frightfiction Chapter 442: The White House's Response
Chapter 442: The White House's Response
"That group...that group of yellow monkeys...how dare they! How dare they judge our soldiers!?"
Snapped!
With a loud bang, the oak conference table in the Oval Office was slammed hard.
Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit and slicked hair, flushed red and his voice echoed in the room, even shaking the glasses on the shelves.
As a newly appointed official, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying:
"This is a blatant humiliation to our army and a provocation to the entire United States. We sent instructors, guns and artillery, and even offered him a low-interest loan. Now, he's interrogating our own people? Is that kid Zhang Chi crazy?"
Sitting at the end of the conference table, Chief of Naval Operations Ernest King glanced at Forrestal coldly, his face expressionless. He was wearing a neat military uniform with shining badges, and he seemed to be in two different worlds from Forrestal, who was dressed in a suit and tie.
(Ernest King was the Chief of Naval Operations, a military position, and wore a military uniform. The Secretary of the Navy was a civilian position, and wore a suit and tie. The overall structure of the White Eagle was very similar to that of the Song Dynasty, using civil power over military power.)
In Forrest's view, although it was the soldiers of the Army who were humiliated in this incident, it was actually all the soldiers of the United States who were disgraced.
General Jin was also unable to calm down. He lowered his voice and said:
"At the end of the day, these are our soldiers, wearing the uniform of the United States... and now they're being dragged into a foreign court. Whatever their wrongdoing, the symbolism of this is terrible."
How could a proud American soldier be judged by a group of Orientals?
"They just had a few drinks and made a few mistakes!" Forrest's eyes twitched, and he raised his hand to gesture, "They're not rapists or murderers. At most, they just molested a woman. Is Zhang Chi trying to use this incident to show off his power? We should let him know who is the real protagonist of this world!"
After saying this, Forrest looked at Secretary of State Hull with an expression that said, "Dare you kill my horse?"
Cordell Hull, who led pre-war diplomacy and participated in the drafting of the Atlantic Charter, hesitated to speak and finally sighed.
As the Secretary of State in charge of foreign affairs, he did plan some retaliatory actions, including delaying the construction and delivery of the shallow-water heavy gunboats and light aircraft carriers ordered by Zhang Chi, delaying the issuance of subsequent loans, withdrawing the advisory group, and other sanctions.
He also asked the special envoy Harold to pass on the message and warn Zhang Chi against his "reckless" behavior.
However, these actions were vetoed by the man in the wheelchair.
"Gentlemen..." Commander Luo's voice was not loud, but it made people more nervous than anger. It was a kind of calmness that suppressed displeasure.
"Zhang did bring our soldiers to justice, but we must note the public's views on this matter..."
There is only one month left until the general election on November 7. President Luo knows very well that this month is the most critical for the forgetful people. Any action must be taken with extreme caution, otherwise Dewey will seize the opportunity to criticize him.
All the ministers and secretaries of state present here are civil servants, not administrative officials (career civil servants) who have risen up from the grassroots level.
Their appointments were all made by Commander-in-Chief Luo. If Commander-in-Chief Luo fails to be re-elected, then their high-ranking positions will also come to an end. In this regard, they have a relationship of shared success and shared failure.
Therefore, when Commander-in-Chief Luo brought up the "voice of the people", they all sat upright, waiting for the Commander-in-Chief's next words.
Roosevelt turned slightly, raised his hand, picked up a stack of newspapers, and threw it on the table.
"Look at this," he said flatly. "From The Washington Post to The New York World, from left-wing columns to church newsletters, they all praise us for 'respecting our allies and upholding the law.'"
A few people picked up the newspapers, and they were full of praise for the incident.
"We once accused Europe of imperialism, but now if we tolerate our soldiers acting recklessly in our allies' territory, isn't that double standards?"
"If we can't manage our troops well, they will become barbarians. Nanyang is not our colony. Those shameful acts of violating military discipline will only make the entire civilized world look down on us!"
'In today's world, justice is a cherished virtue, and as a citizen of the United States, I am honored that my country has this virtue.'
'We are not imperialists: American soldiers receive fair trials from their allies, demonstrating the power of civilization.'
Unlike later generations, after experiencing two world wars and saving Europe from disaster twice, a large number of White Eagle people truly believe from the bottom of their hearts that the United States stands on the moral high ground.
In addition, there was the instigation of the media group secretly controlled by Zhang Chi, as well as the propaganda of the southern state legislators of the Donor Party who were familiar with Yegorov and had large investments and interests in Southeast Asia.
Now, a large number of people in the society are expressing their admiration for "doing things according to the law" and their praise for the "fair and just leader" General Luo.
Of course, some conservative media outlets are criticizing the authorities' weakness and hyping up the so-called "challenge to the global prestige of the United States."
But Commander Luo did not dare to gamble.
"In the Capitol, just now, the Texas congressman was speaking at the top of his lungs, saying, 'The Chinese in Southeast Asia respect our soldiers and want the same respect in return. Zhang Chi did not publicly humiliate these three men, nor did he arbitrarily execute them. His demands were simple: the dignity of a nation and justice under the law.'"
"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but public opinion has already fermented. We'd better not act impulsively now..." As he said this, Commander Luo looked at Forrest meaningfully.
"Dear James, do you still want to insist on the sanctions? Or do you want to give Thomas Dewey's campaign a big gift?"
"It's important to capitalize on the situation," advisor Hopkins concluded. "To build momentum for the upcoming election, we're no longer shaping a war-mongering president. Instead, we're shaping a leader like a 'philosopher king,' one who upholds fairness, justice, truth, goodness, and beauty in the world..."
"Philosopher King?" Forrest sneered inwardly, "When Zhang Chi really becomes the Caesar of the East, you will know how 'Caesar' will deal with us 'Athenians'."
Of course, he was just thinking about this in his mind.
Secretary of War Stine said sternly:
"That's right. The Anmin Army isn't directly under our control. They just drove out the Japanese and the Johns, so some sensitivity is understandable. And while Zhang Chi's handling of this matter wasn't pleasant, it was within a reasonable and legal framework. He also guaranteed the soldiers' safety and a fair trial. Any retaliation on our part might be seen as petty and despicable, giving Dewey an opportunity to criticize us."
Forrest blushed, but continued chattering:
"He's an ungrateful son of a bitch. Such an ally is not trustworthy at all. We should cut aid..."
Commander Luo raised his eyelids slightly and said lightly:
"And then? The Johns, the Gauls, and even that giant red bear in the north will immediately take advantage of the situation. I bet that once we stop aiding Zhang, the fat man in 10 Downing Street will immediately put aside their past grudges, brandish the gold pound, and embrace Zhang."
"That giant red bear is eager for us to reveal our ugly faces and force Zhang Chi and the Anmin Army to their side. You know, they have been coveting the land in the south for a long time."
Roosevelt sighed, his eyes slightly deep.
He rubbed his eyebrows, but he was very clear in his heart.
Zhang Chi is smart, cautious and restrained, unlike some crazy people who want to be Napoleon just by putting a military cap on their forehead.
Zhang Chi didn't want the boat to capsize, and he understood who had built it for him. But the most important thing was that the boat could now row itself.