The naval conference was held at the Independence Hall in Washington, D.C., and the Independence Monument looked a little majestic from here. After the founding of China, some people also suggested building a monument to martyrs, but the matter was vetoed by Yang Rui. The best destination for martyrs is the Taimiao, only there can you enjoy the incense forever, and the monument placed outside is not for the dead, but for the present to see; There is no bullshit National Day in China, and the day of the annual uprising is just a day of national mourning -- our happiness is because of the sacrifice of our ancestors, so we should not be happy on this day, but should be sad.

-- Lieutenant Colonel Shen Honglie, staff officer of the Navy Office of the General Staff Department, looked at the US Independence Monument outside, and didn't know why Yang Rui's words were ringing, and he didn't pay much attention to what was being said at the meeting. It was the representative of Italy who was speaking at this time, who belonged to the same Mediterranean Sea as France, and who, although in reality neither navy had much strength, still demanded the same tonnage as France.

After the Italians finished speaking, the French were not satisfied, no matter how they said that France is also a 'power' in the world, how can they make Italy and themselves on an equal footing? However, when the French representative spoke, he not only looked at Secretary of State Hughes, the chief representative of the American delegation, and the chief representative of the British delegation, Foreign Secretary Arthur Hughes. Lord Balfour, for fear that his words would annoy them—the free and proud France, having lost this ally of Tsarist Russia, had become like a perceptive **.

"Do you have any comments from the Delegation of Japan?" US Secretary of State Hughes, who chaired the meeting, kindly asked that neither France nor Italy mattered, and that Britain had made it clear to itself long before the meeting that they would stand on the side of the United States, and that the key was Japan and China.

"In the spirit of the principle of peace. I accept the view before the meeting that the tonnage of the capital ships of the Japanese Navy is 60% that of the United States or the United Kingdom......" The chief representative of the Japanese delegation, Minister of the Navy Yuzaburo Kato, had not finished speaking. It received warm applause from the British and American representatives present, however. Lord Balfour of the British delegation had a bad premonition.

Sure enough, when it was the turn of Yang Du of the Chinese delegation to speak, the situation changed.

"This meeting will not bring anything to our navy, and we will not say anything but dismantle nearly 100 submarines, and then our Prime Minister can only agree to this for the sake of eternal peace in Asia......

Applause rang out again, especially for the Americans. From Secretary of State Hughes to the clerks at the bottom, they were all overjoyed. Yang Du ignored the warm applause and said: "However, our country has two conditions for this, one is that China's shipbuilding industry is weak and the quality of warships is poor, so these warships must be dismantled and rebuilt within fifteen years; Second, when Japan wishes to rebuild these capital ships, it has the right to change the types of ships as needed, that is, aircraft carriers can be changed into battleships. And vice versa, but the total tonnage will not exceed 230,000 tons, and the tonnage of a single ship will not exceed the conference limit of 35,000 tons for battleships and 27,000 tons for aircraft carriers. ”

After Yang Du finished speaking, he sat down, and after a while, Theodore, the assistant of the Admiralty in the American delegation. Roosevelt stood up and asked, "Your Excellency, whether it was an aircraft carrier that was converted into a battleship?" Or was the battleship converted into an aircraft carrier? ”

"I don't know yet." Yang Du smiled, "This can only be based on the actual needs of our country, in fact, I am not afraid of everyone's jokes." We don't know how to build battleships yet......"

"Haha......" Chinese told the truth, causing the audience to laugh. As long as the armor of a battleship costs money to buy a patent from Krupp, anyone will build it; The hull does not say. Steam turbines only need to buy patented or original equipment, and they can eventually work; But it is not so easy to build the main gun, although China has a 10,000-ton hydraulic press, but the cannon manufacturing process does not need to be piled up with gold, it cannot be made, and even if it is built, it will fall behind all countries, because the technology has long been updated.

Now the Chinese navy has more tonnage than France and Italy, but its battleships are captured rather than self-made, and he can only build aircraft carriers without armor and main guns, so it can be said that its naval strength is the weakest.

Yang Du didn't blush at everyone's laughter, but spread his hands and said with a smile: "Actually, I think there is no need for our country to participate in this meeting at all, with the strength of our navy, a country that can't even build battleship main guns is not a threat to anyone, but it is valued by all countries, and we must participate, so no matter the tonnage of the navy, we will never build battleships, right?" ”

Everyone laughed, little Theodore. Although Roosevelt smiled, he did not despise China, and he said: "So, when your country is rebuilt, you want to turn all those aircraft carriers into battleships?" ”

"Not necessarily." Yang Du shook his head, "It would naturally be good if you could build a battleship, with bigger main guns and thicker armor." But if it still can't reach the level of other countries, don't follow suit, it's not bad to still be an aircraft carrier. As a matter of fact, the reason why China wants to maintain such a navy is only to protect the safety of overseas Chinese. Speaking of this, Yang Du arched his hand to the east, and then said: "His Majesty King Min loves his people, and knows that the overseas people are living a difficult and precarious life, so he specially ordered the navy to build aircraft carriers. This kind of ship is fast and has airplanes, it is not possible to fight a war, but it is most suitable to save people. To put it more seriously, our navy is just an overseas Chinese rescue force, and it is not a real navy at all. ”

Yesterday's joke about deceiving the Japanese now has a different flavor when it is said to foreigners, all countries have overseas Chinese, and an important task of the navies of various countries is to rescue overseas Chinese. Yang Du will not be deceived by himself, he said again: "Our country's shipbuilding technology is backward, other countries' warships can be used for 20 years, and our country is estimated to only be used for 10 or 15 years, which is the reason for the need for reconstruction; We want to build battleships, but if we can't build them, or if they don't build them, then we might as well continue to build aircraft carriers, because the navy was originally designed only to protect overseas nationals. ”

Yang Du's performance is over, Theodore Jr. Roosevelt shook his head. Although the current aircraft carrier is weak, according to the predictions of some admirals in the Navy, it will eventually replace the battleship as the supremacy of the sea, but this is only the statement of a few generals, and judging from the bombing tests conducted by the US Navy with captured and allocated German ships, the superiority of aircraft carriers has not been concretely reflected. The Chinese Navy is now the weakest, but if aircraft carriers can really replace battleships, then it will be the strongest. Perhaps with regard to the provisions of aircraft carriers of various countries, some adjustments should be made accordingly.

Theodore Jr. Roosevelt finished asking. After a slight chill, the chief representative of the U.S. delegation, Secretary of State Charles Murphy. Evans. Hughes coughed twice. "So do you agree and promise not to sign an alliance treaty with any country, or to become an ally in practice, thereby threatening the security of the Pacific region?" ”

After the British relented, the ultimate purpose of the Americans in convening this meeting was to break up the Sino-Japanese alliance, and the United States would not allow the birth of a sea and land power on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, whether in terms of geopolitical security or in the economic market. Even, as long as China does not join forces with the Japanese, then the United States can agree to surpass Japan in the tonnage of his navy and give the battleship main gun technology of the next class. Arguably. This time, I found so many high-level extras and put so many scores, just waiting for the Chinese to say that China and Japan will never be aligned.

The whole venue was silent, and the foreigners all looked at Yang Du with blazing eyes, and in their expectations, Yang Du smiled and said, "Mr. Hughes, you can't interfere with our right to make friends. ”

"Oh......" The faces of the foreign devils changed greatly, but Yang Du continued: "Our navy is very weak, and there are only two battleships. Aircraft carriers can only rescue overseas Chinese and reconnoiter the enemy's situation, and can do nothing else, and a weak navy like ours must make friends with allies. to protect yourself. ”

After Yang Du finished speaking, the venue was in a commotion, and Mr. Hughes pounded the table to make the venue quiet, and he said very dissatisfied: "I must remind Your Excellency that the world war that has just ended is caused by the alliance. If your country forms an alliance with the Japanese, then it will inevitably lead to another world war! ”

"Nope! No! I would like to correct Your Excellency that the world war that has just ended was caused by the struggle for world hegemony and overseas colonies. Forming alliances is just a formality. Our alliance with friendly countries is not at all for overseas interests and world hegemony, but only for self-preservation. Do you believe that a country that does not even know how to build the main guns of battleships will compete for world hegemony? Yang Du asked rhetorically.

"This is possible after the alliance." Hughes emphasized that "the United States is totally opposed to the emergence of an alliance in the Pacific that would lead to another world war." I can guarantee that, if it arises, for the sake of permanent peace in the Pacific, the United States will dismantle it by any means before it provokes a world war! ”

"I think Mr. Hughes is talking about an alliance between China and Japan." Yang Du said bluntly, "What I am curious about is that according to the agreement of the previous meeting, China only accounts for 30% of the capital ships of your navy, while Japan only accounts for 60%, and the total is only 90%, of which China still has only two battleships that have become obsolete or will become obsolete. Can such a force be called provoking a world war? I would like to ask Mr. Hughes, the tonnage of the capital ships of the two sides is 9 to 10, why was the great war not provoked by your country? ”

"Because America is peace-loving." Hughes said, "We can't tolerate any threat in the peace? ”

"That's what we think, Mr. Hughes." Yang Du fought back before the Americans could speak, "Nine to ten is a threat, and your country cannot tolerate it, so when we are faced with a disparity of ten to six and ten to three, this threat should be endured?" Could it be that, in Mr. Hughes's view, peace in the Pacific can only be achieved when your country is in the ascendancy and the guns are in your hands? ”

In terms of debate, Hughes is not the opponent of a strategist like Yang Du at all, he has been dizzy by Yang Du, and he does not mention that the US Navy belongs to two oceans, according to the current arrangement, if China and Japan form an alliance, the balance of power in the Pacific Ocean will be five to nine, not ten to nine. Faced with Yang Du's machine-gun-like questioning, he naturally said, "Of course, because America is God's chosen people." Since he is God's chosen people, he should have absolute superiority at all times, so that there can be peace in the Pacific. ”

"Mr. Hughes, this is serious discrimination! This can easily be deduced to the conclusion that only Christians can live, and that pagans, even Catholics, should die. Belief is free, and I strongly condemn this discrimination from Your Excellency, and I will withdraw from today's meeting in protest......"

Before Yang Du's words were finished, the venue was really chaotic. The United States has always regarded itself as God's chosen people, and the doctrine of manifesting the destiny of heaven has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and they reject heretics, even Catholics, and Yang Du has drawn Catholic France and Italy into the country by extension, but the most desperate thing for him is to immediately withdraw from the conference in protest and not explain the plan to Hughes at all.

Yang Du got up and left the venue with people. The chief delegation of the British delegation pretending to be a peacemaker, Arthur. Balfour was about to dissuade him, not wanting the Japanese to leave under the leadership of Yuzaburo Kato. Look at it this way. Today's meeting is a waste. Lord Betty, who was standing on the side, said deflatedly: "The matter is in vain! ”

"No, it's nowhere near that bad!" Balfour shook his head. "We can also put pressure from within Japan, or from China."

The Lord said with such confidence, but in fact he had no confidence in convincing China and Japan. Although China and Japan were also participants in the war, not only did they lose nothing in the war, but they also made a lot of money and owned new colonies.

Now, the Chinese market, which countries have withdrawn from, is being occupied by the Japanese, and with the Chinese government's efforts to develop its economy, it will eventually become a supermarket like the United States. Japan does not need an external market, and one Chinese market is enough for all its domestic factories to run at full capacity; As for China, which has been turned into a big construction site by its wartime super-profits, and where agriculture and industry are developing rapidly, it is perfectly capable of isolationism as the United States has done before.

The Chinese and Japanese representatives withdrew in protest, and the meeting naturally ended there. Secretary of State Hughes, who had just claimed that 'America is God's chosen people,' did not feel that he had said anything wrong, and he said to Balfour: "Yellow monkey who does not understand civilization! ”

"Charles, you're in too much of a hurry." When Balfour saw that the representatives of the other countries had withdrawn, he couldn't help but blame him.

"Nope. It's the infidels who are too rampant. They think that together they can threaten the United States, this is impossible! The world will always be controlled only by the Caucasians, and the yellow-skinned monkeys will be suppressed once they become threatened, and they will become our slaves at best. That's all! Hughes felt that he had endured enough just now, and he was disgusted when he remembered the aggressive appearance of the Chinese just now.

"But it means a war." Balfour was thinking about the outcome of the eventual failure of the naval conference. Recall the specific terms of the Anglo-Japanese and Anglo-Chinese alliance treaties. He hoped that China and Japan would immediately start a war with the United States, while Britain would take advantage of the loopholes in the treaty to maintain strict neutrality. After the war, come back to clean up the mess; However, he was worried that the war would not start immediately, and Britain would have to follow the United States, Japan, and China in an arms race. This was something that Britain's weak finances could not support after the war, and failure to support it would lead to the loss of world hegemony, which was unacceptable to any citizen of Great Britain with His Majesty the King.

"If the Sino-Japanese alliance does not break up, war will happen sooner or later." Hughes replied. "The United States must not tolerate a great threat from across the Pacific Ocean, which is more terrible than the Germans!"

"War is sinful." "For the sake of world peace, I am willing once again to dissuade them from sliding into war." ”

"Then I'll wait for the good news from the Lord." Hughes said happily and put on his top hat. He was well aware of the fragility of Britain at this time, and in order to retain a part of their hegemony, they were willing to sacrifice anything, as long as it was not their own.

When Yang Du withdrew from the venue, he saw that the Japanese had also withdrawn from the venue, and waited on the way with satisfaction, and when the car of the Japanese delegation approached, he asked the driver to follow the Japanese back to the Shoreham Hotel again.

"How many battleships did the Americans have?" Yang Du asked Shen Honglie.

Not wanting Shen Honglie to answer, Yuzaburo Kato said: "There are eighteen ships, and we, including the captured, Japan have eleven ships, and your country has two." ”

"This is a super-dreadnought?" Yang Du was stunned when he heard that the numbers were so different from what he had guessed.

"Yes, the drainage is all over 20,000 tons. The caliber of the main gun is 305mm or more. "Yuzaburo Kato is actually the chief of staff of Heihachiro Togo, and he is very clear about the power of the navies of various countries." Britain had forty-five. ”

"Britain doesn't have to think about it." Yang Du said, "His best strategy is to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight. ”

"That's when we start a war with the United States soon, if the United States asks him to join the war before going to war, he may not be a bystander." Yuzaburo Kato said.

"Then the British Empire awaits disintegration." Yang Du sneered. In the world war, the Anglo-Indian troops sent overseas numbered 1.4 million[note 118], with nearly 200,000 dead and wounded, and countless wealth spent. And the other Dominions of Britain are also becoming centrifugal because they are armed, and if there is another world war, Britain will definitely not be able to bear it.

"Where's the red dew?" Yesterday, it was Yang Du who used Red Russia as a threat to explain the importance of compromise with the United States, but now Yuzaburo Kato is using the shield of his son. Spear of the Attacker. His exit today was forced by circumstances -- we must not tolerate discrimination against the yellow race, although this is a fait accompli. But when it comes to protesting, the Japanese must not compromise.

"Factional fighting within Red Russia led to the defeat of the Polish campaign. After several years of war and civil war, although his current army has a large number of people, it has no combat effectiveness at all. It is said that they are also like us, and they want to vigorously develop the economy. Yang Du said. He will not be a threat in three or five years, and what we are really worried about is actually the United States. Your Excellency Kato, can we win? ”

"The country of rice is harder to fight than Lucia." In the eyes of everyone, Yuzaburo Kato said. "But if we go to war now, I'm sure we won't lose. It's just that. There are thirteen super-dreadnoughts in the American dockyard, and we ...... and the Japanese have only eight......"

"We ......" Yang Du saw that the Japanese looked at him after speaking, and knew what he meant, he didn't know what was in the docks of Jiangnan Shipyard and Nanjing Shipyard, so he had to look at Shen Honglie.

"We didn't build battleships." As soon as Shen Honglie opened his mouth, he disappointed the people who were looking at him, "There are two aircraft carriers in the Nanjing shipyard that have just laid their keels, and there are two 10,000-ton cruisers in Shanghai. ”

"Does your country really think that aircraft carriers can replace battleships?" Kishigero Bihara, who is not very familiar with the navy, said.

"It's irreplaceable now, it's just a trend." Shen Honglie knew that the real killer feature of aircraft carriers was the dive bombers that rarely appeared in battle. Although the British discovered that the S.E.5a could be used for dive bombing, the Air Force brass thought it was more than worth the cost because of the lack of airframe strength. The Revival Army's Ghost bomber has been repeatedly improved in the Great War, and now the Ghost 5 is in active service. The engine power was 400 horsepower, and it could carry a bomb of up to 20 kg, but this was almost no threat to the battleship.

And torpedo bombers. Because the problem of high-altitude and high-speed entry of torpedoes into the water was not completely solved, as long as the battleship had relatively dense anti-aircraft fire. It is difficult for them to pose a lethal threat, and all torpedo bombers can do is surprise attacks. However, with the optimistic estimate of the General Post Naval Armament Bureau. It will take at least five years for the aircraft carrier to gain an advantage over the battleships, and ten years for the battleships to be completely eliminated. If there is a war now, then the role of the aircraft carrier, in addition to reconnaissance, can only wash the deck of the battleship.

Shen Honglie's words of trend disappointed everyone even more, China's real contribution to the Sino-Japanese combined fleet was only two battleships, and one of them was captured by Japan.

"Maybe it's better to start a war now, and wait for all the battleships under construction in the United States to be launched, and the result will be ......," Kishigero Bihara said in a dejected manner.

"Humph! I'd rather all the jade of the navy be broken than bow to the United States! Kanji Kato, who had been holding back his anger, said. The thinking of the Mi people could not be clearer, and the advantage will only stop if it is in his hands, even if we only have ninety percent of his fleet. ”

"The navy is the last line of defense of the empire, how can it be said that the jade is broken?" Yuzaburo Kato reprimanded when he heard this. He turned to Yang Du and said, "Mr. Huizi, I'd better let me send a report to Tokyo on this matter before discussing it with you." ”

"Okay." Yang Du had no problem with the reaction of the Japanese, and he reminded: "Don't forget that the diplomatic code has been deciphered, and Your Excellency should be very, very careful. ”

"Understood!" Yuzaburo Kato was grateful, and although there was nothing to prove that his code had been deciphered by the people of the United States, he was convinced of it.

Leaving the hotel where the Japanese lived, Yang Du took Shen Honglie back to the hotel to return to Liu Guanxiong, thinking of the current situation on the way, he looked at Shen Honglie uneasily and asked, "Chengzhang, you are familiar with the navy, you said that if the Americans really go to war, can we win?" ”

"Mr. Huizi, what time does this have to be fought?" Shen Honglie was also thinking about this question repeatedly.

"Does it have anything to do with time?" Yang Du does not understand military affairs.

"It's related, Mr. Skinny." Shen Honglie said, "If the war starts in five years, then we will win, and if it is two years after tomorrow, it will be unpredictable." ”

"Oh!" Yang Du didn't expect there to be such a joint, he said curiously, "This is the most important thing for us is to drag out time?" ”

Shen Honglie said: "Yes, at least from a tactical point of view. The more time passes, the more powerful the aircraft engine will be, and the larger the bomb will be loaded. In five years the aircraft carrier will have a certain advantage over the battleship, and now all we need is time. (To be continued......)

PS: Note 118: Modern Indian Literature, I, p217. The original text is 1.21 million, and the original position is 1.4 million