The White House, in the palatial Oval Office. A burly man in a shirt, ruddy, gray-haired, sits lazily in a swivel chair behind his desk. He was the President of the United States of America. Roosevelt.

Two pale, elderly men in suits sat in chairs on the other side of the president's desk. One of them, very emaciated and sickly-looking, was the new Secretary of Commerce, Harry Brown. Hopkins. The other one who looked fatter and older was U.S. Secretary of State John Codd. Hull.

In front of President Roosevelt, there were two secret documents brought by Secretary of State Hull himself. One of them, brought back to Washington two days ago by the American naval attache in Berlin, was about the ambitions and methods of Germany, which American diplomats in Germany believed was to re-establish the European order at the height of the Holy Roman Empire. That is, the powerful German Empire will act as the core and leader of Europe, and the whole of Europe, excluding the Soviet Union, will be subject to the will of Germany.

Germany's path to realizing its ambitions was to unite the territories of the Second German Reich and the Austrian Crown Territory (excluding Greater Hungary) at its height to form a Greater Germany with a territory of more than 1 million square kilometers and a population of more than 120 million. Then, with Greater Germany as the core, we will promote the economic, political, and diplomatic integration of Europe (excluding the Soviet Union).

The other report was handed over to Hull by the British ambassador to the United States. The content is the real situation of the "Battle of the Atlantic".

The situation is very bad, the British Empire is on the verge of defeat!

The victory in the encirclement of the "Scharnhorst" was actually a strategic defeat. The battlecruiser "Hood" was scarred! At least judging by the photos of the "Hood" in dock provided by the British, this invincible battlecruiser was beaten half to death.

There were two terrible holes in the part below the waterline, one of which was in the stern, and the explosion had affected the rudder; The other was amidships, from where seawater poured into and flooded a boiler room.

The damage above deck looked even more staggering, with traces of fire everywhere. In particular, there was a terrible explosion left on the starboard side of the ship, and the steel was blown into a strange shape, as if it had been hit by a 406mm cannon.

According to the assessment of the British Royal Navy engineers, the "Hood" will take at least 6-8 months to carry out repairs. And before the "Hood" was repaired, the British Royal Navy did not have a single weapon that could fight against the German fleet that broke through to the Atlantic again!

If the Germans sent their "Gneisenau" and two aircraft carriers again, they would cooperate with their submarines to strike at the British routes. Then the British Empire will collapse in a month or two......

If the Germans were heartbroken by the loss of the "Scharnhorst", they were reluctant to send another expensive capital ship. Then the British Empire will still collapse!

Because the German submarines that went crazy would send all the merchant ships of the British Empire to the icy bottom in 36 months!

"Well, I see," President Roosevelt said, looking at his two thinkers, "the British Empire is dead, isn't it?" ”

"If we don't intervene......"

Secretary of State Coulder. Hull sighed and added: "And the situation of the French is no less bad, the air battles in Alsace and Lorraine have caused them heavy losses. The Germans had two very terrible aircraft, the BF-109 and the Fokker Zero. When they work together, the losses of the French Air Force reach a heartbreaking level.

And the German bombers also constantly bombed French airfields, and many planes were blown up without taking off. Now the French are producing planes at a rate that simply cannot keep up with the speed at which they are destroyed.

In addition, the losses of French pilots were also very staggering and difficult to replenish. As it stands, in 6 to 12 months, the Germans will be able to force France into submission with a big bombardment. ”

Hersmann's "Flattening Paris" seemed to be working. At least for now, the top military and government leaders in Britain and France believe that Germany will use a bombing force to force France to surrender after destroying the French air force.

"The Germans are going to win?" President Roosevelt tilted his head and looked at the papers on his desk, "And I, as the president of the United States, can't do anything!" ”

It's not that you can't do anything, it's that there's only so much you can do.

The current President of the United States, Roosevelt, is no match for Xiaobu and Ohei in later generations, and can wage wars everywhere to promote democracy and freedom. Roosevelt in 1939 didn't have such power, he couldn't even sell the advanced F2A Buffalo fighter that Britain desperately needed to Churchill, and he couldn't even sell steel and oil to Britain!

Because he was tied hand and foot by the Neutrality Act of 1936. Under this law, the United States could not export war raw materials to belligerents, nor could it provide loans to belligerents, and it also prohibited American citizens and businesses from providing assistance to belligerents, and even prohibiting U.S. citizens from traveling abroad on belligerents' ships.

"President, we must amend the Neutrality Act of 1936 to lift the ban on arms exports to belligerents." Harry. "If we stick to the principles of 'self-care' and 'cash settlement,' we will certainly be able to pass it in Congress," Hopkins said. ”

It's a big money deal! Of course, the US Congress will not block the financial path of the capitalists, and at the same time deprive the working people of jobs.

"But the German submarines will still send all the weapons we sell to Britain into the depths of the ocean." Roosevelt shrugged, "We can't help Britain if we don't solve this problem." ”

"The British need our escort," Hopkins said, "and it's a must!" ”

"I know," Roosevelt said, glancing at Hopkins, "but the law doesn't allow me to do that." ”

"No," Hopkins shook his head, "the law doesn't actually prohibit freedom of navigation for the U.S. Atlantic Fleet!" ”

"Freedom of navigation?" Roosevelt raised his eyelids and looked at his brain.

"Yes, the U.S. Navy has the right to sail in any international waters," said Harry. "Of course, this also includes the areas where German submarines operated." ”

"I know," Roosevelt nodded, "but they can't blow up German submarines with depth charges, that's an act of war." ”

"But they can inform the whole world about the location of German submarines with a clear telegram!" Harry. Hopkins said slowly.

"Use the clear code telegram......," Roosevelt looked up and laughed, "Harry, I like the idea, you're such a genius, I think it will reduce the losses of Britain so that they can hold on." ”

"President, I think we can do more." "In order to sustain the war, the Germans also needed external resources...... The most important of these are iron ore from Sweden and oil from the USSR and Romania. Without steel and oil, the German war machine could not function. ”

"The British are going to invade Norway and Sweden?" Roosevelt frowned a little, and he heard a little wind.

Due to the violation of Dutch airspace, the occupation of Iceland and the Faroe Islands, the image of the British Empire in the world was a little poor.

These things have now become the handle of isolationist forces in the United States, and Britain is constantly being referred to as the aggressor. The famous pilot Charles. Lin Bai was speaking everywhere these days, declaring that the war between Britain and France was aimed at destroying Germany and enslaving the rest of Europe, not at saving Poland. Because Poland itself had made peace with Germany and resisted the invasion of the USSR with the help of Germany.

Moreover, the terms of peace between Germany and Poland were only the fulfillment of the 1918 Boundary Treaty...... This demand is actually legitimate from the standpoint of the United States! Because the U.S. Congress voted not to sign the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Since the United States did not recognize the Treaty of Versailles, the 1918 Treaty of Bode was reasonable and legitimate for the United States.

Under these circumstances, if Britain invaded Norway and Sweden again, Roosevelt's support would face greater pressure from isolationist forces at home. If he insists on going his own way, he is likely to undo the third term he seeks.

"Britain would do well to think carefully about invading Norway and Sweden!" Roosevelt shook his head, "If they insist on this, then I can't amend the 1936 Neutrality Act, and I can't have the U.S. Atlantic Fleet serve as anti-submarine scouts for the British." ”

For Roosevelt, a third term was the most important thing, and if he stepped down, he would not be able to do anything big.

"In fact the plan to invade Norway is in great trouble," Hull said with a laugh, "and Germany and Sweden have just asked Norway to build up its armaments and deploy its defenses at the port of Narvik to deter Britain and France." The Norwegian government has agreed to the demands of Germany and Sweden, and at the same time asked Germany and Sweden to provide weapons and equipment. ”

"That's the right thing to do!" Roosevelt nodded, "We're also offering some symbolic help...... Some loans can be given for the Norwegians to use to buy a few planes. ”

Harry. "If the British can't fight the idea of iron ore, then they can only start with oil," Hopkins said. ”

"Oil?" Roosevelt paused, "That's to win over the Soviet Union...... If the USSR had been able to join the side of Britain and France, the situation of the last world war would have been repeated. ”

For the United States, this is undoubtedly the most beneficial!

"President, we can make a little effort in the dark." Cold. Hull said.

"That's how it should be!" Roosevelt looked at Harry. Hopkins.

The U.S. Secretary of Commerce said, "President, I think I can go to Moscow...... In the name of dealing with the trade issues between the United States and the Soviet Union. (To be continued.) )