half of last year alone, the French Annan government earned hundreds of millions of francs in profits. Now the Annan government is preparing to do something big. It not only initiated a project to double-track the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway to increase transportation capacity, but also organized several
100,000 people widen the highway from Hanoi to Jiangcheng in southern Yunnan via Menglai
In addition, the French colonial government also widened and deepened the Mekong River. Five thousand-ton cargo ships can go directly to Phnom Penh. Two thousand-ton cargo ships can pass from Phnom Penh to Vientiane all year round. Further up to southern Yunnan, only about one thousand tons of cargo ships can pass.
However, this is enough to solve the problem of outbound logistics in southern Sichuan.
"As bilateral trade between Yunnan and Vietnam becomes more and more frequent, it can be expected that in the next few years, the trade volume of the southwest region, which accounts for more than half of China's total economic output, will rise sharply. Sir, what do you think of this?"
Kinnard said with great regret: "It is undeniable that the French Annan government has indeed taken the lead in this regard. As the military and political commissioner of Myanmar, although I am also interested in developing border trade cooperation with southern Sichuan, we just fought in western Yunnan last year.
After the war, although the people have been released now, normal economic and trade exchanges with southern Sichuan will still take some time."
Ou Yaoting smiled: "Sir, our Myanmar actually has better conditions than Annan. Not only is it closer to Europe, but we also have sufficient copper, nickel, oil and other resources. Once we can start trade with southern Sichuan,
The huge profits earned were enough to ensure that Burma became independent from British India and came under the direct jurisdiction of the cabinet, so it was logical for your Excellency to become the Governor-General of Burma."
Kinnard pondered for a while, then suddenly stood up and walked to the filing cabinet on the side. He opened the cabinet and took out a thick document. He flipped through it and nodded. He returned to his seat with the document and handed it to Ou Yaoting:
"Oh, we are friends. I won't hide it from you. In fact, as early as the early 1990s, we had intended to build a road into Yunnan. In the 23rd year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, we signed the "Renewal of the Treaty of Burma" with the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
"China promised to review the benefits of building a railway in Yunnan and trade in the future. If it is built, it will be connected to the Myanmar railway." Subsequently, we sent engineers to survey Tengyue, Dali, Myanmar and Yunnan.
Chuxiong area
route, and determined the locations for at least two railway construction sites. In the 33rd year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, our consul in Yunnan notified the Governor of Yunnan, proposing to build a railway from Myanmar through Tengyue in western Yunnan into Yunnan, with the right of way returning to the British. Later, the Qing Dynasty
The government reached an agreement with us, agreeing that the Burma Railway should be built by each sector. Unfortunately, the Qing government collapsed too quickly, and due to the impact of the European War, this plan was shelved. However, our successive Burmese governments have never given up on our dream.
"Oh, I know that your son-in-law is General An, the actual controller of southern Sichuan. If you can convince him to fund the construction of the railway from Kunming to Daluo Port, our Myanmar government can provide railway design drawings and engineering technicians. At the same time, I will provide
The cabinet has applied for project approval and strives to build the railway from Lashio to Daluo as soon as possible, so that this railway, which has been on the drawing board for more than 30 years, may be realized in our hands."
Ou Yaoting carefully read through the information and found that the British were indeed fully prepared. Among them, they designed a railway from Kunming via Yuxi, Yuanjiang, Simao to Daluo. There were specific data for each mountain and river, along with the construction work.
The location and method, as well as the detailed budget, not to mention the data on Myanmar, I believe that once the project is approved, the construction speed will be far beyond imagination.
Seeing Ou Yaoting closing the documents, Kinnard said with a smile: "Actually, the cabinet is very satisfied with the sincerity shown by General An in releasing the prisoners of war, and is discussing how to carry out further economic and trade cooperation with southern Sichuan. I think if there is more cooperation between Yunnan and Myanmar,
Building a railway between the two countries will bring our bilateral friendship closer. However, this is just an idea of mine. The international situation is currently changing, and changes may occur at any moment. I cannot guarantee whether it will be authorized by the cabinet."
Ou Yaoting nodded understandingly: "The relationship between countries is indeed not something that a businessman like me can understand, but we should see that Japan is frequently causing troubles on the front line in North China, and the interests of the British Empire in the area south of the Great Wall of China are changing.
suffered serious damage, and the South
Officials of the National Government in Beijing tolerate traitors and make concessions at every turn. One day, the unsatisfied Japanese will tear off the mask of hypocrisy and launch a full-scale invasion of China. By then, the British Empire's interests in China will be completely lost. Therefore, how to find
A breakthrough becomes extremely critical.
"France has always regarded China's southwest region as its traditional sphere of influence, and has continued to penetrate into economic and political aspects. Once the Sino-Japanese war deepens, the Nanjing government will most likely retreat to central China, northwest and southwest regions, then
France can definitely rely on its huge geographical advantages to earn a steady stream of profits. If our British Empire and the Burmese government don't make arrangements early, it will be too late to get a share of the pie."
Kinnard looked at Ou Yaoting with some confusion: "Ou, you mean that once a full-scale war breaks out between China and Japan, the war will be delayed into a confrontation stage? But according to the analysis of our domestic strategic experts, if such a day comes, otherwise
The Nanjing government will choose to surrender in three months. Now the National Government, from Chairman Lin Sen to President Wang Jingwei, none of them seem to be able to persist in resisting Japan..."
Ou Yaoting's expression became very serious: "Sir, we cannot deny that there are many weaklings in the Chinese government, but there are more hard-liners in the army who are determined to resist Japan. I wonder if your Excellency has ever been to the southwest of China? What is happening there now
is undergoing earth-shaking changes. After more than five years of unremitting efforts, the basic industry in this region is basically complete, and steel output exceeded 2.5 million tons last year.
, various large-scale factories have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, and the potential for war is extremely huge. I even have this feeling: If the Japanese give China more time, it won’t take more than ten years, and China’s economic aggregate will completely surpass
Japan, even if Japan does not want to go to war, the Chinese army will take the initiative to go north to take over its homeland. Unfortunately, time does not wait for us, and the Japanese will not give China enough time to develop."
Kinnard was shocked, and then he thought that the air conditioners, refrigerators, fans, radios, electric stoves, etc. used in his office and home were all products from southern Sichuan, as well as the hair dryers, razors, washing machines, and electric ovens used in daily life were also produced in southern Sichuan.
, suddenly relieved:
"Dear Ou, your son-in-law is indeed amazing. The electrical products they produce and sell are gradually changing the world. Although most people in the world are currently limited by electricity, they are still unable to enjoy these convenient and practical things, but with the
With the continuous progress of society, I believe they will eventually achieve greater success! It seems that I have to do something, otherwise all the interests of the British Empire in China will be taken away by the French."
Ou Yaoting said with appreciation: "That's right, sir. Myanmar now has a population of about 35 million. Except for nearly one million industrial workers and more than five million urban residents engaged in business, the rest of the people do not work at all during their leisure time.
It's just doing nothing, which has a destructive effect on social order and morals. I think
It is better to organize people and invest in building roads. As long as our government supplies enough food and pays meager wages, we can build a railway directly to China's southern Yunnan border in a very short time. This is a
I think Xiang Gong’s great achievements in the contemporary era will be beneficial to the future, which is enough for you to leave your name in history.”
Kinnard was quite moved, and finally said with regret: "With the current economic downturn in the UK, I really have no confidence in persuading the cabinet to allocate money to build railways, and my immediate boss, the Governor-General of India, will not just watch us.
If Myanmar develops independently without control, it will probably be obstructed. I can only say that I will try my best, but there is really no guarantee of what will happen in the end."
Ou Yaoting laughed: "Sir, businessmen value profits. Since you have difficulties, please forgive me. Money matters are not a problem at all. Even I have the ability to meet your needs. I saw what was stated in the information just now.
, the construction cost of the Yunnan-Burma Railway in China is only 31.2 million French currency. The mileage here is closer. Even if the wages are higher, it is still the same price... Sir, I wonder if you have considered it
How about life after leaving Myanmar?”
Kinnard was shocked, and then said sheepishly: "I am a government servant, so naturally I live on a government pension. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Ou Yaoting smiled: "Your Excellency, your loyalty is commendable and worthy of admiration, but if you don't think long-term, you will have immediate worries. The impact of the global financial crisis is far from subsided. No one knows whether the money in our hands will depreciate into a piece of waste."
Paper, but if there is a fixed industry, that is different. Sir, what do you think of this? The shares of the Yunnan-Burma Railway are divided into two parts, of which the investors account for 60%, and the Myanmar government
I can't make a penny, only land and manpower, occupying the remaining 40%. If I'm lucky enough to win the bid, of the 60% shares, 20% will be left to you as a long-term dividend.
.In this way, the Myanmar government can build an extra railway out of thin air with almost no investment. In the future, just the taxes collected from trade with southern Sichuan will probably benefit the Myanmar government a lot."
Kinnard was greatly moved, but he could not guarantee whether Ou Yaoting would fulfill his promise and was hesitant.
Ou Yaoting continued to encourage: "Sir, you know that I am currently planning to build an airline with routes covering the Straits Settlements, Myanmar, and India. My future dream is to build a large transportation group integrating sea, land, and air. I can assure you that
, this group will leave a fixed share for you."
Kinnard finally made up his mind: "Dear Ou, you are such a lovely angel, but here I have a better idea - although the railway is more convenient and faster, it takes a very long time to build.
It is difficult to see results, but if we build roads instead, we will be able to connect with southern Yunnan in less than a year. At that time, we will use living reality to explain the construction to the cabinet.
The benefits of building the Yunnan-Myanmar Railway. Furthermore, there is no need to report to the cabinet for road construction. We, the Myanmar government, can make the decision ourselves. Later, I will convene a meeting of the parliament to discuss the matter and strive to finalize the road to China's southern Yunnan as soon as possible. Or should I
According to your method, you will invest 60% of the shares in the Burma Highway, and we, the Myanmar government, will contribute manpower and land and occupy 40% of the shares. What do you think?"
Although Ou Yaoting felt a little regretful, he still stood up with a smile, approached Kinnard and hugged him warmly, then stretched out his hand and said "please cooperate". Kinnard closed his hand with a smile, his eyes shining brightly.