At the inauguration, Roosevelt wore no hat or coat, and his face turned paler against the long black gown. Black-robed and white-bearded Supreme Court Chief Judge Charles? Evans? Hughes presided over the solemn oath-taking ceremony. Roosevelt put his hand on the Dutch version of the Bible, which had been passed down for more than 300 years, and turned to The New Testament? In verse 13 of Paul's First Letter to the Da Corinthians, the oath is read word by word with the officer of Hughes in a sonorous tone:

"Even if I could speak the tongues of men and the words of angels, and not love, it would be like the ringing of a bell and a cymbal."

"Even if you have the power of prophecy and penetrate all mysteries; And so that I have full faith, I can move mountains, if I don't have a piece of compassion, what can I be worth?! ”

"Even if I gave to all the poor and gave myself without love, it would be in vain for me."

After taking the oath, he turned and walked to the empty podium. I took out a hand-copied inaugural speech from my pocket. This time his speech was written entirely by himself, and not a single word was plagiarized from someone else, purely Roosevelt-esque.

"This is the name of a nation's dedication. On the occasion of my assumption of office, I am sure that my compatriots are looking forward to my statement with the frankness and decisiveness that the current situation in my country urgently requires. It is especially necessary now to tell the truth frankly and decisively, the whole truth. We don't have to cower, we don't have to dodge and don't dare to face up to today's reality. This great nation will stand the test as it once did, and it will rise and prosper! ”

"Let me, therefore, begin by expressing my firm conviction that the only thing we should fear is fear itself—the unspeakable, irrational, unfounded fear that paralyzes our efforts to turn retreat into progress."

Roosevelt's calm and firm voice was heard clearly throughout the square, and then the voice of confidence and passion was transmitted through the radio network throughout the dire land of the United States and around the world. The new president of the United States dissected the roots of all the suffering of the Great Depression to the people in concise and thoughtful language:

"Our difficulties are only material. value has shrunk to unimaginable proportions; Taxes have increased; Our ability to pay taxes has been reduced, and the fiscal revenues of all levels of government have plummeted; The means of exchange could not escape the long river of trade, industrial enterprises were all withered and decayed, and agricultural products could not find markets; The savings of thousands of families over the years have been ruined. What's more, a large number of unemployed citizens face serious survival problems...... And we didn't suffer any natural disasters like locusts. Nature's bounty remains undiminished, and man's efforts have multiplied it. We don't have scarcity, but abundance doesn't inspire generosity. This is first and foremost due to the stubbornness and incompetence of the rulers who master the trade of human goods. They were forced to admit defeat and slip away, and the insatiable money mongers were convicted in the court of public opinion! ”

"The money changers have fled from the high positions of our cultural temple! Now we can return this temple to the old truth...... The kind of evil that makes sacred commissions seem ruthless and selfish in finance and commerce must be stopped. Revival, however, does not require more than just a change in our moral values. What the country is asking for is action, and immediate action! ”

At this moment, the black-pressed crowd was silent, and after a long winter of waiting, people finally listened to the program of action promised by the new president.

"Our priority is to work for the people. This can be partly recruited directly by the political axe, as in a wartime emergency. secondly, it is necessary to make better use of resources and increase the price and purchasing power of agricultural products; Insist that federal and local governments take action to manage relief work in a unified manner, and make every effort to avoid the current fragmentation, waste and inequality; In addition, all forms of transport and other facilities that are clearly public utilities should be placed under State planning and supervision; All bank savings, credit, and investments must be strictly supervised, speculative activities using the deposits of others must be stopped, and sound money must be provided with sufficient and solvent conditions. ”

"In foreign policy, as President of the United States, I will demand that the United States pursue a policy of good-neighborliness — respect for itself and therefore the rights of its neighbors, and for its own obligations and the sacred obligations set forth in agreements with all its neighbors and with the nations of the world. However, the political axe should handle affairs in a focused and orderly manner according to the priority of the situation. I hope that the normal system of checks and balances between the executive and the legislature will be sufficient to cope with the heavy responsibilities at hand, but the unprecedented demands and the need for prompt action may also make it necessary for the State to temporarily deviate from normal procedures and tracks. I have pledged myself to propose measures to deal with a catastrophic crisis, or to adopt similar sensible measures as proposed by Congress. ”

"However, in the unlikely event that Congress cannot accept either of these two forms. In the unlikely event that the national crisis remains urgent, I will not shy away from the choices that will be clearly presented to me at that time. I will ask Congress to give me broad executive powers to wage war on an extraordinary state of affairs at the disposal of the only remaining means of dealing with a crisis, as much as the power that should be granted to me in the event of a genuine invasion by a foreign enemy...... In this regard, I will never disappoint the expectations of the people! ”

Throughout his speech, Roosevelt grimaced, and only when he waved goodbye to the crowd did he smile heartwarmingly. Despite the simplicity and even sloppiness of the new president's inauguration, Roosevelt's inaugural address was a huge success, with nearly 500,000 congratulatory letters flying to the White House over the weekend alone.

At the end of Roosevelt's speech, in a secret radio communication room of the Kuomintang headquarters in Yanjing, China, Yang Shuoming, who was sitting in front of a high-power radio station and listening to his speech, laughed loudly in front of everyone, regardless of his image, as if he had heard a big joke.

Seeing Yang Shuoming smiling weirdly, the surrounding correspondents and several elite members of the National Socialist Party also had teasing smiles on their faces.

"Why is Hanzhi laughing?" Jiang Xueying looked at Yang Shuoming with some knowingness and asked.

"Sure enough, he was a natural politician, no wonder Wall Street chose him to be the president of the United States." Yang Shuoming easily stopped laughing, looked back at everyone, and said, "If you are all interested in developing in the political arena, from now on, you should learn from him." ”

"He said more than once in his speeches that he was going to war with Wall Street for the good of the people." Jiang Xueying pursed her lips and smiled, "Could it be that he really changed his surname?" ”

"Impossible. Hanzhi means that President Roosevelt is also the same as Hoover, who was supported by Wall Street, but this time the method is a little different. A young man said.

"Yes, President Roosevelt, who often says one thing with his lips and does another with his hands, was known as a 'chameleon' before the election." Someone continued.

"There are some things that you can say, but you can't really do what is said; There are some things you can do, but you can't say that. President Roosevelt should have known it well. A young woman said with a smile.

"Our Chinese President Cao Da, if only he could have these two shots, it would be good." Someone laughed.

"Yes! If he was sharp-tongued, he wouldn't let those 'clear streams' stink to death. ”

"Those are not 'clear streams', we have checked, there is a background of the Cloth Party elements, and it is likely that it is a ghost of the Red Russians."

After the start of the Great Depression, although Cao Kun also took some effective measures with the help of Yang Shuoming, he always seemed to have no appreciation for him, and whenever he took any action, there were always newspapers that were extremely sarcastic, sarcastic, ridiculed, and even insulted and abused, which made him angry. Despite this, Cao Kun still adopted a more tolerant attitude towards the media and did not go on a killing spree.

"You can guess what President Roosevelt will do next?" Yang Shuoming looked at everyone and asked.

"He should start with the American financial community." Jiang Xueying said, "This time he boasted about Haikou in front of the whole American people, and it is unjustifiable not to take some practical actions." He is likely to start by rectifying the banking sector. ”

"In that case, he would really offend Wall Street." Someone said, "He should be doing a massive relief operation against the Americans." ”

"Not necessarily, his coming to stage is actually promoted behind Wall Street, and Wall Street will definitely cooperate with him this time to play a big drama of 'Zhou Yu beats Huang Gai - one is willing to fight, one is willing to suffer'." Someone intersected.

"In fact, no matter what he does, as long as he does not beggar-thy-neighbor, it will be a great blessing for my country." A clear voice said.

Yang Shuoming turned his head to look and saw a graceful and elegant young man in a robe, although his clothes were very simple, but between his words and demeanor, there was a kind of noble temperament.

Yang Shuoming recognized who he was, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

This man's name is Jin Puxin, who is known for his ability to analyze economics at a young age.

"Why did the World Heritage say that?" Jiang Xueying asked him with some curiosity, "The United States and China have always been good friends and have close economic ties. ”

"Interests come first between countries, and there are no eternal friends and no eternal enemies." Jin Puxin smiled and said, "This time, in order to get out of the crisis, the United States may not consider the interests of our country or even the countries of Thailand. ”

"How does the United States 'beggar-thy-neighbor' think this time?" Yang Shuoming asked.

"The easiest and most effective way to do this is to depreciate the currency." Jin Puxin said, "As the Minister of Finance, Hanzhi must understand the stakes involved. ”

Listening to Jin Puxin's words, the faces of the people around him changed.

The people who can stand in this room today are all young and handsome people who are both knowledgeable and well-educated, and they certainly understand what Jin Puxin means by "currency devaluation".

"Then our country needs to be prepared in advance." Jiang Xueying said, "Is there any good way to do it?" ”

"Then it's up to Hanzhi." Jin Puxin said, "I don't know what Hanzhi's method is, if I am in Hanzhi's position, I have only one way, which is to find a way to make my country's currency consistent with the dollar." ”

Yang Shuoming heard his answer and sighed secretly in his heart, but at this time, there was no expression on his face.

Because now he understands that what Roosevelt is about to do is more than "beggar-thy-neighbor", and as a president who came to power with the full support of Wall Street, his ultimate goal is far more than that.

However, he is already quite pleased that the current Chinese elites can reach such a level of understanding of the United States.

"Hanzhi actually already has a way, doesn't he?" Jin Puxin seemed to see through Yang Shuoming's thoughts, and said with a smile.

"Of course, there are solutions, but they need to work closely with me." Yang Shuoming nodded and said.

Akamoto, Tokyo, headquarters of Mitsubishi Corporation.

"Our business in China has shrunk dramatically, what is going on?"

Iwasaki Yahisa looked at the report on the table, his eyes widened, and he looked at the company leaders in front of him, as if he wanted to see the answer from them.

"Shina has purchased a large number of new machines from the United States, and some companies have even moved entire factories from the United States, and their product quality has surpassed ours, and the price is even cheaper...... "One person in charge saw Iwasaki's face becoming more and more ugly, and his voice became lower and lower.

"The policy of strictly prohibiting opium in the country has been adopted, and the 'Hongji Shan Tang' and 'Guang Chai Shan Tang' that we have opened in China have been blocked by the Chinese political axe, and the supply of goods in Myanmar has also been greatly reduced, and the 'special commodity trade' in China has been de facto stopped." Another person in charge said, "Our direct loss has reached 60 million yuan......

"You mean, the problem doesn't come to us, does it?" Iwasaki Yahisa said sharply.

"Yes." A person in charge boldly said, "We have done everything we can, but you should know that the competitiveness of Shina commodities is getting stronger and stronger, not only our performance is declining, but other companies are also like us." ”

"There is a problem with the supply of 'special goods', is it also the people of Zhina?" Iwasaki Yahisa asked.

"Yes." "According to our informants in Myanmar, bandits in China often cross the border to attack opium poppy producing areas in Myanmar, resulting in a significant reduction in local production. As a result, there is a serious shortage of goods and the price is extremely expensive......"

"Gangsters?" Iwasaki was stunned for a moment, but he immediately understood.

"It is said that these bandits are so advanced in weapons and so strong in combat that even the local British army is difficult to match, and our people believe that it is likely that the actions of the regular units of the Shina army in disguise were carried out......," one of the officials said Iwasaki Yahisa's thoughts.

"Okay, I know everything, let's go." Iwasaki Yahisa waved his hand, and several people in charge bowed as if they were about to be amnestied, and retreated one after another.

When Iwasaki Yahisa was the only one left in the room, he came to the wall and stared closely at the huge portrait of Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of "Mitsubishi", on the wall, with a pair of fists clenched, as if he wanted to gain strength from his ancestors.

"Damn China! The sound of the cannon should be resounded in this land! ”

At this time, if there were people in the room who did not know the truth, they might be surprised to hear Iwasaki's words, but it would not be surprising if they were people who knew the history of "Mitsubishi".

As a matter of fact, people in the industry know that "Mitsubishi" is the largest arms supplier supporting the Japanese empire in its war of aggression against foreign countries. This consortium with a long history still exerts an important influence in both the political and economic circles, controlling a large share of the military production and orders in the region.

The founder of "Mitsubishi" was Yataro Iwasaki. As early as the beginning of the Meiji Restoration, Yataro Iwasaki established the "Mitsubishi Chamber of Commerce" with a group of friends in Tokyo. At that time, "Mitsubishi" was an inconspicuous one among the many small and medium-sized conglomerates in the company, but Yataro Iwasaki, who had great powers, took advantage of his relationship with Meiji Masaxe to quickly develop "Mitsubishi".

At that time, there was a fierce power struggle within the Meiji political axe, and Yataro Iwasaki supported the Okubo Ritsu faction. After Okubo became prime minister, the good story of "Mitsubishi" came. In 1874, when it was decided to send troops to Taiwan, Iwasaki Yataro actively asked the Minister of the Interior for instructions on contracting the transportation of military supplies. The Minister of the Interior knew that Iwasaki was the Prime Minister's favorite, so he agreed. "Mitsubishi" took this opportunity to become the "hegemon of the sea" in this book. Another shipping company, Mitsui & Co., had to request to charter Mitsubishi's ships and was willing to pay a lease fee of 700,000 yuan a year. But Yataro Iwasaki, in order to overwhelm his competitors, flatly refused.

Mitsui & Co., which was refused, entangled with local shipowners, wholesalers, and cargo owners hostile to Mitsubishi in an attempt to confront it. At first, Mitsubishi did not take its opponent seriously, but in 1878, Okubo Ritsu was assassinated, and the political forces supporting his opponent came to power, and the winter of Mitsubishi came.

In October 1882, he and Mitsui established the "Kyodo Transport Company" and started a business war with "Mitsubishi". In order to delight customers and get to their destinations first, the two companies start a long-distance race at sea. In the end, it was Yataro Iwasaki who was superior. In 1884, Yataro Iwasaki acquired a 50% stake in the "Kyodo Transport Company", but in the same year, Yataro Iwasaki died of stomach cancer due to long-term fatigue.

Yataro's younger brother, Yanosuke Iwasaki, succeeded him. The "Kyodo Transport Company" took the opportunity of Yataro's death to start another price war. Iwasaki Yanosuke was very dissatisfied with the political axe's favoritism and threatened to blow up all the ships, and the political axe officials were afraid of being criticized by all walks of life, so they sent people to negotiate with Yanosuke. On September 29, 1885, the "Kyodo Transport Company" was annexed by "Mitsubishi" and the "Yumoto Shipping Company" was established. Mitsubishi thus completed a great undertaking of expansion. After "accomplishing the great cause", Iwasaki Yanosuke soon handed over the position of "Mitsubishi" president to his brother's eldest son, who is now Iwasaki Yahisa.

(To be continued)