Breaking through Guandong, I became Zhu Chuanwen

Chapter 399 Anglo-Japanese Relations
England, London, City of Westminster
According to our concept of later generations, it is more appropriate to call it the Westminster District, but in 1910, it was indeed a municipality under Greater London, England, with its own city status.

The city of Westminster is now the most powerful on earth—the heart of the empire on which the sun never sets, and the orders sent from here every day cover the entire earth.

Whitehall, this is actually the name of a street in Westminster, where a series of British government agencies are located, connecting the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street.The pure white building may be the good wishes of the British for political sustenance, but like a house that has been deeply influenced by later generations, countless means are used here in Whitehall every day. .

As night fell, when the last glimmer of the sun flashed across the surface of a black and plain wooden door in Downing Street with white Arabic numerals "10"...

10 Downing Street, this somewhat legendary building began to light up the dim lights inside. From the outside, a black shadow with thinning hair appeared by the window, in this small room for his identity walking around...

"David hasn't arrived yet?" Heiying's deep voice sounded, and immediately, a British butler-style waiter with very light footsteps appeared from the door, then bowed slightly, and replied: "Sir, it is said that we will be here in 5 minutes." !"

"understood!"

The owner of this voice, Herbert Henry Asquith, was the British Prime Minister at this time and the leader of the British Liberal Party. He was born in a small wool merchant family in Yorkshire. He studied at Oxford University when he was young. He was a lawyer and a member of Parliament. , and then ascended to the pinnacle of British power.

After a while, as the black wooden door of No. 10 Downing Street opened and closed...

"Your Excellency!" came an English man with a bushy beard under his nose, carrying a red briefcase. He was the man Herbert had just questioned—David Lloyd George, British Chancellor of the Exchequer .

"David, sit down. It's time to go to the House of Commons to present the budget tomorrow. We called you over overnight to confirm three important things." Prime Minister Herbert stated the purpose of calling the Chancellor over at night.

"I thought about it, Your Excellency Prime Minister. I have put the documents in the red box. Look, can I report verbally?" The Minister of Finance lifted his red briefcase as a display.The thing in his hand can be regarded as an antique passed down from generation to generation by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It was introduced by William Gladstone in 1860 and has been working for 50 years now.

It has always been the tradition of British government agencies to transmit official documents in red boxes, and the red box of the Chancellor of the Exchequer attracts the most attention in the second half of each year, because the things inside are related to the various developments of the empire on which the sun never sets in the next year. Of course, it also implements the policy of this prime minister.

"Okay, let's report verbally!" Herbert said after a moment of consideration. It is obviously unrealistic to read a thick financial budget in a short period of time. In fact, he had already intervened in many things when compiling the 1911 financial budget. It's good to hear the result now.

"Your Excellency, according to your opinion, our budget this year has been increased in three aspects... The first is the "Insurance Law" we introduced this year, and this part of the budget is the highest."

The current British Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer cooperate quite tacitly. In the turbulent early 20th century, after the French Revolution, the turbulent wave of workers actually caused internal conflicts in the UK. Internal conflicts can be temporarily appeased by the introduction of the "Insurance Act", so that workers can get part of the benefits. .

At least the British "Insurance Act" allows workers after the age of 70 to receive pensions. In the future, this part will be a major expenditure in the British finances.

Herbert nodded. This matter mainly deals with domestic conflicts, which can be regarded as a change in his administration.Among capitalist countries, there is a huge gap between the rich and the poor in the country. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer who came from ordinary backgrounds took power in the UK at this time, which is actually a compromise that the UK is gradually adapting to changes in the domestic situation.

However, the dragon slayers will eventually become evil dragons, and these people in high positions have actually completely completed their own upward leap.Meat eaters despise, although this kind of "Insurance Act" that is very cruel in the eyes of later generations still cannot alleviate the contradictions in the UK, it is also developing in a good direction.

"Secondly, this year's military expenditure!" The Minister of Finance began to report on the second increase.

"Talk about the navy, how many Dreadnought-class battleships will be launched in the future?"

"Your Excellency, since the launch of the Empire's first Dreadnought-class battleship in 1906, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard has once again optimized its technology. Starting this year, major domestic naval shipyards will build two Dreadnought-class battleships per year. The Empire's navy still maintains an unrivaled lead in the world."

"Well, this is the best way. Germany is also building warships. Although France and Russia have reached an agreement and will confront the alliance headed by Germany militarily, Germany's construction speed is still very fast, especially since none of us airship force."

Today, Britain, the most powerful country in the world, can be said to have reached its peak. The British Isles rely on strong ships and guns to colonize the world and rule about 79 countries and regions. After World War I, the number is even more, about 82.These countries are collectively known as the Commonwealth of Nations.

But this relatively loose structure, after all, transported the resources of the colonial ruled area to the British Isles, nourishing the prosperity of the British mainland.

"Your Excellency, but this third matter, should you think about it again?" The Minister of Finance said suddenly.

"Why, there is a problem with Japan?" The third thing is related to the Anglo-Japanese alliance.

"Your Excellency, the domestic economy has actually been affected by some London rubber stock markets this year. The internal economic situation of the empire is not optimistic. Although we have controlled the stock market, some Southeast Asian companies have suffered losses. The Governor of India Bian has reported to me a lot of rubber companies that have gone bankrupt in his jurisdiction this year."

"Say the result directly!"

"The Japanese Mitsui Shokai sold four empty rubber plantations to us in our London stock market this year, and they directly cashed out more than 40 pounds."

Pound sterling, as the strongest currency in the entire world, is equivalent to 1 Qing court silver dollars when 10 pound is against 10 yen.

"More than 40 pounds?" Herbert nodded slightly. This matter is a small matter for the finances of the entire British Empire, but it shows a very bad signal. Japan may be testing the premise of Britain's cooperation with them. .

"To generate electricity for the Japanese government, we will carry out more in-depth commercial cooperation with them. Local production will continue to control the production parts of Japanese warships and earn back this part of the money!"

"Yes, Your Excellency Prime Minister, another good thing is that the money has actually been earned back from the Qing court. The rubber stocks previously deployed by the Imperial Banking Industry are expected to have a profit of more than 400 million pounds." The British Chancellor of the Exchequer said With a smile on his face, the Americans burst the rubber bubble in the British market, but the British made a fortune from the Qing court.

"Can you control the railways of the Qing court?"

"Yes! The Imperial Bank has basically controlled 80% of the Qing Dynasty's railway property rights to the south of the Yangtze River. The future economic development of the Qing Dynasty is still up to us!"

"Yeah!" Herbert was smiling, but last year's anti-smoking conference from all nations sounded in his mind. The conference led by the United States can be said to have made the whole of Britain lose face.

Representatives of the Qing court boasted that a developed Qing country would bring more benefits to the world, but it is now said that it is too late in the eyes of the British high-level?

The United Kingdom controls the world, and it has sufficient strength in East Asia. When fighting against Tsarist Russia, it is not that the United Kingdom did not give the Qing court a chance to move the Qing court closer to the United Kingdom.

However, relying on its vast territory and large population, the Qing court repeatedly jumped back and forth for a period of time. Britain, Germany, France, Russia, and the United States seemed to have been used by the Qing court self-righteously.

"The Qing Dynasty should have moved closer to us a long time ago, instead of their so-called right and wrong, and now all of this is their own fault!" Herbert's eyes flashed a dark look, obviously he was in a good mood to teach the Qing court a lesson, all nations ban smoking At the meeting, the representative of the Qing court refuted the British representative, which was exaggerated in the British media last year.

Let Herbert, who has just assumed the post of prime minister, feel a little shameful. Now, it's time for the beneficiary groups in the UK to brag about him.

Back then, when Tsarist Russia was building the Trans-Siberian Railway and planned to build a Yellow Russia project.Britain actually offered an olive branch to the Qing court. The British hoped that North Korea, known as the "gateway to Northeast Asia" controlled by the Qing court, would become the strongest bulwark against Tsarist Russia going south.

For this purpose, however, the British did not take a stand on this issue.

Hurd, a British person who served as China's taxation chief, once publicly stated that "if China merged North Korea openly and thoroughly, it would be smart."Even the former British Foreign Secretary Curzon publicly stated that "the hope of North Korea as a country lies in maintaining its relationship with the Qing Dynasty." Britain even issued a warning to Japan, "I do not agree to surrender any territory of the Kingdom of Korea to Japan. ".

However, Li Hongzhang's repeated repetitions made the British high-level officials lose their patience, and they chose Japan, which has even worse conditions but is more relatively easy to control, as a partner for cooperation.

And the Qing court became the target of attack.

"The next year's budget will be submitted to the House of Commons soon. This year will be the case for the time being. But since Japan has released a tentative signal, we have to take action and send reprimands to show our attitude." Herbert took out his own The demeanor of the prime minister of a big country.After pondering, he said:

"But then, the cooperation with Japan has to continue this year. This year is a critical year for the merger of Japan and North Korea. Although we have an agreement with Russia, our goal is to curb the expansion of Tsarist Russia's power in East Asia. The Qing court will not Willing to build a fort for us, then let Japan do it.

But next year, it will start to appropriately reduce the amount of cooperation with Japan. Mitsui, as a chamber of commerce supported by the Japanese government, has blatantly set up a bureau for us, which may still be inspired by the Japanese government! "

……

New Delhi

Mitsui Industrial Office

Makotosuke Mitsui is waiting for the praise from the Japanese headquarters at this time. The layout of the rubber this time, Japan can be said to have made a lot of money. The Nanyang Rubber Park Company, which was acquired with funds, was re-opened in May and June. The stock market in London was all sold off.

Originally, he accepted domestic instructions to gradually control the rubber production park in Nanyang, but after the acquisition, he found that it was an empty shell, which shocked him, and decisively sold it while the market was just right.

"President, Tokyo is calling!" The secretary hurried in.

But after Mitsui Makotosuke got the telegram, his face showed disbelief.

Was he transferred back to the headquarters?Nanyang things will be replaced?What mistake did I make?
(End of this chapter)