Chapter 164: Changes in the Far East

The American Concession in Tientsin was incorporated into the British Concession as early as 1902, therefore.+ There was no separate American Concession, and although for the Americans, the British Concession was actually a public Concession, but they were not willing to look up to others in the British Concession, so the American Provisional Legation in Tianjin was located in the Chinese Boundary of Tianjin, just across the street from the Yamen of the Governor of Zhili.

Although the Sassoon family was a British Jewish businessman, they also had many industries in the United States and established a very close friendship with American diplomats in China.

Ironically, this office building was used exclusively by Sassoon & Co. to trade opium, and Steder himself was a man who hated opium very much, and several of his friends from the Ministry of Industry were not allowed to return to China for compulsory rehabilitation because of their opium addiction, which is why he hated this "commodity" and the merchants who dealt in it.

But hate to hate, after all, this is the current legation, Stade can only suppress the disgust in his heart and step heavily on the stairs, as for Marven, who came here for the first time, he looked curiously at the Chinese landscape paintings on the corridor.

I went up to the second floor and went straight to Mr. Minister's office, but what Stade didn't expect was that it was not Mr. Roukeyi sitting in the office, but Mr. Fletcher.

"Henry, if Mr. Minister knows that you are sitting on his leather sofa reading the newspaper, I think that your counselor has done it to the end, and perhaps you can return to China to continue your studies."

Fletcher didn't mind Stade's taunting, put down the newspaper, and looked up at the two dusty peers.

"You may not know that just yesterday, Mr. Minister was ordered to return to China to report on my work, and now I am the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States in China, entrusted by Mr. Minister to handle diplomatic matters with full authority with China. Also, I'm sorry, I don't know the exact arrival time of your warship, so I didn't send someone to pick you up, so please don't mind. ”

"Really? Didn't the captain of the warship send a telegram to the embassy? ”

Stade shrugged his shoulders and made a helpless expression, if everything here is now in charge of this chargé d'affaires, then everything is easy to explain, wasn't it this Mr. Fletcher who competed with him for the post of Consul General of Mukden back then? Fletcher's final defeat was certainly due to the Morgan's abandonment of him, but it may not have nothing to do with Stade's petty tricks back then.

"It's a pity. I have not received any telegram from the destroyer. Maybe the captain was too careless. Perhaps it was the dereliction of duty on duty on the part of the Yang Cun Di Relay Station. ”

Mr. Chargé d'Affaires picked up the newspaper again. I didn't even think of entertaining two guests from afar. It was the secretary on the aisle who brought two cups of steaming coffee. finally made the two feel a touch of motherland warmth.

The office was quiet. Mr. Chargé d'Affaires continued to read the newspapers in other places. Stade and Marvin sat on the couch in the corner. Coffee in hand. Be serious. It doesn't seem to mind the chargé d'affaires getting a cold shoulder. And there was no question of why they were transferred back to Tianjin from Shanghai.

The coffee was cold. Changed the hot ground again. And so on and so forth. Until the grandfather clock strikes nine times. Mr. Chargé d'Affaires put down the newspaper. Got up from the leather couch. Dig out your pocket and hang the watch. Right on the time.

"Gentlemen. Time's up. The president of the Republic of China used to start his office at half past nine. Out of courtesy. It was necessary for us to arrive some time earlier. ”

"Are you going to visit Mr. President? But now China and the United States have not formally established diplomatic relations. What kind of etiquette should I use? ”

Stade and Marvin stood up.

"To be precise, it was Mr. President who made an urgent appointment with the ministers of various countries. As for etiquette, perhaps it could be simpler. ”

With that, Mr. Chargé d'Affaires removed his coat and top hat from the hanger, dressed them neatly with the help of a secret officer, and then walked out of the office without saying a word.

Staid and Marvin didn't ask any more questions, but just followed Mr. Chargé d'Affaires out of the legation, got into a four-wheeled carriage with diplomatic badges, and marched under the protection of a dozen American cavalrymen to the Yamen of the Governor of Zhili, which was only one street away.

Although President Yuan did not intend to live in the Tianjin demilitarized zone for a long time, he still ordered people to paint the yamen, and the five flags symbolizing the republic had already been hung on the gate in front of the gate, and the "jǐng cha" guarding the presidential palace were also neatly dressed, and the field guns and machine guns around them did not allow them to have the force to fight the army.

When the carriage of the American Legation arrived at the presidential palace, there were many carriages parked in the street in front of the gate, all bearing their diplomatic badges, and it was clear that Mr. Fletcher was not the only one who knew diplomatic courtesy.

Seeing the carriage of the American Legation arriving, the British Minister, Mr. Zhu Erdian, pushed open the door of his carriage and waved his hand to the American carriage, which was regarded as a greeting.

Fletcher motioned for the coachman to slow down the carriage, poked his head out of the carriage, waved his hand to the British minister, and returned the salute in a friendly manner, only to curse in a low voice as he retracted his head.

"This damned British hypocrite!"

Staid and his assistant Marvin still didn't say anything, but looked out the window and saw the carriage of the Russian Legation and the carriage of the German Legation, and as for Minister Rìben, he was standing in front of the carriage of the French Legation with several assistants, and was having a cordial conversation with the French Minister, both of them were smiling, and they only glanced this way when the American carriage passed by.

"These Asian monkeys think they are civilized people in the same dress as the French minister, and I have only one comment on them: extremely barbaric."

Si Dyde somewhat agrees with Mr. Chargé d'Affaires' comment, but he will never say it in front of others.

"Southerners are brutal." Stade mentally commented on Mr. Chargé d'Affaires.

The carriage of the American Legation finally stopped, right next to the carriage of the German Legation.

Fletcher took Stade and Marvin out of the carriage, and saw the German Minister Mr. Rex approaching with an interpreter, and Fletcher greeted him with a smile.

"I heard that Mr. American Minister has returned home?" The German minister inquired eagerly.

"Yes, I received a telegram from China last night, and I immediately went to Dagu, and now I may be on the Pacific Ocean." Fletcher replied politely.

"It's a pity, if he is here, maybe he can discuss the matter with me about the railway and the loan, and he can take advantage of today's meeting to discuss this issue with Mr. President Yuan."

"Actually, it is the same with your Excellency's counsel with me, and now I am in charge of the matter. However, today's meeting with ministers of various countries by President Yuan is probably not for the sake of railways and loans. ”

"I think that today's sudden meeting with ministers from various countries is likely to be about Qizhou."

"I think so too, for a just established

Say, nothing is worse than the current situation. Just yesterday, the crowd of demonstrators, all young people, seemed to have been energized by the telegram of the Southern Revolution, and now if Mr. President does not immediately take his position, he is likely to be isolated, and his army can forcibly disband the demonstrators, but it is impossible to calm people down. ”

Hearing the conversation between the German minister and the American chargé d'affaires, Stade glanced at Marvin, and both of them were a little surprised, they did not expect that there would also be a crowd of demonstrators in the north, and when they were still in Shanghai a few days ago, young people had already taken to the streets, shouting the slogan of "Fight for our country's rights, defend our people" and hold a huge anti-rì demonstration, and it was the telegram of the commander-in-chief of the Republican Army that caused all this.

"It seems that the strange revolutionary must be revisited. Will he be able to single-handedly stir up nationalist fervor in this country? Stade pondered.

Soon after, a celebrant hurried out of the presidential palace to invite ministers from various countries to the presidential palace to meet with President Yuan, but since he could only bring an interpreter, Stade could only wait in the carriage in anger, feeling that he had been tricked by the Southerner from Fletcher.

The meeting was held in the main hall of the Presidential Palace, and as the provisional president of the Republic of China, Yuan Shikai wore a military uniform and shook hands with the ministers of various countries in an extremely friendly manner, and Cai Tinggan and Lu Zhengxiang followed the president closely as interpreters.

Since none of the Great Powers had yet established formal diplomatic relations with the Republic, this could not be considered a formal diplomatic encounter, and diplomatic etiquette was modified accordingly.

After the greetings, everyone sat down, and the president went straight to the point.

"As for the incident in Qizhou, I am sure that all the ministers and gentlemen have heard that yesterday the investigation report of the investigation team of the republican zhèngfǔ constituent assembly was handed to the presidential palace, and our conclusion on this incident is completely contrary to what we say. Although the Southern Revolutionary Army's claim was too extreme, the severity of the casualties was certain, as confirmed by the International Red Cross, and civilians were the majority of the dead and wounded. ”

As soon as President Yuan's words fell, Ijiin Hikoyoshi, the minister to China, stood up.

"According to the telegram sent by our country's fleet to the Yangtze River to return home, this incident was purely provoked by the Hubei Republican Army, and it was the Republican Army's armed ships that fired at our fleet first. Please give serious consideration to the relations between the two countries, and do not damage the friendship between the two countries because of the provocation of a group of southern bandits! ”

British Minister Zhu Erdian was on the sidelines to help.

"It is also clear that there were casualties in the rì fleet, and it is clear that this was not a one-sided massacre, but an armed conflict, to which the public law of all nations does not apply, and as for the Red Cross of all nations, they have always opposed any armed conflict, and they belong to non-zhèngfǔ organizations, and their position does not represent the position of the great powers."

Seeing that the British minister had spoken, the German minister couldn't hold back and jumped out.

"I insist on my view that an international investigation team should be formed to go to the scene of the incident to conduct on-the-spot investigations, and give the conclusion of the investigation objectively and fairly, rather than just listening to one side of the story."

Yuan Shikai looked over at the US diplomat, this international investigation mission was proposed by the US minister, and of course it should be insisted by the US minister, although Rou Keyi returned to China, this does not mean that the United States will immediately change its position.

American Chargé d'Affaires Fletcher looked at the other ministers, with a subtle smile on the corner of his mouth.

"Please forgive me, Mr. President, I have no right to meddle in the affairs of the international investigation team, this is Mr. Rou Keyi's personal suggestion, and so far, I have not received any formal authorization from China."

Hearing this, Yuan Shikai's face immediately sank, but Minister Rì Ben and the British Minister were a little excited, but their excitement did not last long, and Fletcher's next words surprised them.

"Just before I came, I received a telegram from Mr. Secretary of State, early this morning, the U.S. Congress has passed a resolution to formally recognize China's republican zhèngfǔ, and the two countries have formally established diplomatic relations at the ministerial level.

Yuan Shikai smiled and nodded, at this moment, what news could be more satisfying to him than this news? The United States has made its position clear at such a time, which in itself is already the greatest support for the Republic, although it has not verbally accused Rìben of creating the Qizhou Incident, as long as it is not a fool, it can be seen that the United States is strongly dissatisfied with Rìben zhèngfǔ on this matter.

"Congratulations, Mr. President! May the friendship between China and the United States last a long time! ”

The German Minister was also pleased that it was time to make Germany's position clear.

"As the German minister to China, I will urge my country to establish formal diplomatic relations with your country as soon as possible."

"May I ask you, Mr. President, has the republican zhèngfǔ of your country established the name of the country?"

Hearing Mr. Chargé d'Affaires from the United States, Yuan Shikai broke free from the excitement and nodded with a smile.

"Yesterday the Constituent Assembly established the name of the country, which is called the 'Republic of China', and the Republic of China is also the country of the people."

Unlike the excitement of Yuan Shikai and others, the Minister Rìben and the Russian Minister were both stunned, and the British Minister and the French Minister also looked at each other.

On the question of establishing diplomatic relations with Republican China, the great powers originally had their own plans, and they all wanted to get some benefits from President Yuan Da on this condition: Rì originally wanted the exclusive rights of all coal mines and railways in the southern part of the three eastern provinces, and Russia's intention was similar, but in the northern part of the three eastern provinces, France and Belgium wanted to monopolize the right to lend to China in the next few years, Germany wanted to expand its privileges in Shandong, and share with the United States some of the right to build and manage China's railways, and as for Britain, it was purely because of domestic bureaucracy, The establishment of diplomatic relations has only been delayed for a long time, but in fact, Zhu Erdian himself really wanted to establish formal diplomatic relations with Yuan Shikai.

But now, with the vacillation of the US position, the wishful thinking of various countries may be in vain, and if the United States establishes diplomatic relations with the Republic of China and other countries still hesitate, then the goodwill of the Chinese towards foreigners will be completely taken away by the Americans.

There was silence in the main hall of the presidential palace for a while, and the diplomats of various countries were seriously considering how to deal with the situation, but Mr. Fletcher, the American chargé d'affaires, glanced at everyone's faces with a smile, as if admiring his masterpiece.

Marvin, who was sitting next to Fletcher, suddenly remembered what Stade had said on the cruiser.

"Changes in the Far East."

Yes, a change in the Far East, the Qizhou Incident, may have been just a small armed conflict, but this small armed conflict has put the differences between the great powers on the table.

Perhaps, from this moment on, the competition and pursuit of the great powers in this country will become more intense.

Perhaps, some people with intentions will gain enough benefits from this kind of competition and pursuit.

The opportunity is fleeting, and it's up to who can seize it.