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Chapter 532 Rich and Rich

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    As a gesture of friendship, under Joseph's care, the People's Army purchased two small warships "Villalobos" and "Elcano" belonging to the U.S. Yangtze River Patrol, named "Jiangning" and "Jiangning" respectively.  The name "Jiang Jing" means the "tranquility" of the river.  If the People's Army wants to control the Yangtze River, the army alone cannot complete the task of protecting such a vast river basin.

    The Yangtze River Patrol is composed of six ships that are older and more bizarre than the "Isabel".  The strangest among them are the two warships "Elcano" and "Vilalobos".  These two warships were captured from the Spanish after Dewey's victory in Manila Bay. The "Elcano" has a displacement of 600 tons and the "Villalobos" has a displacement of 200 tons. They were built in 1885.  and 1886, both built using the cast iron method.

    The "Elcano" has a draft of ten feet and can only reach a speed of eleven knots. The weapons equipped on the ship are very powerful. The main weapons are four four-inch cannons and four cannons that can fire six-pound shells.  There are one hundred and three crew members, and they can only live in primitive living conditions.  The ship was powered by two coal-fired Scottish boilers, which could also be fired by wood in an emergency.  There is little electricity on board, and lighting is usually provided by candles.

    The Villalobos is slightly smaller than the Elcano, but slightly more comfortable.  The ship still retains the iron hull of the past, but the superstructure of the ship has been replaced by a wooden box-like structure, which makes the crew's living quarters wider and better ventilated.  It had a draft of nine feet and was equipped with two guns that could fire six-pound shells and two guns that could fire one-pound shells. It also had a speed of only eleven knots. Like the Elcano, it had  Too slow to move upstream (referring to the part of the Yangtze River above Yichang City, 950 miles away from the sea, where the wave speed is often as high as 14 nautical miles).

    The U.S. Navy recognized that this force was insufficient to conduct effective patrols in the Yangtze River.  As early as 1920, the Navy's appropriation request requested funds to build new gunboats for the Yangtze River Patrol and the South China Patrol.  Throughout the twenties, the Asiatic Fleet and the General Council of the Navy discussed in numerous correspondence the need to design and build new gunboats.

    For example, the captain of the gunboat Pampaenga stated on June 7, 1920 that his ship was "simply unfit for the patrol duties for which it was assigned."  Following this, the General Council recommended in August 1920 that Villalobos and Elcano should be declared "unfit for continued use and should be made obsolete andsold".  At that time, the Villalobos was valued at $47,000 and the Elcano at $60,000.

    It¡¯s not that the People¡¯s Army has no ideas about purchasing two such ¡°broken¡± warships (if defined in this way). At least Han Linchun thinks it¡¯s not cost-effective: ¡°Young Marshal, this is equipment that has been eliminated by the United States. We can build some  New, now we are not incapable.¡±

    Indeed, after the efforts of the Northeast River Defense Fleet over the past year, not only has the training of its personnel reached a high level, but it has also made new breakthroughs in the construction of gunboats.  Just a few months ago, the 20th 50-ton frigate was completed, and the first shallow-water gunboat imitating the 170-ton "Lijie" also held a launching ceremony.  As the commander of the navy, Zhang Hanqing did not have time to attend, but he also sent a telegram of congratulations to Chen Shiying, Shen Honglie and others.

    Although the tonnage is not worth mentioning, it is, after all, the first true warship independently built by the Fengtian system and the Navy of the Republic of China. It has a significant role in improving the progress of the shipbuilding industry and training military talents. Its importance cannot be said.  Not an exaggeration.

    But Zhang Hanqing had deeper thoughts. He calculated an account for Han Linchun: "The warship is old, and the guns on it are reusable. On the edge of the Yangtze River, our army's mobility is greatly reduced, and we have no experience in water warfare."  . With these two ships, at least sailors can be trained in advance - the People's Army will not be a landlubber forever.

    The other 600-ton gunboat is also the largest warship in our navy, 50 tons more than the "Jiang Heng".  Such warships are still very powerful on the Yangtze River and have positive significance for improving the overall image of the People's Army.  Their existence allows us to take greater steps, so our army in Yueyang has no worries, and the threat to Zhao Hengti has also become greater.

    There is another most important factor: the use of these two ships fully demonstrates to the outside world that the United States¡¯ support for the Zhili clique is weakening. It is a silent warning to some losers and makes our foundation in Hubei stronger.  In addition, through this kind of uninterrupted communication, we can establish a direct relationship with the United States, weaken its support for the Zhili clique, and avoid being attacked on all sides in possible future frictions with the Zhili clique.

    Last but not least, we don¡¯t??Money, haha.  "Zhang Hanqing smiled like this.

    Basically, the relationship between Zhang Hanqing and his family and the Japanese was broken. Fortunately, Zhang Zuolin was there to support it.  Zhang Hanqing is not so arrogant as to give advice to other heroes. If he insists on choosing Japan or the United States as an ally based on the current situation, he will definitely decide that the nature of the United States - the aggressor is the same, but at least they will not rob them.  Territory!

    Don¡¯t ask me which is more important, sovereignty or territory?  If you have a territory, you can still gain sovereignty through struggle. If you don't have territorial sovereignty, it's called a government-in-exile.

    It should be said that these two warships were urgently needed by the People's Army and played an important role in the subsequent battles on the Yangtze River.  In order to show its friendship with Zhang Hanqing, the United States sold the ship's weapons together with the ship's weapons at this price.  It has a stronger symbolic meaning: the United States has decided to find a new agent in China, and Zhang Hanqing is the undoubtedly first choice.

    To be used as a gunman, your gun must be able to catch people's eyes, and to be a puppet, you must also have the consciousness to be a puppet.  The entry of the People's Army into Hubei does not mean that the entire province of Hubei has been included.  Although Zhang Hanqing has the post of inspection envoy, he can legitimately intervene in Hubei's military and political affairs, but if he cannot achieve a political performance that is significantly different from that of Wang Zhanyuan and others, the people will still speak with their feet.

    Wuhan plays an important role in the history of the founding of the Republic of China. Its important geographical location, convenient transportation conditions, industrial strength and economic development potential far exceed that of any city in the northwest.  The three towns of Wuhan, consisting of Hanyang, Wuchang and Hankou, are located above Jiujiang and downstream of Chongqing, about 600 miles from Shanghai.  This port city is the most important industrial center along the Yangtze River and is also the dividing line between the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.  The British, Japanese and French all had concessions here, and there were numerous Western commercial and ecclesiastical institutions in the city.

    If the Fengtian Clan shone in China in the early Republic of China with its industrial strength, and Shanghai promoted trade prosperity with its "Concession of All Nations" and its innate port advantages, Wuhan, with its nine-province thoroughfare, is the heartland of the Beijing-Hankow Railway, the Guangdong-Hankow Railway and the Yangtze River's golden waterway.  The transportation advantages are outstanding.  This made Zhang Hanqing decide to run it well.

    He is right to think so, but there are still people who want to make him unhappy.

    Zhang Hanqing approached the Americans. Officials at the Japanese Consulate in Wuhan and the concession would not fail to notice such a big movement.  The Fengtian clique has already made it impossible to invade the Northeast, and now it has made such a big splash in Central China.  Calculating the strength is already terrifying. If it is matched with the Americans again, what will happen to mainland China and Japan?

    Therefore, whether it is suppressing the development of the Fengcian faction or dispelling its closeness with the Americans, Japan must make some noise.  Didn't Zhang Hanqing want to turn Wuhan into a base for the People's Army?  Then I will let Wuhan become chaotic first!  Taking advantage of the money shortage in the Republic of China from the central to local governments, a financial crisis began targeting the three towns of Wuhan.

    Since October, there have been rumors in the market that because of the central government ministries¡¯ salary disputes, the Beijing government has used all the cash that can be withdrawn from local banks to ¡°relief¡±.  Because Beijing's money shortage was already a real existence in the minds of major capitalists, the rumor quickly spread throughout the streets and alleys of Wuhan.

    It is not easy for ordinary citizens to make some money. In this chaotic situation, it is better to take it out and keep it at home for insurance. Smart businessmen have already caught wind of this and fished out their capital without interest. This has made those loan investors and industrialists suffer.  , being forced to hang himself by various banks¡¯ demands for payment and loan.  There is nothing the bank can do. With this run, it is hard to say whether they can save their lives.  Those who are involved in finance are afraid of credit bankruptcy.

    After Hubei Province gained autonomy, the new provincial government officials in Hubei, headed by Xia Shoukang, wanted to make a difference, calm down the troops, nourish the people, and gradually restore the province's economy.  However, a run on the Central Bank of Hankou and the Bank of Communications disrupted this plan.  Hubei is originally an important province in central China. Once it becomes unstable, the hinterland of the Central Plains will be restless.  As one of the functions of the government, it is now necessary to stop this run on the economy.  Therefore, Xia Shoukang refuted the rumors and made continuous statements in newspapers asking citizens to stop selling to maintain market stability.  But rumors only stop at the wise. For many ordinary people who are illiterate and do not know the benefits, who would take risks because they have such a high level of awareness?

    Zhang Hanqing already knows the general reason for this turmoil.  The tight financial situation of the central government is an internal factor, but there are also people from the outside who are fanning the flames. Although there is no conclusive evidence that the Japanese consortium in Wuhan has done anything untoward privately, several consecutive large cash withdrawals from the central bank branch in Hankou  Let them reveal some clues - the parties involved in these withdrawals all have more or less business dealings with the Japanese consortium.

    With money in hand and no panic in mind, Zhang Hanqing, who has experienced the Fengtian bank run crisis, already has deep experience in handling such problems.  Not only that, Zhang Hanqing also wanted to thank this financial trend for giving the 200 tons of gold he reserved in the northwest a chance to play a role.  Didn¡¯t the great man say that fighting with heaven will bring endless joy; fighting with earth will bring endless joy; fighting with humans will bring endless joy.  It can defeat powerful people from all walks of life militarily. If it can also defeat these evil-minded people financially, then it will truly reflect the power of the People's Party government.

    ¡° Anyway, I have money.  (Remember the website address: www.hlnovel.com)??, the fun is endless; fighting with the earth, the fun is endless; fighting with people, the fun is endless.  It can defeat powerful people from all walks of life militarily. If it can also defeat these evil-minded people financially, then it will truly reflect the power of the People's Party government.

    ¡° Anyway, I have money.  (Remember the website address: www.hlnovel.com
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