Roosevelt also understood what Churchill, who had not long ago impassionedly vowed to live and die with Britain in his speech in the House of Commons, hurried from England to Washington.

"World peace can only come if the power of war in Germany, the Soviet Union, Ben and Italy is completely destroyed...... To destroy the power of war in Germany, the Soviet Union, Ben and Italy is to ask them to surrender unconditionally. ”

That would mean a reasonable guarantee of future world peace. This does not mean the extermination of the peoples of Germany, the Soviet Union, Italy, and the Ben, but only the philosophical ...... of these countries based on the conquest and repression of other peoples."

Now Roosevelt felt that what he said at the Casablanca conference was a little too early.

"Arrange for me to meet Mr. Churchill at the villa." Roosevelt said.

In the afternoon, Churchill and his entourage entered the forbidden land by car, and their car drove all the way to the door of the villa. That villa was a special place for Roosevelt to rest. The living room inside was twenty-eight feet high, and the tall French windows overlooked a beautiful garden. Presumably to protect these windows, steel curtains were installed on the outside of the windows, which could be pulled down to cover the entire window. This can be said to be a perfect piece of equipment that is not available. Outside, there is a makeshift bomb shelter built in a swimming pool adjacent to the garden.

There are three bedrooms inside the house. Two rooms were upstairs, one of which was assigned to Hopkins and the other to Roosevelt's two sons. The downstairs bedroom was for Roosevelt to sleep in, and the room was full of curtains, wall hangings, and a bed that was at least three yards wide. And the tub in the bathroom is sunk into the ground and is made of black marble.

When Churchill arrived, he was impatient to see Roosevelt, and Hopkins invited him to Roosevelt's for dinner. That night, in addition to Roosevelt, Churchill, and Hopkins, there were General Marshall, Admiral King, and General Arnold, the three chiefs of staff of the United States, and the three chiefs of staff of the British Army, Sir Brucker, Sir Pound, and Sir Baldell, the Air Force. General Mountbatten and Harriman also arrived.

In the evening, everyone was a little tired, but it didn't stop them from talking. At dinner, the only conflict of opinion between the two sides was the secret surname of the meeting, or the absence of a secret surname. The officers present, especially those on the British side, Churchill was very worried about them, and they were all worried that there might be a sneak attack by the German spies lurking in the United States, as long as they got some news that something big was going on here. The British side advocated that everyone should move to a military base.

Roosevelt objected to this proposition, and made it clear that his steadfastness finally brought his opposition to bay.

After dinner, Roosevelt and Churchill sat side by side on a comfortable sofa by the large window. The steel curtain has been drawn. Others pulled chairs closer and sat around them in a semicircle. The topic of the conversation was the current situation. In the two or three hours after dinner, the generals of the Army and Navy withdrew one after another, and by the hour of nearly midnight, only Roosevelt, Churchill, and Hopkins remained. The way the conversation is going to be a bit roundabout. In fact, it is mainly related to two things: Yang Shuoming and the precarious British crisis.

The first question is: Will Yang Shuoming come? The affirmative answer is: not coming. Roosevelt told Churchill that first, Yang Shuoming must personally command the Chinese army (at that time, they were very excited about the good news that came from the Eastern Theater), and second, they also knew that if he really came, he would definitely keep raising the question of why the Western Front was lost.

"In any case," said Churchill in a nonchalant tone, "we could have gone on with our meetings as usual without him." We can keep in constant contact with him. Any plan can be sent to him for his consent. ”

That night, no one seemed willing to get down to business right away. Everyone wants to lean back comfortably, yawn, stretch, drink a glass of wine, and relax. For the first time in months, Roosevelt was able to lift the burden of war for a while, and everyone else felt the same way.

The waiters were busy pouring them wine. Roosevelt and Hopkins began to ask Churchill about De Gaulle.

"De Gaulle!" Churchill sighed and moved his expressive eyebrows.

"You've got to bring your problem kid here." Roosevelt said. That's the nickname they gave de Gaulle. From then on, throughout the conference, de Gaulle was called Churchill's "problem child", and Gillen became Roosevelt's "problem child".

Now, it can be said that no one is optimistic or satisfied with the political disputes caused by the attack on Africa (this is the mildest adjective). Roosevelt's use of political tactics reduced the lives of many Americans, which was important from both a military and a patriotic point of view. On the other hand, Roosevelt knew in his heart that someone had made a big mistake at that time, and this mistake was quite serious.

Roosevelt's approach to the problem was dominated by two notions: first, his eagerness to find the best and quickest solution to the apparently chaotic situation in North Africa; Second, he found that his State Department had been dragged into an avenue from which there was no turning back, and that he had to save face as much as possible for the sake of future diplomatic representations and dealings. It's certainly not good if things are done wrong; But it is even worse to pretend to be right and continue to do it knowing that it is wrong: this truth gave rise to Roosevelt's first idea. It is not good to make a mistake when a subordinate (who will have to engage in delicate dealings with his "allies in name, but in fact competitors" on a daily basis for years to come). But if he abandons his bureaucracy to the point of being in a dilemma, he is indirectly helping his competitors: this truth gives rise to Roosevelt's second notion that is in complete conflict with the first.

Now Roosevelt obviously wanted to hear what Churchill had to say on this issue, and wanted to find out what Churchill was planning to do.

"De Gaulle is now in full swing," said Churchill with a sigh, "and he refuses to come with me." He very simply refused. I couldn't force him to leave Africa and come here, and he was so dissatisfied with the way the Allies had taken control of Morocco and Algiers that he was throwing a tantrum. You know, he has an extreme patriotic mentality. And, now that Eisenhower had sent Guillen here to preside over the situation...... he shook his head, looking very sad.

At first, Roosevelt adopted a moderate approach, but then his attitude gradually changed to firmness, and finally he insisted that de Gaulle must be brought in. He insisted that the provisional political axe should never be entrusted to a single person, whether it was de Gaulle or Gillen; Together, these two French leaders must establish an institution to rule France until France is truly liberated.

During the conversation, Roosevelt got the impression that Churchill and Eden must have had privately promised de Gaulle to be the sole leader of the revival of France when he had been helpless. In his conversation on this issue, Churchill took very careful steps.

"My problem boy," he said, "thinks that Guillen's official position here is an act of unfriendship with Free France." His voice was solemn, but Roosevelt sensed that he didn't really care about the style of his "problem kid." "He hopes," Churchill went on to say, "that he will have a separate right to judge, and to decide on any person who will take part in any temporary political axe." Of course I know it can't be done. ”

Roosevelt proposed that Britain and the United States should hasten to give de Gaulle a strong notice, explaining to him that if he did not immediately cease his shouting and fly to the meeting at once, then Britain and the United States would immediately cease all support for him. Churchill nodded.

"I think that's probably the best," Churchill said, "but at the moment I can't guarantee his action." ”

As midnight came, although Roosevelt was a little tired, Churchill was not in the least interested, except that he kept silent about the dangerous situation facing Britain and was surprisingly worried about the situation in the United States.

"The Chinese Navy should help the U.S. Navy recapture Hawaii and Pearl Harbor, as well as Midway." "They are now devoting the majority of their forces to fighting the Soviet Union, which is unfair to our allies," Churchill said. The thoughts of the Chinese president are somewhat incomprehensible. ”

"China has China's difficulties, and they chose to attack the Soviet Union first instead of the Soviet Union because they understood that the Soviet Union was an even more dangerous enemy than the Soviet Union." Roosevelt smiled mildly and said, "I can understand Mr. Yang Shuoming's thoughts, and I also believe that such a major decision was not made by him alone. ”

"But the problem is that you don't need a navy to deal with the Bolsheviks!" Churchill said, "The Chinese navy has a lot of power, but it has not been able to play its due role. It's a shame that they've already won an important victory, but they haven't extended their gains. ”

"As far as we know, the Chinese Navy also suffered heavy losses in this naval battle, so it was not able to continue to launch a large-scale attack on the Navy." "However, the Chinese Navy did not give up the fight, and two Chinese fleets continued to fight the Navy, holding back the forces of the Navy, and now the pressure on the West Coast of the United States has eased." ”

"I still think that it is extremely unwise for them to risk fighting on two fronts and attack the vast territory of the Soviet Union before they have defeated themselves. They disrupted our established strategy and made the situation complex and unmanageable. Churchill still held his point, giving Roosevelt the feeling that the Chinese were to blame for the fall of Britain proper.

"China's attack on the Soviet Union is also very beneficial to us." Roosevelt smiled and said, "Think about it, Your Excellency, if China did not attack the Soviet Union, or even reached some kind of tacit non-aggression agreement with the Soviet Union, what would Germany and the Soviet Union do with their powerful forces?" The German Army is likely to capture all of Europe sooner. The Soviets have captured Turkey and are likely to sweep the Middle East with their huge armies, join forces with German forces in North Africa, and threaten Iran and India. I even doubt that the German Navy will join forces with the Soviet Navy and cross the Atlantic to attack Canada and the United States. ”

Hearing Roosevelt say this, Churchill's bare head oozed a slight bead of sweat.

"You're right, Mr. President." Churchill said, "This is also something we don't want to see." ”

"So, let's stop accusing our Chinese allies of not doing their best." Roosevelt said, "China has done a good job of sharing the pressure and buying us precious time, and what we should do now is how to make the best use of that time." ”

"In any case, North Africa must be saved." Churchill said, "The Germans must not be allowed to enter the Middle East and join the Bolsheviks." ”

Listening to Churchill's advice, Roosevelt nodded in agreement.

"For the United Kingdom, the most important task now is to protect Australia from the threat of the Navy." Churchill still did not mention the situation in Britain itself, but turned his heart to Australia.

"The U.S. has been providing all kinds of support to Australia." Roosevelt understood what Churchill meant, "It's just that Australia has too few troops available for war." ”

"I have ordered the transfer of troops from India and Burma to defend Australia." Churchill said, "It's just that our fleet is still fighting the Germans, and there are not enough ships in the East." ”

After the two men had talked again, Churchill got up and took his leave, and went back to his room to rest, leaving only Roosevelt and Hopkins.

"His Excellency the Prime Minister does not seem to be worried about the situation on British soil." After Churchill left, Hopkins said to Roosevelt, "It's strange. ”

Roosevelt laughed: "I don't know what's going on. I hope to figure things out in a day or two. But I have a strong suspicion," he said, emphasizing the word "suspicion," "and I think our friend Charles de Gaulle did not come because our friend Churchill did not invite him at all." I have quite good reason to believe that at this critical time, De Gaulle would have done anything as long as Churchill and his Foreign Office so requested. ”

"Why do you think so?"

"The stakes are the same, the British are prepared to maintain their position and power in the colonies, and they are also prepared to help the French to maintain their position and power in the colonies. Churchill was a great man who maintained the status quo, and his face was as if it would remain forever, wasn't it? ”

"That's right. He now only wanted to keep the British colonies. Britain's hope for revival now depended entirely on the colonies. Roosevelt's words reminded Hopkins of an old argument with Churchill.

Roosevelt was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled, as if he had discovered some secret thought.

"What are you laughing at? Mr. President? ”

"I'm thinking about Mountbatten," Roosevelt replied, "and you know why Churchill brought Mountbatten with him this time?" He came to convince me how important it was to send landing craft to Australia and India. ”

Roosevelt saw the look of surprise in Hopkins' eyes, and he continued:

"Of course he's worried about Australia! Worry about Myanmar! The British wanted to overcome the odds. This was the first time they showed real concern about the war in the Pacific, and why? For the sake of their colonial empire! That's all part of the British colonial problem. Myanmar influences India, Vietnam, Australia, and Indonesia, all of which are interrelated. If one of them is free, the others will follow suit. That's why Churchill was so concerned about hiding de Gaulle in his corner. De Gaulle and Churchill were of exactly the same mind, and he was absolutely unwilling to see a colonial empire disappear in this war. I have often heard reports from the State Department about him, that Murphy had been in charge of our affairs with France before we invaded Africa, and that he had repeatedly reported that Guillen was the only man who could use the power of unbalanced de Gaulle. De Gaulle prepared to organize a one-man political axe in France. I can't think of another person who could be more unreliable. His entire Free French organization was filled with police and spies, and he used spies to spy on his people. In his view, the so-called freedom of speech is to deprive the people of their freedom to criticize him. In such a situation, who can fully trust the power behind de Gaulle? ”

"What does this have to do with Mountbatten?"

"They are going to choose him to be the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of a new battlefield - the Southwest Asian Theater of Operations, but you don't need to worry. I doubt they will be able to convince Admiral Kim. ”

Roosevelt yawned at this, and Hopkins stood up and prepared to leave, but Roosevelt shook his hand and told him to sit down again.

"Don't go," he said, "it's still early." Besides, I still have a lot to say. ”

He spoke of de Gaulle, that his body, his soul, and everything he had belonged to the British, and that the British had given him money, material, and moral assistance to enable him to establish the Free French government in London and to carry out underground activities in France.

(To be continued)