1908 Far Eastern Maniac Chapter 163 Basic Position

The south is lush and green. But the North China Plain is still full of gloom. It's been many days. But the weather hasn't come to take off your jacket yet. It's also indispensable to wear a small hat when you go out in the morning. And he who was slow to return to the north.

Tianjin. Old Longtou Railway Station.

A train slowly drove into the station with black smoke in its mouth. He stopped on the platform. Excess steam leaks from both sides of the locomotive. The platform was suddenly shrouded in white mist. I couldn't see anything clearly for a while.

Wait for the white fog to dissipate a bit. A whistle blows. The closed doors of the carriage were opened by the conductor. The passengers stepped out of the carriage in twos and threes. It's like the first time of the Qing Dynasty. Most of the Chinese wear braids. Most foreigners wear top hats. I didn't forget to carry a civilization stick in my hand.

Train tickets are getting cheaper these days. There are more and more Chinese people who take the train. Whether it's a student from the South. Or a coolie from Shandong, Henan. They were all crowded in second-class carriages with those foreign settlers who planned to come to this eastern country to make the first pot of gold in their lives. Everything smells in the carriage. Coffee smell, smelly urine, sāo smell, tobacco smell. Mixed with the smell of inferior foreign perfume that can't tell the taste. The second-class carriage was smoky and dark. The Huayang passengers inside have long been unable to suppress their yearning for the freshness and emptiness. Wait for the door to open. They rushed out. Carrying large bags and small bags. Standing on the chaotic platform, he called out to his companions in various language dialects.

The country has just had a revolution. Ended the imperial system. The republic zhèngfǔ was established. The more at such times. The more speculative the streets. The ronin of the East and the bankrupt of the West. Wanted for the beauty of the adventurer of Europe. It's like flies that smell a strong breath. Swarming to the country. Let's see if we can find our "Far Eastern dream". There can't be any high-quality people among these people. The train came all the way from Dagu, and the quarrels and scolding in the second-class carriages did not stop.

The first-class carriages were better, and most of the people sitting in them were staff members of foreign companies. What writing runs the street and runs the comprador of the building. It's all characters who can't get up or down. Can't afford to sit in first class. Also look down on second-class carriages. So the road bureau came up with this good idea of using the first-class carriage to make money, in fact, this carriage is not much better than the second-class carriage. It's just that tickets are sold by seat. However, the ticket price is several times that of the second-class carriage. As one passenger per seat. So there's never going to be a big fight to grab a seat. As a result, most of the passengers who came down from the first-class carriage were neatly dressed. Refreshed, he turned his head to the chaotic crowd in the second-class carriage, only snorting coldly. Dress up and hat. Strode out of the platform.

It is the dignitaries and dignitaries in the first-class carriage that are not the big compradors and businessmen in the foreign firms. It is the leading figure in the political and military circles. Generally speaking. \\.Provide the latest hand-to-hand play in this chapter\\ Wealthy foreigners are also most likely willing to choose first-class carriages. It's just that this car is not easy to buy. It's not something you can buy with money. When the passengers on the platform were almost gone, the passengers in the first-class carriage stepped off the carriage one after another. The first to come out were their servants. Dressed neatly. jīng tremble. Carrying the heavy suitcase to the VIP aisle. One eye is higher than the top. Even the road guarding the aisle, Jǐng, didn't pay attention to it, and their owner got out of the car calmly, accompanied by the staff of the road bureau.

People who had been waiting on the platform for a long time walked up to greet these leaders. All kinds of etiquette, all kinds of greetings. Let this old dragon head railway station bring a touch of international sè color.

In that greeting that I don't know if it's sincere or false. Stade stepped out of the carriage with his assistant Marven. Stand on the platform and look left and right. Then he shrugged his shoulders lonely. Turning his head to look at his assistant.

"It looked like no one was in there to greet me. I always thought that the embassy would send at least one coachman. ”

Marven whistled: "Fortunately, I reminded you in time when I bragged to that Russian just now." Otherwise. That outbreak in Russia will see the jokes of American diplomats on the platform. Speaking of the Russians. It seems to greet a lot of others. Maybe we can give it a ride. ”

"Do we need to ask the Russians for help?"

Stade glanced haughtily at the group of Russians in the distance. Then he put the top hat in his hand on his head. Walked to the VIP aisle without hesitation.

Stade walked out of the train station with Marven. Immediately several rickshaws approached.

"Sir. Do you need a foreign car? ”

"Sir. Where do you want to go? ”

……

The rickshaw pullers shouted in English with their feet.

Stade glanced at Marven. The expression was a little meaningful.

"Look. Do we need the help of the Rus'? This country - has completed its internationalization. No matter where you go. There is no shortage of Chinese who are willing to serve foreigners. ”

"Sir. It's colonization. Public colonial. Marven corrected.

"What's the difference?"

Stade shrugged. I chose a rickshaw driver who looked very thin. Then he stepped on the rickshaw with the pride that a foreigner should have.

Marven chose a very strong rickshaw driver. Comfortably leaned on the back of the car. Put your foot firmly on the pedal. Then he shouted in the official dialect of Beijing flavor.

"Go to the U.S. Temporary 'Embassy in Tianjin'. You compete with him. See who runs faster. The first person to arrive on the square will be rewarded with an additional to two silver yuan. ”

"Do you want to race cars?"

Stade looked at Assistant One. He pulled out a U.S. gold coin from his hand. He shook at the two rickrick drivers.

"Who was the first to arrive at the legation. Whoever gets this gold coin will be able to get it. Marvin. Tell them. ”

Wait for the foreigner to finish. The strong rickshaw driver ran with his feet drawn. Marven's whistle seriously irritated Stade. Shout at the skinny rickshaw in English.

In this way, two foreigners raced rickshaws on the streets of Tianjin. The smooth asphalt road made them feel very comfortable.

"This road is really well repaired. Although not as wide as New York. This is thanks to Mr. Yuan Shikai who did not know that this Oriental bureaucrat became president. Will he continue to implement his new policy? ”

With this in mind. Dade fell into deep thought.

As the Consul General of the United States in Mukden. During this time, Stade traveled between Tianjin and Shanghai. He couldn't remember how many times he had been to Tianjin since the outbreak of the revolution. He was in Shanghai the other day. As a representative of the U.S. business community, he held talks with the leaders of the League and the Liberation Society, but the state incident interrupted the talks, and an encrypted telegram from the U.S. Minister to China, Rou Keyi, transferred Consul Steder from Shanghai back to Tianjin.

Bring an assistant. Board an American destroyer at Huangpu. Stade rushed to Dagu as fast as he could. Take the train from Dagu to Tianjin. But when they got to the station. I was surprised to find that Mr. Minister seemed to have forgotten to send someone to pick them up.

However, Stade is completely relieved of Mr. Minister's memory, and Mr. Minister's memory has always been very good. And Qi

After. The Republican Army's hardline attitude made the Republican Constitutional Assembly unable to come and condemn the republican zhèngfǔ. And the hard-line stance of rì本zhèngfǔ made the situation in the entire Far East suddenly tense. The United States zhèngfǔ after the knowledge of the news. An urgent telegram was sent to the Legation in China, ordering diplomats in China to pay close attention to further developments in the situation. Try to avoid turning the Qizhou incident into a full-scale war between China. In such a state of anxiety, how could Mr. Minister think of sending a consul?

Although the telegram of Mr. Minister does not go into details. However, Stade still figured out the position of the United States on the Qizhou incident.

At least in the near future. Do everything possible to avoid war. This is the basic position of the United States.

Because for the United States. A war broke out. China is bound to lose, and that is clearly in the interests of the United States. The U.S. needs a complete Chinese market. Rather than a broken market divided into small pieces by European powers. U.S. goods are confident in taking the dominant position in a full market. But if this market is - cut into small pieces. Once trade barriers and tariff barriers are established. I am afraid that there will be a strong earthquake in the business and political circles of the United States, which is something that no politician in any country will not expect.

The country is too weak to afford any external military pressure. After the Sino-Japanese War, the country had effectively stopped the rise of the country in Asia. If it weren't for the balance of power of the great powers. I'm afraid that this country has long been carved up.

Although the great powers did not divide |. But it turned the country into a "public colonial". "Foreigner" is no longer a slurious term. Rather, it is a symbol. A symbol of privilege. in this country. As long as it is hung with the word "foreign". It can almost be said that the shortcut to getting rich quickly has been mastered. Whether it's a real foreigner or a fake foreigner. They quickly seized all the benefits of the country by all means. Later. Even the imperial court felt threatened.

Famine. Teaching plan. Conflict of texts. Barriers to customs. Coupled with the deliberate selection of the Qing court. So the Boxer fist was raised on the altar. Shouting "invulnerability", they rushed to the machine-gun array of the coalition forces.

According to the laws of physics. The side that has an effect has a reaction force. When a country is bullied by an enemy country. There will inevitably be resistance in this country. To sum it up in the language of modern politics. This is called "nationalism". When Napoleon invaded Spain, Spain ruled the island of Cuba and was met with this nationalist counterattack.

But it's a pity. Si Dai did not see nationalism in this ancient Eastern country. He saw only ignorance and backwardness. In his opinion. The Boxers are nothing more than a group of ignorant villagers and urban nomads who are used by the nobles of the Eight Banners. That's really rebellion. But it's not the rebellion of the li. Rather, it is a hysteria in despair. Hysteria will not save the country. Only the loyalty and bravery of Li xìng add up. to save the country.

In the republican army of the lake that. Stade saw a little reason and bravery. Although the position of the IRA is tough. But at least it is clear who is the enemy and who is the friend. After the US minister to China put forward a proposal on setting up an international investigation team to investigate the truth of the Qizhou incident. districts throughout the Far East. The first to respond to the suggestion was the commander-in-chief of the IRA. In his power-up. It was even proposed that American diplomats take up the post of mission of inquiry.

That commander-in-chief is a strange one. At least that's what Stade said. On the one hand, he held high the banner of patriotism. Denounce the damage done to the interests of the Motherland by certain countries among the great powers. On the other hand, it also made friendly gestures to other powers. Does this count as a form of Orientalism?

Perhaps. But the more likely truth is: this is a diplomatic trick that the country has always played. "Raze to raze". Woo a country. Resist another country. An attempt was made to maintain the status quo from this.

As an inviper. It is not easy for the commander-in-chief to think of a way to "defeat razing with razing." And it is more clever than the Manchu Qing Dynasty. At the same time as pulling together a column |. Dare to blatantly oppose another power. Even pointing at the nose of this great power and saying "you are the enemy". This was unthinkable before. Maybe. A group of sane nationalists and statists has emerged in the country. When they see the backwardness of the motherland. The root cause of this backwardness has also been seen. I also saw the huge contrast between the strength of the enemy and us. So. They wisely chose their allies. Just like the alliance between the United States and France during the American Dúlì War. Ally with the strong. This is the path that all weak forces must take.

This is a trend of value concern. It is necessary to include it in a diplomatic memorandum. Remind the Secretary of State and Mr. President: This Oriental home is no longer the medieval manor of the past. It is necessary for the United States to change its strategy in the Far East.

Consul General Stadt is really thinking about whether the state change will have a profound impact on the U.S. Far East strategy. The rickshaw he was riding in stopped.

Mr. Consul looked up. The U.S. Temporary Legation is right next to the car. The American soldiers outside the door were holding rifles in their hands. Leisurely looking at Steder in the car.

The rickshaw driver pulling the cart turned around. Panting and pouting, he looked at Stade. Then. Another rickshaw arrived. The rickshaw driver who pulled the cart was also out of breath. Marven, who was sitting in the car, looked depressed.

"Last time Mr. Tang told me a Chinese proverb." Let no man be a disfigurer". If you don't see it with your own eyes. Can you believe that a skinny, skeleton-like driver can run faster than a strong driver? I reckon. He runs faster than Ford's latest sedan. ”

Stade stepped out of the rickshaw. smiled at Marven with a smile on his face. Then the hand is raised. Dumped the gold to the emaciated coachman.

"That's the explosive power of humanity. Do you know how much this gold coin can buy in the North? This income is enough for this Chinese to live for a long time. Ok guys. Take the gold coins back to your hometown and buy some fields. If the Lord does. You will live many more years. But if you keep running like this. It's going to be exhausting. ”

Marven paid for the car. As he walked past the emaciated coachman. patted the Chinese man on the shoulder with pity. Then he walked into the U.S. Minister with Stade

"These two foreign devils. It's all a fool. You're right. Elder brother? The strong coachman walked over to the thin coachman. Patted him on the back.

"Ahem! Less! It's only right to earn a few extra bucks. Wait to save up the money. Brother will marry you. My brothers and I moved our family to the Northeast. Buy a few good fields. You don't have to be a cow or a horse anymore. Collect this gold close to you. Don't let the thugs rob it."

The thin coachman finished. Hand the coins into the hands of the strong coachman. Tell him to put it close to him. Then the two left the U.S. Legation in a rickshaw.