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

Chapter 621 Doctor
Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

In the early morning, Li Yu's family had breakfast with Situ Meitang and He Yujie.

They read today's newspapers, and it seemed that it was premeditated. All major media outlets violently criticized the German telegraph incident.

As an outsider, Situ Meitang should have a clearer mind: "Don't they have any doubts about why Britain intercepted German telegrams on its own soil?"

Li Yu said: "It's not stated clearly in the news, so many people won't think in this direction."

Situ Meitang said: "However, it is a good thing for the United States to participate in the war. Maybe the domestic Beiyang government can make up its mind."

"Brother Situ is quite concerned about the Beiyang government." Li Yu said.

"We can't care less," Szeto Meitang said. "Last year's restoration incident really shocked us. Many barber shops in Chinatown were even more panicked."

Li Yu said with a smile: "It's not a Qing Dynasty restoration, I won't play with hair or hair anymore."

"What a twist!" Situ Meitang said, "Fortunately, it was just a false alarm."

Li Yu said: "I guess Premier Duan and President Li are still arguing about declaring war on Germany. If the United States takes action, everyone can see the battlefield situation clearly, and the Beiyang government will indeed have more courage to declare war."

Situ Meitang said: "Long before Zimmerman's telegram, all walks of life in the United States were full of news about participating in the war. In particular, reports about the Lafayette Squadron have always been a hot topic."

The performance of the German Air Force in World War I was very impressive, and the "Red Baron" Richtrofen became famous.

The British and French also have good air forces, the most famous of which is the French Lafayette Squadron.

Since there are many American pilots in this squadron, reports about them have always been sought after by Americans.

The political circles also used the publicity of this incident to test Americans' attitude towards the war.

——If politicians want to join the war, they need accurate calculation of interests;

And if you want people to join the war, you only need a perfect story.

Situ Meitang thought about Li Yu's radio business again: "Now in the stock market, LY Radio has repeatedly hit new highs, and now I know that this thing is so closely related to military affairs, far beyond what I imagined before. My legal advisor told "I, the federal government have adopted the decision to forcibly confiscate German companies."

Li Yu said: "Is your legal adviser still Roosevelt?"

Situ Meitang said: "That's right."

"There is nothing to worry about," Li Yu said. "I make hardware. As for how users encrypt, it is their own business. There is no incompatible relationship between the two."

"That's good." Situ Meitang was relieved.

It's just that it is not convenient for Li Yu to engage in technological innovation in radio at present, because upgrading key technologies during wartime is a very sensitive move.

Lu Bicheng on the side was flipping through the newspaper and suddenly exclaimed: "This dancer was arrested?"

Li Yu glanced at it and said, "Mata Hari?"

Situ Meitang said: "She has been arrested a long time ago. It has been frequently reported in the news recently, but it was not on the headlines today."

Lu Bicheng asked: "How did she become a spy?"

Li Yu said: "Not just a spy, but an incredible double agent."

Mata Hari is very well-known in the West, and she can almost be compared to Yoshiko Kawashima here.

It is said that the death of British War Secretary Kitchener in 1916 was because Mata Hari obtained top-secret information through espionage.

The arrest of Mata Hari is also related to Room 40 of the British Admiralty.

At the beginning of this year, Mata Hari was sent to perform a mission in the neutral country of Spain. Since she had already begun working for the French military intelligence department at the same time, she deliberately got close to Canaris, the military attache at the German Embassy in Spain.

But...she actually fell in love with the future German spy king.

Canaris asked her to go to Paris to perform a secret mission. At the same time, he sent a telegram using a code that had long been deciphered by France. It was almost equivalent to sending it in clear code, and "sent" the woman to the French intelligence agency.

This is a vicious trick to kill with a borrowed knife.

The German intelligence agency gave up on her because Mata Hari's use value has been greatly reduced. Both British and French spy agencies have focused on Mata Hari, and it will be very difficult to carry out missions again.

The news of Mata Hari's arrest caused a sensation throughout Paris and immediately became a hot topic after dinner.

This kind of story about a female spy and a beauty trap is very attractive anytime and anywhere.

When he was in France, Li Yu watched Mata Hari's performance with Lu Bicheng and Qi Rushan. A few years later, he didn't expect that she had become a well-known female spy in prison.

"How will the French treat her?" Lu Bicheng asked.

"What else can be done?" Li Yu said, "There is no way to escape death."

France later interrogated her and convicted her of quite serious charges, saying that she caused the sinking of 17 ships and the death of 5 soldiers.

It feels impossible, otherwise it would be too awesome. And this is equivalent to putting gold on other people's faces and plastering dust on one's own. ——Let a woman play around? France humiliates itself?

The execution of Mata Hari is also said to be miraculous: her eyes were supposed to be covered with black cloth, but Mata Hari refused. A total of 11 executioners carried out the execution mission, but because of her beauty, only three bullets hit her body.

Mata Hari's body was not claimed and was eventually collected by the Paris Medical School, while her head was embalmed and sent to a museum, where it was later stolen. I really obeyed the anti-theft measures of the French museum.

And Canaris, the German officer who betrayed Mata Hari in Spain, eventually became a German admiral and director of the intelligence agency during World War II.

Situ Meitang has been in the United States for so long and has heard many erotic stories about Mata Hari. He said to them: "You should read the tabloids, the descriptions in them are so explicit and exciting."

"It's a pity that I didn't see it!" Li Yu lamented, and then got down to business, "Since the US military is also going to join the war, the factory's orders will definitely increase significantly, and Brother Situ will continue to help find workers."

"No problem!" Situ Meitang was happy to do this. "Your company has hired a lot of people in the past two years. More people in Chinatown have money, and things have changed a lot. The donations from the Hongmen organization have mainly been made by the factory. Worker."

Li Yu said: "Thank you for your hard work."

During the Republic of China, the means of earning foreign exchange were limited, and remittances from overseas were a very important item.

After eating, Li Yu and Lu Bicheng went to Columbia University and completed the admission procedures for Lu Bicheng.

Since Michelson had already greeted me, the admission process was effortless.

Columbia University is in Manhattan, not far from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, which is very convenient.

After completing the admission procedures, Li Yu immediately found Hu Shi. He is preparing to defend his PhD in philosophy at Columbia University.

Last year, Hu Shi passed the written and oral examinations of the preliminary examination of philosophy and history of philosophy, and became a doctoral candidate. This oral defense examination is mainly for doctoral thesis.

According to the requirements, one hundred volumes of revised copies must be submitted for filing before you can participate in the doctoral title awarding ceremony.

Hu Shi's doctoral thesis was finally approved, but he neither revised the thesis as required nor submitted a sample book, so the doctoral conferment ceremony was postponed until 1927. It was reissued under the request, persuasion and auspices of the tutor Dewey himself, in a situation that was almost apologetic.

However, when Hu Shi returned to China a few months later, almost everyone called him "Dr. Hu", and Hu Shi took it in stride.

The title of doctor is still very famous in China at this time, second only to Li Yu's title of academician.

Hu Shi remembered the letter Li Yu had written to him before, criticizing his non-resistance during the 21st period.

"Mr. Academician," Hu Shi explained, "I just think that in today's current situation, it is more important to have a university, not a navy or an army."

"It seems that you still insist on not resisting," Li Yu said. "Think about it, if there is no national defense, how can we have a quiet reading table? This world is not moral. You should really read my game theory. Then Although there is no talk of good and evil in it, there is a sense of humanity that has been peeled off. ”

"Morality definitely exists," Hu Shi said. "I really want everyone to wake up and realize the gap. I know that Master Confucius also approved of holding a halberd to defend the country, but now is not the time."

Li Yu said: "The understanding gap? That's not what your article said. The point of view is too bookish. It seems that you have been abroad for a long time, and you have not personally experienced the changes in the country. It is time to go back and take a look."

After Japan fully invaded China, Hu Shicai transformed into a staunch resistance faction.

Hu Shi said: "I have planned to return to China and received a letter from Mr. Zhongfu."

Li Yu said: "There are many ways to make revolution, and literary revolution is one of them. This path is more suitable for you."

Hu Shi nodded: "That's true."

The previous article about non-resistance made Hu Shi severely scolded in the international student circle...

None of those who contradicted him were ordinary people.

If Hu Shi's views were expressed in a peaceful era, everyone would indeed regard them as rational thinking; but people have always expressed their views in a face-to-face manner, and no matter how rational they are, they will become Taoists who do not know how to adapt.

Li Yu said: "Literary revolution is also not a simple matter. The resistance is very high, much greater than the science where I work."

"What Mr. Academician is saying is," Hu Shi said, "Science in general is new and everyone is learning. But literature is different. Thinking of the hundreds of thousands of officials who have read the eight-legged essay makes me dizzy, not to mention that there are Those old scholars from the Tongcheng faction.”

Li Yu said: "After Mr. Zhongfu's "New Youth" published your "Recommendations on Literary Reform," the response was pretty good, with many supporters."

"Really?" Hu Shi said happily, "After I wrote that article, I also wrote a few modern poems in vernacular."

"Can you show it to me?" Li Yu asked.

Hu Shi took out some manuscripts and said, "They are all attempts, so I temporarily call them the "Attempt Collection."

To be honest, these new poems written by Hu Shi are very ordinary, without much literary quality, and can hardly be called poetry. They are very much like the ordinary random works of some students, which are nothing more than prose written line by line.

For example, "Pigeon":
The clouds are clear and the sky is high, what a late autumn atmosphere!
There is a group of pigeons playing in the sky.

Look at them in twos and threes,
Come back and live in the ring,

Yi Ruyi,——

Suddenly, the ground turned over and reflected the sun,

The white feathers stand out against the blue sky, so beautiful!

Doesn’t it feel quite straightforward, and it’s hard to even find the charm that poetry should have?

Li Yu took out a copy of "New Youth" and said, "Mr. Shen Yinmo from Peking University just published an article called "Moonlight Night". Take a look."

Hu Shi took it and read it:
"The frost wind blows howling,

The moonlight shines brightly.

I stand side by side with a tall tree,

But he didn't lean on it. "

After savoring it carefully for a while, Hu Shi said: "Much better than me."

Shen Yinmo's poems incorporate obvious ideas of independent personality, which makes the artistic conception much stronger.

In terms of literary accomplishment, Hu Shi could not compare with the great masters of the Republic of China. Li Yu said: "You have your value, and the literary revolution cannot do without you."

Hu Shi said: "I have been prepared for this aspect. I knew a few years ago that after studying abroad for many years, I must be prepared to become a mentor to Chinese people."

Hu Shi's words made Li Yu a little stunned. It turned out that he had long wanted to be a mentor to the Chinese people...

Li Yu said: "Literary revolution can be carried out, but your controversial ideas must be carefully considered before publishing. Although Mr. Cai Yuanpei supported freedom of thought after becoming the principal, the premise of this freedom of thought is tolerance, so do not Imposing your own ideas on others.”

Hu Shi’s current thinking is indeed a bit too extreme. Not only does he have the non-resistance doctrine mentioned before, but he now also has some so-called “cosmopolitanism”. He believes: “Everyone knows that national defense cannot be delayed, but what is national defense? Even if China Even if Japan's navy and army are on par with or even surpass Japan's, it will not solve the problem, because Japan has allies who want to increase its military to save China, but it will not work even if Japan and European countries do not develop for twenty years. It is impossible for China’s military strength to become an enemy during this period. Therefore, increasing armaments is not the fundamental solution. The fundamental solution is to enhance the humanitarianism of countries around the world.”

His statement can also be understood as a further step towards non-resistance, or as an excuse for his non-resistance.

After thinking about it for a moment, I realize that this statement is completely unreliable. Will the Japanese stop their aggression and become humanitarian? If you go to the Prime Minister of Japan and tell him that you are too inhumane, you must withdraw your troops! The Japanese must think you are crazy.

Therefore, Hu Shi’s early cosmopolitanism was simply utopianism.

There is another saying that was later used by many public figures and Internet keyboard warriors. Hu Shi once said: "Today's nationalists in the narrow sense often talk about patriotism, but they don't know why the country should be loved. They talk about nationalism, but they don't know. What is the meaning of nationalism?”

Hu Shi himself later admitted that he had made mistakes in his early years.

Li Yu also told Hu Shi that he would return to China together after he went to Detroit to deal with some matters, and asked him to wait first.

Hu Shi knew that following Li Yun could save a lot of travel expenses, so of course he was willing to wait.

He Yujie himself was invited by Columbia University to stay as a professor for one year. Li Yu thought gold plating was good, so he persuaded him to agree.

When he arrived in Detroit, Li Yu first met Ford himself at the Ford factory. He was now full of enthusiasm and had become a tycoon. Especially when he learned that the United States was going to join the war, he was even more excited. Ford wrote to members of Congress, claiming that his factory could "produce 1000 tanks, 1000 small submarines, and 3000 aero engines. Deliver 100 million military trucks and 15 complete aircraft”.

Although it was not realized in the end (the transportation capacity was too limited, even if it could be built, it would not be able to transport much), Ford definitely made a lot of money.

Li Yu bought a small automobile factory in Detroit through Ford's relationship, and planned to spend a year dismantling and shipping the entire factory to China.