A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 178 Meeting
Theodore Roosevelt was considered a very successful president in the history of the United States. After all, he was able to go to President Hill, and he was on a par with Washington and Lincoln.

He has also consistently pursued the "Monroe Doctrine", the so-called isolation policy: do not meddle in the affairs of European powers, and Europe cannot meddle in American affairs.

To put it bluntly, the United States pursued the Monroe Doctrine because it wanted to treat the entire Americas as its own backyard. It can be said to be the earliest form of hegemony.

However, the United States talks about isolationism, and in recent years has begun to engage in "open door", which is another typical expansionary policy.

Old double standard.

Theodore Roosevelt's distant nephew, Franklin Roosevelt, also became president. This four-term World War II president is more famous and is generally known as Roosevelt Jr.

The president at this time, Theodore Roosevelt, was the old Roosevelt.

After waiting for a long time, the old Roosevelt received several people.

The name "White House" was also given by the old Roosevelt, and he also completely renovated the White House, but at this time there was no famous oval presidential office.

"Mr. President, hello."

After saying a few routine official words, Liang Cheng said: "Mr. President, my biggest task this time is to open up the channel for my Qing Dynasty to study in the United States. You know that I am the fourth batch of children studying in the United States. The country has excellent education.”

Sierra said: "Can't you offer funding? Grandpa also hopes to set up an educational charity fund."

Sierra said, "What, is it weird?"

The old Roosevelt said: "Mr. Ambassador from the East, hello, sorry to meet only now."

Now the stone hanging in his heart has finally come to the ground, and he relaxed and said to the old Roosevelt: "Mr. President, our Qing Dynasty also has outstanding talents, just like Li Yu in front of him. If we can open up the education channel in the United States, I will I think more people like this will emerge.”

In short, there is a lot of information hidden in this sentence. People who engage in diplomacy always talk like this.The same is true for the era 100 years later. Those who don’t understand the international situation very well don’t understand why diplomats say that at all.

Li Yu faintly felt that Sierra was so anxious to find him after learning about the Siemens company in Germany.

Liang Cheng said: "No, so we want to build some excellent primary and secondary schools like the United States. After training in this way, we can study in your country."

Li Yu said, "Mr. Carnegie is in Chicago, right?"

The elder Roosevelt said: "Do you have this level of education in your country?"

However, after more than 20 years, especially after the defeat in the Sino-Japanese War and the Gengzi National Disaster, basically everyone except the Qing royal family knew that they had to learn from others, and some things needed to be changed.

Li Yu said: "Not really, but my education model is indeed completed in an environment similar to that in Europe and the United States."

It's really too long. After such a long time, according to Chang's ideal, international students who grew up studying in the United States will have a greater sense of belonging to the United States in their hearts, so the method really needs to be changed.

Young children like Liang Cheng studying in the United States have to study in the United States for about 13 years, and then travel for two years, a total of 15 years.

But Li Yu, as a time traveler, of course knew that the United States basically didn't pay a penny for this move, and it also left a good reputation.

It can be regarded as a broken pot, after all, the Manchu royal family and the Eight Banners can no longer produce a decent talent.

Liang Cheng said: "Mr. President can naturally propose according to your interests, and I don't need to hide it. Our biggest interest is to be able to send students to study in the United States."

Of course Hay wanted to show affection to someone like Li Yu, and it wasn't too difficult.

Liang Cheng followed suit: "It is because the United States is enlightened and strong, and I have studied in the United States for many years, that I hope to let our students from the Qing Dynasty go to the United States again."

Vladivostok is a good port, but no matter how good it is, it cannot compare with ports like Dalian.

The elder Roosevelt also felt that Hay had a point: "It is indeed in our long-term interests."

"Huh?" Li Yu was even more surprised, "Mr. Carnegie? I don't seem to have mentioned it to him."

Liang Cheng didn't expect it to go so smoothly today, and he was in a very good mood: "Your analysis is so correct. The President of the United States actually accepts the return of Boxer indemnity for education. This is equivalent to accomplishing two major events."

The old Roosevelt said: "Even if the follow-up compensation is exempted, you must let our ambassador to the Qing Dynasty properly supervise the direction of the funds, otherwise I don't think the Qing Dynasty can use it well."

The old Roosevelt said: "Mr. is really frank. Don't worry, this is a normal cultural exchange matter. In view of the attitude of your country and Mr. Ambassador, I will definitely advance it as soon as possible."

The United States does not want to get involved in the Russo-Japanese War, but it feels that Japan has a little chance of winning. Once Japan defeats the obviously powerful Tsarist Russia, its influence will definitely be much stronger than defeating the backward Qing court.

Liang Cheng said: "The president's proposal is very realistic, and I also feel that our students should be allowed to study in the United States after acquiring basic knowledge, otherwise it will take too long."

Could it be the news provided by a newspaper tycoon like Pulitzer?
It didn't feel right either, and Li Yu couldn't figure it out.

Hay said: "Then I think we, the American Astronomical Society, can solemnly invite you to become a member."

Liang Cheng said: "We also hope that Mr. President will advance as soon as possible, because more and more outstanding students from the Qing Dynasty have gone to Japan to study in Japan, where the distance is close and the tuition fees are also low."

After the two discussed it well, Liang Cheng and Li Yu were called in.

"It's a good idea," said old Roosevelt.

The old Roosevelt quickly suppressed Japan and raised his hand by the way.

Now that Tsarist Russia is desperately expanding, it has long become a thorn in the eyes of the United Kingdom, so the goal of the United Kingdom is to prevent Tsarist Russia from becoming too powerful.

In the famous Crimean War more than 50 years ago, the United Kingdom successfully blocked the westward advance of Tsarist Russia.

The old Roosevelt asked: "With such an academic level, it is hard to imagine that you are a Qing Dynasty person. Did you ever study abroad in other countries?"

Li Yu thinks that Liang Cheng is indeed a little diplomatic: the Qing has no strength, so it tactfully uses Japan to talk about the matter, which is also the method that weak countries have to adopt in their diplomacy.

There were some students who joined Christianity before, and they were more or less acceptable. Cutting their pigtails really touched the ridiculous bottom line of the conservatives in the upper echelons of the Qing court, so they recalled all the young children, for fear that the advanced Western ideas would become a "scourge".

Liang Cheng understood, so he said, "Retire first."

Since then, the United States has actually been actively mediating the Russo-Japanese War, but it has reached the end of the war, and both Japan and Russia are exhausted and unable to sustain it.

After Liang Cheng left the office, the elder Roosevelt asked Hay next to him: "What do you think of this matter?"

Li Yu said, "No."

Just when old Roosevelt mentioned this point, Liang Cheng also felt a little relieved.

Liang Cheng said: "I hope so."

Vladivostok inevitably has hundreds of days of freezing every year, and there is heavy fog in summer and autumn, which often affects ships docking.

In the eyes of most European countries, including the emerging United States, Tsarist Russia is an upstart and a second-rate country, and it will never be allowed to grow.

The elder Roosevelt said: "It turns out that it is still necessary to continue to fund education in your country."

Of course Liang Cheng knew about the system of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, but the president and secretary of state both agreed, and the progress would be much smoother.

Hay said: "We have indeed received a huge amount, and the follow-up part can be exempted, which is just used for education. Ambassador Liang Cheng is indeed right. Now most of the Qing Dynasty students go to Japan. In the future, this group of people is very likely to become the Qing Dynasty The backbone, once that time comes, the Qing Dynasty will irreversibly move towards a pro-Japanese line.”

Sierra said: "This time I am here on behalf of Grandpa, who has agreed to provide you with research funding."

Coupled with the fact that these international students are indeed high-level, the Qing court now has no choice but to accept it.

Seeing that Li Yu didn't reply, Sierra asked again, "Mr. Li Yu?"

Liang Cheng and Li Yu first said hello to old Roosevelt.

If it was the time when Li Yu was in, China's secondary education was leading the world, this sentence would be superfluous to ask, but now it is really...

The elder Roosevelt said: "I accept your proposal, but the Boxer indemnity matter is very important. I still need to discuss the details with the Treasury Department and submit it to Congress."

As a port on the inland sea, Dalian has much better conditions.

But they never imagined what Japan would look like in the future.

The old Roosevelt said: "You mean, let the Qing Dynasty students study in the United States, and they will have a good impression of us in the future?"

Old Roosevelt certainly understood Liang Cheng's meaning, so he said: "The right to choose is in the hands of your country and your students. But we hope that the Qing Dynasty knows that the United States is now a more enlightened and powerful country than Japan, and our university education level is extremely high. It is not comparable to Japan."

Hay said: "The president can rest assured that we have already arranged the bank, and the funds will not be a problem."

The doorbell rang, and Li Yu opened the door, surprised: "It's you!"

Old Roosevelt already knew about Liang Cheng's intentions from Secretary of State Hay, so he said: "This matter can indeed be put on our agenda, but the specific terms still need to be drawn up."

Even Mark Twain persuaded the then US President Grant to ask him to revoke the Qing decision through Zhili Governor Li Hongzhang, but it was too late.

"Indeed," Liang Cheng said, "wouldn't it be best if we had primary and secondary schools like your country's."

Although the current international situation is not as complicated as it was before World War I and World War II, it is definitely more troublesome than the era that Li Yu lived in more than 100 years later.

Becoming a member does bring a lot of convenience to the use of the observatory, and Li Yu didn't have to refuse, so he said, "It's a great honor."

This is the motivation for Tsarist Russia's eastward expansion.

And Tsarist Russia also quickly understood that it was not the opponent of these old powers, and it was impossible to go west, so it turned its attention to the east.

These words were very sharp, old Roosevelt looked at Secretary of State Hay next to him, thought for a while and said to Liang Cheng: "This is not a trivial matter, I need to discuss it with Mr. Hay, Mr. Ambassador, go to the lounge next door and wait for a while. "

After meeting the president, the two left the White House.

Li Yu said: "It is a good thing that the money from the Boxer indemnity is used for education, and it is even more urgent to open up the channel to study in the United States."

The old Roosevelt knew that Liang Cheng was giving a step, but as the president of the United States, he would definitely not follow Liang Cheng's words step by step, so he said instead: "The ambassador should remember that it was not us who drove away the overseas students back then. Your country is calling students back."

After returning to his residence, Li Yu received another letter from the German company Siemens:
"Mr. Li Yu, we are amazed at your excellent academic achievements and profound academic quality. In view of this, we can provide you with all research funding in the field of physics."

And Japan is obviously much weaker in their eyes.

This was unbearable for the high-level Qing court.

At the beginning, Britain wanted to support the Manchu Qing against Tsarist Russia’s eastward expansion, but it was unexpected that the mud of the Manchu Qing would not be able to support the wall. The Manchurian branch of the Siberian Railway of Tsarist Russia has now been built to Dalian, which is also jaw-dropping.

Now that Japan and Russia are already at war in the Northeast, anyone with a little discernment can see that a war between the two countries is imminent.

Britain doesn't expect Japan to do anything, but at least it can defeat the Qing court on the battlefield, so Britain feels that Japan is still stronger.

The policy of the United Kingdom is not to allow the emergence of an overly strong country in the European continent, and if there is one, it will unite with other countries to deal with it. This is how France and Napoleon were forced down in the early years.

The last batch of young children studying in the United States was probably recalled by the Qing court in 1881.The reason is rather ridiculous, because these students were only teens when they went to the United States. Growing up in the United States, they inevitably understood some ideas. In order to look more like modern people, many of them cut off their big braids.

Britain had to turn its attention to Japan.

Liang Cheng stabilized his mood and said: "Actually, Mr. President and Mr. Secretary of State understand that you are a big country like the United States, why bother to squeeze a poor country like us. Boxer indemnity has far exceeded your country's actual losses, and it is recommended to return it to Qing Dynasty. Let us maintain a good reputation in the Qing Dynasty, win the goodwill of our Qing officials and people towards the United States, and also benefit the long-term development of your United States in our Qing Dynasty."

And they had just approached the President of the United States to discuss education funding, and Sierra came to him for both scientific research and education at the same time, which was really too fast.

Of course, Liang Cheng knew what the United States thought, and they would definitely put forward some conditions, but in order to allow students to stay in the United States, Liang Cheng could accept any conditions as long as they were not too excessive.

Yuan Shikai and Zhang Zhidong will soon fall into the hands of Yuan Shikai and Zhang Zhidong. As for Yikuang, the most powerful minister on the surface, he only recognizes money.

Li Yu said with a smile: "Mr. President is too praised. These few achievements of mine are inseparable from the excellent data of Harvard University Observatory. They have at least half of the credit."

He turned out to be a super sweet pastry.

Li Yu said, "Why are you here again? Didn't you already go back to Harvard University?"

Tsarist Russia's biggest wish for hundreds of years is to have a good outlet to the sea. Obviously, Vladivostok can't satisfy them, so it covets the Northeast region so much.

However, no matter whether he is making any big moves or not, if Carnegie is really offering help, Li Yu has no reason to refuse now. Anyway, he doesn't believe that as a time traveler in a hundred years, he can be fooled by "people from the past".

In later generations, the trade volume between China and the United States has become a giant, and several trade wars have even spread to neighboring countries.But it is hard to imagine that some industries like cotton in the United States were already dependent on the Chinese market 100 years ago.

The old Roosevelt's attitude towards Liang Cheng was very useful, and he replied: "That's true. But the lessons of the past will repeat themselves. We also need to investigate the overseas students in your country, and we can no longer be driven by your country. You know, this is uncivilized. "

"Since we are studying in the United States, we also hope to get funding from the United States for these schools." Liang Cheng felt that it was time to take a step further.

For this matter, Li Hongzhang played a lot of performances, but it still didn't help.

Well, in fact, Hai Yi and Liang Cheng are both playing chess and gambling, but it's hard to say how the chess game will go next, at least now both sides can see the benefits.

Li Yu had just finished reading the letter when a beautiful figure appeared outside the door.

The elder Roosevelt said: "Our educational resources are not unlimited, so if students from your country want to enter a famous school in our country, they should have the academic level required by the school."

Liang Cheng said: "What the President said is very true, but time has passed, and young children like me studying in the United States can already hold high positions. From this, you can see that we respect your country's education."

Secretary of State Hay said: "I heard that Mr. has obtained the foreign fellowship of the Royal Society of England. Based on your several major discoveries in astronomy, has the Royal Astronomical Society not granted you membership?"

"Funding?" Old Roosevelt didn't expect Liang Cheng to get involved in money all of a sudden.

The elder Roosevelt saw Li Yu's report in the newspaper: "I have heard about you a long time ago, especially your recent pioneering work at the Harvard University Observatory, which is simply amazing. As a Harvard graduate many years ago , feel very honored.”

This kind of specific operation can only be done by Liang Cheng, and Li Yu just knows the result, so he said: "The ambassador just needs to push it on time, and it will definitely succeed."

Liang Cheng said: "This is a big matter. It will take some time for the two houses of the US Congress to pass it. We still need to pay close attention to the development of the situation."

Hay said: "That's exactly the case. Although we can't see the benefits in the short term, in the long run, we can support the education of the Qing Dynasty to cultivate a group of talents we need. Through education, we can influence the youth of the Qing Dynasty, and we can also benefit from knowledge and spirit. It will affect the Qing Dynasty."

The United States took advantage of the situation to intervene and let the two countries cease fighting. Theodore Roosevelt even won the Nobel Peace Prize for this.

But Sierra's news is indeed a bit too well-informed. Now Carnegie has retreated behind the scenes and doesn't pay too much attention to world current affairs.

For Liang Cheng, it was a diplomatic victory.

This sentence is a bit ambiguous.

But Britain did not want Tsarist Russia to get what it wanted.

Hay said: "Naturally, it is also in the interests of the Qing Dynasty, otherwise the ambassador of the Qing Dynasty would not have mentioned this matter. But in fact, apart from the long-term interests, the Qing Dynasty is already our largest cotton buyer. I have received petitions from those businessmen in the south more than once, They said, 'You can see right away the importance of business with China, it's everything to us'. So you see, President, being friendly with the Qing is what we need right now."

Sierra said, "Yes, you..."

Li Yu smiled and said, "I just think this kind of good thing happened too suddenly. When are we going to leave?"

"The sooner the better," Sierra said.

Well, it seems that I really want to travel the entire northeast of the United States.

(End of this chapter)