"Your Excellency, gentlemen. Now, all our merchant ships are blocked out of the Chinese ports, and millions of dollars are lost every day. Countless businessmen and factory owners in China are already very dissatisfied with this. We must take urgent measures to save the losses of the merchants! "The Minister of Commerce and Labor, Charles Murphy. Nagel said loudly. What he represents is undoubtedly the interests of millions of businessmen and factory owners in the United States. The Chinese Empire stopped the entry of goods from various countries on the pretext of rectifying the customs, which made American merchants pay great losses.

"Yes, Your Excellency Nagel is right, and we cannot afford to sit idly by. Originally, the Chinese were ready to import a batch of millions of tons of grain from us, and the two sides had already started negotiations. However, now the negotiations have been suspended indefinitely. "Secretary of Agriculture James. Wilson also said with a frown.

President Taft couldn't help but rub his brow, a little painful, the tough attitude of the Chinese Empire did make him very embarrassed.

"The Chinese are simply ungrateful. We have helped them a lot in their rise. Now, they are actually preventing our goods from entering the Chinese market, which is simply a provocation to us. Didn't that prince have an estate in the United States? We could have confiscated his estate. "Vice President James. S. Sherman said.

"No, if we do that, we will never want to enter the Chinese market. Don't forget, China is now an autocracy, and the emperor's will is everything. If we were completely isolated from a huge market of 400 million people, it would be a disaster for the United States. "The Minister of Commerce and Labor, Charles Murphy. Nagel vehemently opposed.

"We have put pressure on the Chinese through diplomatic efforts. However, they remained unmoved. Unless war is used. Otherwise, the Chinese will definitely not bow their heads. "Secretary of State Philland. C. Knox said.

"War? Forget it. The Chinese have just finished their war with the Russians, wiping out hundreds of thousands of Russian troops. The strength of their army is already at the forefront of the world. Although, their navy is still a blank slate. However, we can't bring them to their knees just by virtue of the navy. Secretary of War Dickinson shook his head. The United States, despite being the most industrially powerful country in the world. However, their military strength has always been at the middle and lower levels among the great powers. In particular, the US Army cannot be compared with the world's most powerful military. If you want to defeat such an army power as the Chinese Empire, it is simply impossible.

"In that case, is it possible that we should compromise with the Chinese? Although we do not have many special interests in China, the concessions are only the public concessions in the east and the public concessions in Gulangyu. The reparations of the "Xinchou Treaty" are not worth mentioning to us. But if we compromise. Will this fuel the ambitions of the Chinese? Let's not forget that we decided to support the Chinese in order for them to contain the Japanese. If China is too powerful, it will threaten American interests in the Pacific. Secretary of State Knox said solemnly.

All the cabinet members were shocked, and the United States gave great support to the northern government during the period of the northern government. It can be said that the reason why the Northern Army was able to defeat the Japanese and the Russians was inseparable from the support of the US government.

But. Originally, the U.S. government's purpose was to use China to contain Japan. After winning the Russo-Japanese War. The Japanese began to continue to develop their navy vigorously, which posed a great threat to American interests in the Pacific. Therefore, the United States needs to support a chess piece to hold Japan back. China did a good job of this task, and in that war, it wiped out more than 200,000 Japanese troops. Firmly dragged the attention of the Japanese in the direction of the mainland. Even the development of the Japanese Navy has been greatly affected.

From this point of view, the US strategy has been extremely successful. However, the northern government unified the whole of China and began to develop industry with great ambitions. Once the Chinese Empire becomes strong in the future, it will inevitably pose a threat to the United States in the Pacific direction.

"Gentlemen. Can the Chinese Empire threaten us? Now it seems like a little far away. President Taft said. As Minister of War during the previous cabinet, he still has a deep understanding of China's military strength.

"Your Excellency, from now on, it seems that for at least twenty years, the Chinese will not be able to pose a threat to us." US Secretary of the Navy Meyer said.

"The Chinese navy is still in a blank. Their own shipyard is just beginning to build small warships of more than a thousand tons. If you want to build a battleship, you can't do it without a long period of technology accumulation. On the other hand, the United States now has more than 20 battleships, second only to Britain and Germany, and belongs to the third most powerful navy in the world. In this regard, the gap between the Chinese and ours is too great. "Minister Meyer is very confident.

Although these battleships of the US Navy are all former dreadnoughts, the huge size of more than twenty battleships will still make people rush to fright. Especially a country with a navy like the Chinese Empire, which is almost equal to a blank slate.

"Yes, although the Chinese army is strong, they cannot cross the Pacific Ocean. The threat we can pose is almost minimal. Even if the Chinese begin to develop the navy, without decades of accumulation, do not want to threaten us. Secretary of War Dickinson also said with a smile.

"Gentlemen, from this point of view, it is very difficult for the Chinese to pose a threat to us. Even if it could threaten us, I don't know how many years later. Of course, it is indispensable to be properly vigilant against the Chinese. The most important thing for us now is the huge market in China. President Taft said.

"Your Excellency, in order to enter the Chinese market, I propose to agree to the conditions of the Chinese. Those special interests in China are nothing to us at all. Minister for Commerce and Labor Nagel said.

"I agree!" Secretary of Agriculture James. Wilson immediately chimed in.

Most of the other cabinet ministers support this. After all, the United States is a country that places a strong emphasis on business. They prefer and are better at using commercial means to obtain more benefits than to use force to obtain benefits.

Just as the cabinet ministers were making their statements, the door to the conference room was pushed open. A White House staff member walked briskly up to President Taft and whispered a few words to him. Suddenly, President Taft's face became a little unnatural.

"Gentlemen, it seems that we are already a little behind. The Germans have already gone ahead of us, and they have already renounced all their interests in China. Taft said.

"Damn the Germans, they've been competing with us for the Chinese market. Moreover, their ties with the Chinese in the military industry are even closer than ours, and we must be vigilant. Secretary of State Knox said.

President Taft nodded: "Gentlemen, in order not to be left behind by the Germans, we must speed up our pace." If there is no objection, then let's give up our special interests in China. We have a very good cooperative relationship with the Chinese, and we must not be compared with the Germans at this time. ”

The other cabinet ministers nodded their heads.

On April 16, 4607 (09), the U.S. government immediately announced that in order to maintain the friendship between China and the United States, the United States was willing to take the initiative to give up its special interests in China. In addition, U.S. Secretary of State Knox also openly declared that the United States and the Chinese Empire are equal partners and there is no unequal relationship.

At a time when the United States gave up its special interests in China, the customs of the Chinese Empire also began to handle customs clearance procedures for American merchant ships, so that American goods could enter the Chinese market.

Germany and the United States have compromised one after another, which is undoubtedly a major blow to the Western world.

In order to safeguard U.S. interests in China and U.S. strong position in the Pacific. The U.S. government began other measures.

US Secretary of the Navy Meyer proposed sending a powerful US Navy on a round-the-world voyage so that the whole world could see the strength of the US Navy. Among them, East Asia is the most important place for the US Navy to visit on this round-the-world voyage.

Last month, the construction of two 'Hanoi-class' battleships that the Japanese Navy had been planning for a long time finally began. The rise of the Chinese Empire also made the United States feel threatened. They hope that through this circumnavigation of the world by the main naval force, Japan and China in East Asia will realize the strength of the United States.

The Great White Fleet in history originally started more than a year ago. However, this time is different. Because Japan lost the war, its attention was dragged to the Asian continent, and its naval development was slowed down, and the threat to the United States was not as great as it was in history. Therefore, the United States is so eager to send a fleet to deter Japan. However, this time, the target of the United States' deterrence includes the Chinese Empire in addition to Japan.

According to the plan of the US Navy Department, this time they will send a powerful fleet of sixteen battleships to sail around the world. These sixteen battleships are all cutting-edge warships of the US Navy. Although they are all outdated former dreadnoughts, they are still extremely powerful. After all, the battleships of the Japanese Navy were also pre-dreadnoughts and quasi-dreadnoughts, and there were no real dreadnoughts. Sixteen cutting-edge warships of the US Navy were enough to form pressure on the Japanese Navy. As for the Chinese Navy, it is even less worth mentioning. (To be continued......)

PS: The third update is here, continue to ask for a monthly pass! Thank you for the fragrance in the breeze and Liu Lijin from Dongshan Village, Ningxiang County! Thank you for the monthly pass of the book friend who is not without space, playfeng, crushed, heartfelt, lonely and knowing, and 475315154 Xiaobai!