PS: The second update is here! Ask for a subscription, ask for a monthly pass! Thank you for the wordless reward from the book friend!

"Minister Dickinson, is our Southern Sierra Madre defensive line so strong? Can it withstand the attack of the Chinese? President Taft asked, somewhat uncertain. If he had a lot of confidence in this before, now he is completely underconfident.

"Your Excellency, although we have lost 200,000 men in Hartiangis, we still have a full two million troops deployed along the entire line of defense. In addition, there are twenty army reinforcements ready in the country, and if Admiral Pershing needs support, we will send reinforcements to him as soon as possible, and we will definitely be able to resist the Chinese west of the Sierra Madre Sul! Secretary of War Jacob M Dickinson said.

"Your Excellency, Gentlemen. His Excellency British Prime Minister Asquith and French President Falier both sent telegrams asking whether our country could defeat the Chinese. Secretary of State Filand C. Knox said.

"Hell, sue them, we will definitely be able to defeat the Chinese!" President Taft said. Britain and France have long hoped that the United States would send troops to the European theater to ease the pressure on both countries. The United States had no choice but to provoke a war with China, and although Britain and France were very dissatisfied with this, they had no choice but to hold their noses and admit it. For Britain and France, if the United States can drag China down, or even defeat China, it will also be very beneficial for them. Otherwise, millions of squadrons would attack westward, and Russia would be the first to be defeated, followed by Britain and France. Therefore, they are very concerned about whether the United States has the strength to defeat China.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Secretary of State Filand C. Knox nodded. China's strength has made the United States feel too much pressure. Albeit. The United States has a lot of advantages, but they also do not have absolute confidence to defeat China now.

"Minister Dickinson? Does the Army have any other plans? Vice President James Sherman asked. There is no doubt that the defeat at the Battle of Hartian Geis has shaken the confidence of these high-ranking American officials in victory.

"Your Excellency Vice President, at present, the main focus of the Army is on the defense line of the Sierra Madre do Sul, hoping to hold the Chinese back in the southwestern region of Mexico and avoid an attack on the soil." Secretary of War Jacob M Dickinson said.

"What about the Navy? Although the Panama Canal is now unusable, the Chinese have begun to repair it. I think that during this time. In addition to speeding up the construction of new battleships, the Navy can take a number of other actions. For example, attacking the sea transport lines of the Chinese. The millions of Chinese troops, plus hundreds of thousands of mercenaries, consume tens of thousands of tons of supplies every day. And all these materials rely on the Chinese to arrive from Turkey. If we can cut off the sea transportation lines of the Chinese, the pressure on the army will be much less! Vice President James Sherman said he was a little unhappy with the answer given by former Secretary of War Jacob M. Dickinson.

"Yes! Minister Meyer. Although the main force of the U.S. Navy is all in the Atlantic, we also have quite a few warships in the western Pacific. Moreover, because war was inevitable, we also started building a number of 'Philadelphia-class' heavy cruisers in our shipyards on the West Coast. These heavy cruisers were added to the light cruisers, destroyers and submarines of the West Coast Fleet. It is undoubtedly a good battleship to break the engagement. If we can threaten the sea transport lines of the Chinese, it will be easier for us to win this war! President Taft also said.

Secretary of War Jacob M. Dickinson looked at Secretary of the Navy George von Lengelkemeyer, who had also offered to have the Navy attack the Chinese's sea transport lines. But. It was rejected by Minister Meyer, citing the Chinese Navy's increased protection of the transport lines.

"Your Excellency, the current logistics and material distribution center for the Chinese is mainly the Hawaiian Islands. The Chinese used guò merchant ships to transport various strategic materials to the Hawaiian Islands, and then changed to transport ships of the Chinese Navy. Shipped to the port of Acapulco, Mexico. Along the way, there were warships of the Pacific Fleet and the Turkish Fleet of the Chinese Navy. Among them were battleships and heavy cruisers. Our West Coast Fleet consists of only four 'Philadelphia-class' heavy cruisers. There were more than eighty light cruisers and destroyers, thirty submarines, and most of the other battleships, except for the 'Philadelphia-class' heavy cruisers, were too long-range to attack the sea transport lines of the Chinese. In addition, after the outbreak of the war, the Chinese mobilized a large number of warships to blockade the ports on our west coast, and all warships or merchant ships flying the American flag were sunk. We can't send supply ships to the eastern Pacific, and we can't supply them. Secretary of the Navy Meyer said.

"Your Excellency Meyer, although it is difficult, it is not impossible. We can fly the flags of other countries, such as those in South America, and supply warships with ammunition and other supplies on ordinary merchant ships. If the navy can severely damage the sea transportation lines of the Chinese, it will be very helpful for our operations in Mexico! Secretary of War Jacob M. Dickinson insisted.

"Minister Meyer, this war is a matter of life and death for the United States, and I hope that the Army and Navy can unite and work together to win the war!" President William Howard Taft said.

"Yes, Your Excellency, although the difficulties are great, we will find a way to overcome them. We asked Vice Admiral Robert Koontz, commander of the West Coast Fleet, to find a way to launch an attack on the sea transport lines of the Chinese! "In the face of the president's request, Minister Meyer could not refuse, but could only agree!

President Taft nodded, pleased with Meyer's cooperation. After all, he also knew that now the entire Pacific Ocean had become an inland lake for the Chinese, and the US West Coast Fleet could only hide in the harbor and survive under the protection of shore defense artillery. If you leave the port and enter the ocean, you will definitely be sent to death. Asking the West Coast Fleet to attack the Chinese's sea transportation lines is undoubtedly a life-and-death task.

"Minister Dickinson, sent a telegram to Admiral John Pershing, telling him that in any case he must reach the attack of the Chinese and confine the Chinese to the west of the Sierra Madre do Sul. Otherwise, the central and northern parts of Mexico would not have such good geographical conditions. Once the Chinese launch an attack, they will pose a serious threat to the United States! President Taft said. Obviously, he was a little haunted by the defeat at the Battle of Hartiangis.

"Yes, Your Excellency!" Secretary of War Jacob M Dickinson said.

After the president and cabinet members agreed, the U.S. government quickly issued orders to major newspapers and radio stations to block news of the defeat of the U.S. forces at Hartiangis. Although many newspapers and radio stations have protested against this, claiming that such an act of the US government is strictly contrary to the spirit of democracy in the United States. However, after the government sent in the gendarmes and police to arrest the managers of two major newspapers on charges of treason, the American press was silent. The U.S. government claimed that the two newspapers had colluded with the Chinese to secretly collect intelligence for China and betray U.S. interests. Although everyone knows that these charges are completely unfounded. But everyone still wisely chose to remain silent and did not dare to confront the government. It was precisely because of this act of American conquest that the American people did not know that the American army had suffered a defeat at Hartiangis, and everyone thought that the American army was fighting hard to resist the squadron west of the Sierra Madre do Sul. A large number of young Americans still want to join the army and fight for the United States of America under the government's claim!

On the Mexican front, at the heart of the U.S. Army's defense line in the Sierra Madre do Sul, U.S. Army commander Gen. John Pershing received a reprimanding telegram from U.S. President Taft and Secretary of War Jacob M. Dickinson. The wording on the telegram was very harsh, and he was very dissatisfied with the loss of nearly 200,000 people by the American army this time. And warned General Pershing that the Chinese must be blocked west of the Sierra Madre do Sul, and if he fails, General Pershing's military career will end as a result!

"Damn it! Sons of bitches politicians! Had it not been for the defeat of the Chinese by my army and the drive of the Chinese from northern Mexico, the Chinese would have posed a threat to the American hinterland. It's all George guy, if he hadn't fallen into the trap of the Chinese and lost too many troops, I wouldn't have been reprimanded by the president! Admiral Pershing tore the telegram to shreds and yelled.

"General, the Chinese are too cunning, they take advantage of George's psychology of wanting to hold Hartiangis, deliberately taking the opportunity to consume our troops, George is not aware for a while, it is inevitable!" Lieutenant General Davis, commander of the 14th Army of the US Army, said. He and George are also colleagues, and the relationship is okay, George swallowed a gun and committed suicide, he inevitably has some sympathy.

"Forget it, the Battle of Hartiangis is over, and it's useless to talk about anything else. Now the most important thing for us is to hold the Iron La Colorada, and not let the Chinese break through there again! Admiral Pershing finally suppressed the anger in his heart, and then said.

"General, please defend the line, the defense line of Tiela Corolada is much stronger than that of Hartiangis, and there are still 300,000 troops, which can definitely withstand the attack of the Chinese!" Lieutenant General Davis said.

"It's hard to say, you also know the combat power of the Chinese, and they are stronger than a few years ago." Even the mercenaries, whom we have always underestimated, have exploded into great combat power. This battle will undoubtedly be a tough battle for us! Admiral Pershing said.