According to the thinking of many Americans, including American officials, lawmakers and even many members of the American cabinet, negotiations with the Chinese should have begun long ago. Especially after MacArthur was besieged, their mood had become extremely urgent. The life and death of more than 30,000 US soldiers is one thing, MacArthur has just been promoted to army general, and such an officer cannot become a prisoner of the Japanese under any circumstances, and even if he dies in battle, it will be a huge blow to the morale of the entire American people. But this time is different from the "last time". Last time, MacArthur and his troops retreated to the Bataan Peninsula, where the U.S. submarine could sneak in and rescue the most famous general. This time, Seishiro Sakagaki put the primary target of attack in the port of Manila at the beginning, and then blocked the entire US-Philippine coalition army in Manila, not to mention sneaking away by submarine, the US-Philippine coalition forces want to see the sea at present.

In other words, the Americans simply do not have a solution at the moment. Their only hope is the Chinese who have spoken out to them.

Although they also considered and had doubts about whether the Chinese could rescue MacArthur and the American troops in Manila, they had to bet on this for the sake of the more than 30,000 American soldiers and MacArthur. As for the question of the Chinese asking for too high a price, to be honest, this is really not a big problem. At least in the eyes of many officials, parliamentarians and cabinet members, spending a little more money is not a big deal as long as they can get people out.

But Roosevelt had always stubbornly disagreed.

……

"Mr. President said this in a telegram sent to me, saying that China now always gives him a sense of extreme danger. He fears that the United States will lose more once aid to China is released. ”

Stuart!

Presbyterian missionary, diplomat, educator in the United States. He was born in Hangzhou, China, to American missionary parents. At the age of twenty-nine, he began to preach in China. He participated in the establishment of Hangzhou Yuying Academy, which later became Zhijiang University. In 1952, due to various reasons, the faculties of this university were split into Zhejiang Normal University, Zhejiang University, Fudan University and other institutions, and disappeared from then on. Later, Stuart went to Jinling Theological Seminary in Nanjing as a professor of Greek. In 1919, he was appointed president and dean of Yenching University. Since then, as a long-term leader of Yan University, he has made indelible contributions to the development and growth of the university. He raised money to build a palace-like new campus for Yenching University in the western suburbs of Beijing. In 1927, Yan University and Harvard University cooperated to form the famous Harvard-Yenching Institute to promote cultural exchanges between China and the United States. By the thirties of the twentieth century. Yan University has developed into a church university with the highest academic level in China.

Later, the Anti-Japanese War broke out. Stuart led the students to demonstrate in the streets. Protest against Japanese aggression. Later, when the Japanese attacked the United States, Stuart was arrested by the Japanese and imprisoned in the Ledaoyuan concentration camp in Weifang, Shandong. It was a concentration camp for foreigners, and the prisoners were Americans, British, French, Belgians, and many other European and American people, most of whom were members of the Church. The total number is more than 2,000 people. Originally, he was to stay here for three years, wait until the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, and then be appointed ambassador to China in 1946. From then on, he actively supported the Kuomintang government in the anti-communist civil war, and also co-opted democratic individualists to cultivate the power of the center. Later, the defeat of the Kuomintang also made the US policy in China completely failed, and Stuart Leiden had secret contacts with the top level of the Chinese Communist Party later, and even planned to go to Beijing to negotiate the recognition of the People's Republic of China government by the United States, but unfortunately the US government recalled him at this time, so that he had to abandon this plan and return to the United States. After returning to the United States, Stuart was given a "gag order" by the U.S. State Department, and since then he has disappeared from the political and diplomatic circles.

Chinese are familiar with Situ Leiden because of Mao Zedong's "Farewell, Situ Leiden"!

Seriously, this article is not so much written about Stuart Layden as it is about the US government. Stuart felt a little injured by mistake. As a matter of fact, although Stuart Leiden was the US ambassador and pursued the US government's stance everywhere during his tenure as ambassador to China, his contribution to China was still quite large. Moreover, after the Nationalist government withdrew from Nanjing, his attempts to engage with Beijing were approved by Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and others. At that time, even the Soviet ambassador to China withdrew to Guangzhou with Chiang Kai-shek and others, but Situ Leiden stayed in Nanjing, which was already very rare. After Mao Zedong learned of this news and knew Situ Leiden's intentions, he also entrusted Lu Zhiwei, who was the president of Yenching University at the time, to write a letter to Situ Leiden, saying that he could go to Peking to participate in the celebration of Yanjing University in his personal capacity; Zhou Enlai said that he welcomed Situ Leiden back to Yenching University and said that he might meet again. Unfortunately, Stuart's request was categorically rejected by the US government, and even he himself was asked to return to the United States immediately...... Mao Zedong's temperament is so strong, since your US government is not willing to talk, then I will not be polite to you. As a result, Situ Leiden's reputation in China stinked for decades.

However, now Situ Leiden has escaped three years of imprisonment in the Ledaoyuan concentration camp, and not only that, but he also got the position of ambassador to China four or five years early. It also means that Roosevelt found the Nationalist Government, and he also found Qin Wei.

"China is really dangerous right now."

Qin Wei didn't expect Situ Leiden to be so straightforward, and at the same time, he was surprised and admired by Roosevelt's intuition. He knows what he thinks, and isn't this exactly "dangerous" to the United States? But no matter how much you admire it, some things are resolutely unadmitted:

"Ph.D. (Stuart Leiden is an honorary doctorate from Princeton University), you were born in China, raised in China, and worked in China...... You should know better than any American what China is facing. If nothing else, the famine that is currently breaking out in Henan is a huge burden for the whole of China. But this famine is not unique in China, the famine in northern Shaanxi has been going on for two years, and before that, there had been a catastrophe that lasted for five years! …… What do you think we can do without U.S. assistance? And how long can it hold on to the hands of the Japanese? ”

"But you invaded French Indochina." "This is undeniable. ”

"France has surrendered to Germany, they have joined the fascist camp. Rather than allowing the Japanese to get these places and then use them as a springboard and base for attacking our southwestern rear, why can't we take them into our hands? Qin Wei asked rhetorically, "Moreover, we have also signed an agreement with the French, and the French Vichy government has agreed to transfer all French Indochina to China." So, Doctor, in the future, please remember the new names of those three places, 'Vietnam', 'Laos', 'Cambodia'! French Indochina no longer exists and is an outdated term. ”

"General, your words have made me feel a sense of pride in them, do you understand?" Stuart Raiden laughed, "A kind of pride." ”

"Really?" Qin Wei thought about it and laughed: "It seems to be true." I don't think I'm fit to be a diplomat. That's right, I do have a feeling of sulking when I mention those three places...... Unfortunately, we took these three places at a time when the French were defeated and unable to look eastward, which makes you feel a sense of discount on my 'pride'. ”

"I noticed your wording." Situ Leiden paused, "You used three 'places', not 'countries'!" ”

"What's wrong with that?" Qin Wei asked rhetorically.

"In the United States, and certainly in the United Kingdom, there is a rumor that China is interested in enacting the law...... Oh no, it's the annexation of 'Vietnam', 'Laos' and 'Cambodia'. I wonder what General Lu Dao told us about this? Situ Leiden looked at Qin Wei with blazing eyes, and his eyes didn't blink.

"Doctor, that's a good question." Qin Wei shook his head and smiled, "I admit that as a Chinese, and a Chinese with particularly strong nationalist sentiments, I do make some estimates about the prospect of China annexing these three places." Seriously, I'd love to see this happen. ”

"It's not good, General." Situ Leiden took a light breath, and his face was full of shock. He originally thought that Qin Wei would refuse to admit this matter. As an American who was born and worked in China and has lived in China for most of his life, his feelings for China are unquestionable, and he hopes that Qin Wei will not admit it. Because these things are just Roosevelt's personal speculation at the moment. And China has plenty of reasons to justify it. But Qin Wei admitted it. This gesture made him a little unfamiliar and felt very embarrassed. None of the countries in Europe and the United States want China to show an expansionist posture. Because compared to any other country, China has the most basic things that an expansive empire needs, culture and population! This is even more terrifying than a strong national power. Strong national strength only gives a country the confidence to get out of the woods, but there is no strong national strength, but there is no corresponding population, and only colonies can develop. But China is different, with a population of nearly 500 million, enough to cover the whole of Asia. Once the Chinese really follow that path, they can complete the assimilation of the occupied territories in almost the shortest possible time. The integration of Chinese culture can also enable the Chinese to integrate the local indigenous people in the shortest possible time. At that time, the occupied territories would become an integral part of China. Of course, if it were peacetime, European and American countries could prevent the Chinese from doing this, but now that they are mired in war, if China really has this kind of mind, they will not be able to stop it. And this is precisely what Roosevelt feared most. He feared that American aid would allow the Chinese to dominate Southeast Asia after driving out Japan. In that case, what is the point of them driving the Japanese away?

"But why did this guy tell me his thoughts so bluntly?" Situ Leiden was a little puzzled. (To be continued......)