To look at the merits and demerits of a historical figure, we must look at it dialectically.

Churchill's personal stains do not obscure Churchill's role in World War II, and even in World War I, Churchill's credit was outstanding.

Whether in the position of Minister of the Navy or Minister of Munitions, Churchill's work was fruitful.

Of course, from Qin Zhiyuan's point of view, the impact of Churchill's fruitful results on him is not so pleasant.

Qin Zhiyuan didn't come for the plane, he came for the destroyer who had already paid for it.

So when Qin Zhiyuan raised this question, Churchill was quite embarrassed.

"Qin, I can understand your feelings, but you have to understand that the British Empire also has its own interests to protect." Churchill emphasized.

Qin Zhiyuan is running for his own national interests, and Churchill also has his own national interests to protect, which is understandable, each for his own master.

"Of course I understand, but at the same time, you have to understand that while I am escorting merchant ships, I am also defending the interests of your country." Qin Zhiyuan insisted.

For now, Britain and the Republic of China are in the same trench, and Qin Zhiyuan protects the interests of the Republic of China, and at the same time protects the interests of Britain, and the two are not in conflict.

"That being said, but there are also important and unimportant interests, and the high seas fleet in the Baltic Sea is more vigilant than the merchant ships in the Mediterranean." Churchill's focus was different from Qin's.

In the decades leading up to World War I, Germany began to enter the fast track to national power with the help of peace dividends from the unification of Germany and the Franco-Prussian War reparations of 5 billion francs. By 1913, Germany produced 2.26 times as much steel as Britain and generated 3.2 times as much electricity as Britain, and Germany's GDP totaled 52.4 billion marks, or about 2.55 billion pounds, that year. It surpassed the UK's £2.354 billion to become Europe's largest economy.

Against this background, the Germans built a navy that could challenge the British.

The British navy was their traditional advantage.

The British, unwilling to be challenged for naval supremacy, also began to mass-build warships to meet the challenge of the Germans, which is why the arms race began.

As the Germans grew in strength, the British continued to adjust their policies. In the beginning, for every warship the Germans built, the British had to build two to maintain their superiority over the Germans. But slowly, the British found that the Germans were building ships too fast, so they took this "double" advantage. It was changed to 60 percent. But after another slow time, the British found that the 60 percent advantage could not be maintained, so when Churchill was Lord of the Admiralty, he proposed to the Germans to stop the arms race for a year.

Churchill was no good man.

"But without a blood transfusion of merchant ships in the Mediterranean, what will the Royal Navy do to strike at the high seas fleet in the Baltic Sea?" Qin Zhiyuan insisted on the necessity of obtaining destroyers.

As a sea power country, Qin Zhiyuan believed that the British should pay attention to the safety of shipping lanes. Without the supply of the lifeline at sea, the British would not have been able to compete with the Germans at all, let alone hold out from 14 to 17 years, and the British might not be able to hold out for even three months.

"Security in the Mediterranean is the responsibility of the French. I think you should go to Paris to find the answer to this question. "Churchill started kicking the ball.

Before the war, Britain ceded sea supremacy in the Mediterranean to France in order to maintain the superiority of the home fleet over the German high seas fleet. At the same time, Britain's dependence on the Mediterranean shipping lanes. It is also nowhere near as serious as in France.

The British paid more attention to the Atlantic waterway, which was the lifeblood of Britain.

"The French navy is also in the service of the British, or rather, the navies of the whole world, and I don't need much. It's just four. At the same time, I am not only escorting merchant ships carrying Chinese, but also escorting merchant ships to England if there is a need. Qin Zhiyuan promised.

The Atlantic Sea Route is important though. But the Mediterranean shipping lanes were also about the interests of the British, and Qin Zhiyuan wanted to emphasize this point in order to attract Churchill's attention.

"Of course, I'm pretty sure that at some point in the future, you'll have your own warship." Churchill may not, anyway, it's all about painting cakes, so let's paint together.

"The point is that I can't wait for the future now, I urgently need it, because when I came to London, the German submarines were cruising in the Mediterranean, and all the merchant ships were threatened, and I think you should have felt the threat." Qin Zhiyuan wants now.

Just half a month ago, the Germans began unrestricted submarine warfare, and the effect was obvious. The Germans sank about 250,000 tons of merchant ships in half a month, many of which were British, no way, the British are now the boss of the sea, who let them have more ships.

"Yes, the submarines of the Germans are indeed a great threat, and I have already submitted a motion for the British Navy to provide escort for merchant ships." Churchill had his own plans.

"You have served as Lord of the Navy, so in your opinion, will this bill pass? Even if it passes, what will be the effect of his implementation? Qin Zhiyuan has a different opinion.

The captains of the British navy were very proud, and they had a strong resistance to convoys. Because warships had to slow down when escorting, stay with merchant ships, and sail at the slowest speed, and the captains felt that this would affect their intuition.

"Well, no matter what, as long as it's for the British Empire, someone has to do the work." Compared with Qin Zhiyuan, Churchill was more aware of the facts of the British Royal Navy.

"So why don't you leave this work to my people? They don't mind escorts. "Qin Zhiyuan has an advantage.

Qin Zhiyuan's subordinates were all army before, and even farmers earlier, and it was unrealistic to expect them to operate battleships to fight the Germans at sea.

"Sounds great!" Churchill was moved, but not to the point of changing his mind.

"Not just nice, but perfect. You have to see how much of a need I have, and I've even hired captains and sailors, all of whom are British, and that's an increase in jobs in Britain. If I can't get these destroyers, I think, I'll go to the French or the Americans and figure out a way. "Qin Zhiyuan threatened.

On the European continent, the British are a-stirring stick, and the British cannot tolerate the dominance of any one family. Regardless of the country, as soon as there are signs of rising, the British will find a way to weaken him.

Qin Zhiyuan's meaning was obvious, if these destroyers were not given to him, he would have to go to the French to buy them. This is something that the British cannot tolerate, France has become a land power, and the British cannot tolerate France becoming a maritime power again, and shipbuilding capacity is an important symbol of a maritime power.

"Your captain and sailors are British?" Churchill asked.

"Yes, it's the British, you know, my men are all Army, and they don't have the ability to manipulate those big guys." Qin Zhiyuan was frank.

"Well, you win!" Churchill smiled and spread his hands.

Very good, Qin Zhiyuan likes the feeling of winning. (To be continued.) )