(PS: In the previous chapter, some book friends questioned the Battle of Nakajo Mountain, so let's briefly explain it here.) At that time, 40% of the elite of the Zhongtiao Mountain National Army were in the Fourth Army, and the Fourth Army was developed from Yang Hucheng's troops and was very pro-communist. Lao Chiang was transferred from the Fourth Army to oppress the guerrilla defense areas, and took the opportunity to carry out a purge of the Fourth Army - the author did not say that the Fourth Army did not resist Japan. On the contrary, the Fourth Army was fierce and pro-communist.

If you really want to talk about it, Wei Lihuang, the commander-in-chief of that battle, was also taking the blame, because Lao Jiang felt that Wei Lihuang was also suspected of being pro-communist, so he killed Wei Lihuang in disguise before the outbreak of the war. Wei Lihuang had no actual command power, and he could only take passive defensive measures.

Therefore, the fiasco of the Battle of Zhongtiao Mountain was normal, and before the battle began, Wei Lihuang, the brain of the defenders, was "beheaded", and the Fourth Army, the mainstay of the defenders, was "cramped" again. After going through the "decapitation cramps", the national army in Zhongtiao Mountain is like a patient without a brain and spine, how can they beat the surging Japanese invaders? In this battle, Lao Chiang and the Japanese army cooperated perfectly, making Lao Chiang like a Japanese spy. ）

Let's get down to business.

When US Special Envoy Curry was inspecting the situation of China's legal tender and meeting with dignitaries of various political parties in China, Zhou Mansion suddenly had people visit him for half a month.

The "Southern Anhui Incident" has brought great disgrace to the people of the Nationalist Government, and all political parties and democrats, including many members of the Kuomintang, feel that they can no longer bear it. They advocated unity and democracy to resist Japan, and abandoned all internal strife, so they secretly formed the "Democratic Political League" -- this was the predecessor of the "Democratic League."

The Youth Party, the National Socialist Party, the Vocational Education Society, the Rural Construction Association, the National Liberation Committee and other groups all participated, and Zhou Hexuan was not surprised to be invited. It's just that Zhou Hexuan did not join any group, and the "Democratic Political League Alliance" does not accept individual members for the time being, so they want to absorb Zhou Hexuan into a certain organization before joining.

Zhou Hexuan politely refused, he did not want to join any group, but secretly donated 5,000 yuan to the "Democratic Political League Alliance" as a fund.

As for Chang Kaishen's cooperation talks with Britain and the United States, the talks went smoothly and disappointmently.

Chang Kaishen hoped to start cooperation with Britain and the United States in the Far East, but he almost did not directly mention an alliance. However, Britain looks at the United States, and the United States will not let go, and the Far East cooperation plan will not be realized at all.

However, U.S. Special Envoy Currie found that China's inflation was so severe that the fiat currency was almost turning into waste paper, and the situation was so serious that it could not support the war of resistance. As a result, the United States promised to borrow $50 million to stabilize the value of the fiat currency, while urging Britain to borrow 5 million pounds from China.

Combined with the U.S. metal borrowing in February, the U.S. borrowed a total of $100 million from China in two months ($60 million actually paid).

As Japan's aggression in Southeast Asia intensified, Churchill panicked, borrowing £5 million from China in April, then lending another £5 million to China in June, and giving China a real £10 million on both occasions.

Churchill can't be blamed for being stingy, Britain has long been financially bankrupt at this time, and the 10 million pounds that can be lent to China are all cut out.

In comparison, the United States is not so authentic, it was clearly said to give 50 million, but the actual receipt was only 10 million. Moreover, the interest rate of the United States was the highest in China's previous foreign loans during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, much higher than that of the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom, until the outbreak of the Pacific War (direct $500 million interest-free borrowing).

At a time when Britain and the United States were borrowing heavily from China, the Soviet Union's attitude toward China suddenly became delicate. Previously, the Soviet Union had borrowed a total of $250 million from China and provided various arms support, but in April this year it suddenly signed the "Japan-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact."

The reason for this was that the situation in Europe was becoming more and more serious, and the Soviet Union had to make every effort to guard against Germany. Japan, on the other hand, wanted to invade Southeast Asia and the Pacific on a large scale, and could not conflict with the Soviet Union for the time being. As a result, the Soviet Union and Japan hit it off, selling China and Germany respectively.

Incidentally, the Flying Tigers were in the process of being formed and had secret support from Roosevelt, by which time Chennault had returned to the United States to recruit volunteer pilots.

Song Meiling and Kong Xiangxi are still doing things, and last year the Chinese Air Force was defeated by the Zero fighter, and the two immediately set about buying the plane. Kong Xiangxi plans to order 50 Hawker aircraft and 30 C21 interceptors for a total price of $4 million, which is not outrageous in terms of price. The actual purchaser intended to save a fortune, and after many efforts, he succeeded in reducing the price by 7%, saving the country about $300,000.

In the spring of 1941, 50 Hawkers were finally shipped to China, but the remaining 30 interceptors were blown up by the Japanese on Burmese territory. At this time, Kong Xiangxi proposed to order 160 American planes, but only 80 were bought, and he didn't know when they would be able to be shipped - anyway, the author couldn't find out the whereabouts of these planes.

Because of the visit of US special envoy Curry to China, Roosevelt realized that the situation in China was more serious than expected. As a result, Roosevelt withheld 100 P40Bs that had been sold to Britain and shipped them to China in May.

Judging from the changes in the attitudes of Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union toward China, the Soviet-German war is already on the verge of breaking out, and the war in Southeast Asia and the Pacific is not far off.

Zhou Hexuan is temporarily idle, usually writes books at home, goes to universities to give lectures, and donates money every three or five times.

The "Chongqing Tunnel Massacre," which killed tens of thousands of people, is unlikely to happen again, because the largest air-raid shelter in Chongqing was built with donations from Zhou Hexuan, and he specifically told the air-raid shelter gate to be opened outward. The remaining other air-raid shelters, under the communication between Zhou Hexuan and the Chongqing Air Defense Command, also opened their doors to the outside.

How did the Chongqing tunnel tragedy happen?

There were too many people in the bomb shelter, there was a lack of oxygen, and people were crazily squeezing out. But the gate was open inward, and the more people crowded out, the less likely it was to rush out, because the gate was blocked, and tens of thousands of people were finally suffocated to death in the bomb shelter.

Under Zhou Hexuan's urging, this situation will be avoided. As long as something happens inside, as many people squeeze out, they can break the iron lock on the outside and forcibly escape.

Early April.

Cui Huifu suddenly came over with a letter: "Sir, Professor Jin Yuelin has a letter from Li Zhuang, hoping to support a batch of medicines. ”

Tongji University, Jinling University Research Institute, Academia Sinica, and China Construction Institute have moved to Lizhuang, but the situation is very bad. Jin Yuelin said in the letter that Li Zhuang was desperately short of materials and had nothing. Lin Hui had a lung attack and had a 40-degree fever for a month, and he could only carry it without medicine.

Jin Yuelin hopes that Zhou Hexuan can support a batch of medicines, not only for Lin Huiyin, but also for all the scholars, teachers and students in Li Zhuang.