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On the afternoon of February 29, the White House, Washington, D.C. U.S. President William Howard Taft convened an emergency meeting of the government's cabinet members. The expressions on the faces of the members attending the meeting were a little unnatural. No one expected that in just one month, the war situation between China and the United States would be reversed.

"Gentlemen, the photo you are looking at is the fighter jet of the Chinese who appeared on the battlefield in Mexico. According to the information we obtained, the Chinese named this fighter F5 'Haidongqing' fighter. According to this name, it can be inferred that this should be the fifth type of fighter developed by the Chinese. From this, it can be known that the Chinese began to secretly develop fighters many years ago, much earlier than other countries in the world. When the world was shocked by the Chinese's airship troops on the battlefield, the Chinese had secretly changed the direction of their research. Keeping the nations of the world in the dark! U.S. Secretary of War Jacob M. Dickinson told everyone. What everyone was injured and circulated was the relevant photos and materials about the F5 'Haidongqing' fighter obtained by the US military.

"It's such a small thing that caused us to lose hundreds of airships, and all the airships costing millions turned into firebirds and were shot down on the spot. So that we lost the initiative on the battlefield? U.S. President William Howard Taft said with a frown.

"Your Excellency, there is no doubt that this is an epoch-making weapon. Its impact on the world's military and battlefields even surpassed the 'Zhonghua-class' battleships launched by the Chinese Navy that year! Secretary Dickinson said.

"So, Your Excellency Secretary Dickinson, are we now capable of countering this fighter of the Chinese?" Vice President James Sherman asked. The United States suffered a crushing defeat. This is already an inevitable fact. However, the war is not over, and the United States must find a way to avoid further crushing defeats.

"Your Excellency the Vice President, our country is far behind in the development of aircraft. But needless to say about us, even if it is a fighter used in Europe now, in front of the Chinese many of this fighter, it is just a toy. Britain and France have decided to immediately invest huge sums of money to concentrate the talents of the two countries in the development of new fighters. However, the most optimistic estimates. It will take half a year or more for Britain and France to come up with F5 'Haidongqing' fighters that can rival the Chinese. Moreover, they also faced the threat that the Germans might be able to obtain this fighter and the production technology directly from China! Secretary Dickinson said.

"So what should we do now? Wouldn't our troops be able to fight without air superiority? Secretary of State Filand C Knox said with some exasperation. In his opinion, although the Chinese fighter is powerful, it is such a small thing. It's no different from a toy, how can you change a war with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people?

"Your Excellency, in the event of a loss of air superiority, our operations will be greatly constrained, and at the same time, we will pay more casualties in the war. However, this fighter did not play a decisive role in the war as the Boone one. Although we do not have planes that can compete with the Chinese, we can find ways to do it in other ways. The Chinese are on the battlefield. An anti-aircraft machine gun was used, and the attack on our airship was carried out with good results. If our arsenal intensifies its research and development, it will be able to produce samples within a month. It should be ready for mass production within two months. This allows our troops to be less damaged by enemy fighters for a certain distance. Still, I would suggest that we better join the British and French fighter opportunities. After all, we can't be passively beaten, we need excellent fighters to compete with the Chinese for the sky! Secretary Dickinson said. Anti-aircraft machine guns were able to attack targets only at low altitudes. Even if an anti-aircraft gun was developed, it was only a passive defense.

"Okay. This can be followed up by the Ministry of War, we can send good scientists and pay for research and development, but we must have access to the relevant technology. Otherwise, we will always be stuck by the neck of the British! President Taft said. Although the United States is now the largest industrial power, it is not an industrial power. In terms of technology accumulation, there is still a big gap compared with the old powers such as Britain and France and the rising star Germany. Not to mention China, which has always been in the leading position in the military field. Therefore, if the United States wants to narrow the gap, it must cooperate with Britain, France, and other countries. Although the United States does not have good scientific and technological capabilities, it has a lot of capital and strong industrial capacity. As long as the relevant technology can be obtained, President Taft believes that with the industrial strength of the United States, it will not lose to China!

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Minister Dickinson nodded. Without planes that can rival Chinese fighters, the airship unit that the US military has spent a huge amount of money to build can only be a decoration. Therefore, the U.S. military must have a powerful fighter.

"So, gentlemen, let's move on to the next topic. There is no doubt that today is a dark day for us and for the United States of America. In the morning, Lieutenant General Clark led the American forces of Tierra Corolada to surrender. An hour later, Major General Powell also surrendered. In the afternoon, the Balsa line of defense was also abandoned. Admiral Pershing sent a telegram saying that the Southern Madre defensive line was now full of holes and was in danger. If reinforcements do not arrive in time, it is inevitable that the entire defense line will be broken by the Chinese. Once the southern Sierra madre defense line is breached, the Chinese will be able to drive straight into northern Mexico, posing a serious threat to the hinterland of the United States. Therefore, we must pay attention to this issue! Secretary Dickinson, does the War Department have any plans for this? President Taft asked.

"Your Excellency the President, Ministers, I am very sorry for the problems that have been discovered on the front. So far, we have lost millions of troops in the Sierra Madre do Sul line. Although the Chinese also suffered losses of more than 400,000 people, according to the information we have received, the main force of the Chinese was not severely damaged, and most of the losses were due to their servant army. With the forces that Admiral Pershing now has at his disposal, it is already difficult to hold the Sierra Madre do Sul. The reinforcements we have sent have already passed through Mexico City, and it is expected that the first ten corps will be able to arrive within the next three days, with ten more to come within a week. However, the War Department and the Army Staff still did not have much confidence in whether they could hold the line of defense in the Sierra Madre do Sul! After all, the Chinese are also constantly increasing their troops in Mexico. Secretary Dickinson said.

"Your Excellency Dickinson, according to what you say, then we have no chance of winning this war, we might as well surrender directly!" Secretary of State Filand C Knox said with some annoyance.

"Your Excellency, I have to admit that the situation of the United States at this moment is indeed very dangerous. But we are not without odds. Our army is still being further mobilized, and there are still a large number of new recruits being trained in the country. With the industrial power and demographic superiority of the United States, it is too early to assert that the war was lost. Moreover, even if we are not opponents of the Chinese, we can continue to drag on, as long as we drag on until Britain, France and Russia defeat Germany and Austria, we still have a chance to win. Britain, France, and Russia, which have won victories in the European theater, will never allow a powerful eastern power to emerge. When the time comes, gather the forces of the entire Entente and once you can defeat China! Secretary Dickinson said.

President Taft nodded, and he was the same opinion. Although the United States suffered defeat on the battlefield, its national strength did not suffer much loss, and it lost more than one million troops, which is a huge loss for the United States, which has a population of 80 million, but it is not unbearable. After the government went full throttle to publicize what would happen to the Americans once the squadron invaded the United States, there were already long queues at recruiting stations in almost every city, and if the U.S. Army lifted restrictions and armed the largest army, the U.S. would be able to arm an army of tens of millions and quickly arm them all. With such a strong fighting force, President Taft firmly believes that the final success must be the United States. Although the initiative on the battlefield in Mexico has now been tilted in favor of China, he believes that China has only won a temporary victory by means of intrigue and trickery. If the United States, Britain, and France develop a new fighter together, they will be able to narrow the gap with China. And relying on the strong industrial strength of the United States, it quickly built a powerful fighter force to beat the Chinese all over the ground to find teeth!

"Gentlemen, the current shape is indeed very unfavorable to the United States. But we can't afford to let that despair go. Peace- and freedom-loving Americans will never bow down to China, an evil country. God will bless us, defeat is only temporary, and in the end good will surely triumph over evil! President Taft said.

The top officials of the U.S. government who attended the meeting agreed one after another, as if in the blink of an eye China's pressure was gone.

"Minister Dickinson, tell Admiral Sù Pershing that we will give him as many reinforcements as we can. However, he must delay the Chinese in Mexico as much as possible, and if necessary, abandon the Sierra Madre do Sul. His main task is to buy time for us, and we need enough time! President Taft said that time is urgent, and it is the biggest crisis facing the United States!