1855 United States Tycoon

Although confidentiality was once again emphasized, the news that the Manchu and the shipyards in Chile and the United States reached an agreement was disclosed by Japanese newspapers. Of course, this was due to the Manchu Qing government leaking secrets. After the news came out, representatives of the Japanese government lodged "solitary protests" to the Manchu and Chilean governments and the United States government. However, such protests have no effect at all. The Chilean government stated that “our agreement is not directed at any third country, but a completely reasonable and lawful move between Chile and China to ensure peace in the Pacific. The Japanese government’s protest is completely complete. It doesn’t make sense.” As for the United States government, it said simply: “This is just a normal business activity of a United States company, and the United States government does not see any problems. Could it be that Japan can order warships from other countries? Can't Chile or China order warships from United States?"

Of course, the arrogant Manchu government did not take Japan into consideration at all. There was not even a reply to the Japanese protest.

Of course, the Japanese side is not all just talking about it. Just two days after the news of the agreement was disclosed, Emperor Meiji of Japan issued a call for donations to the Japanese people. Emperor Meiji declared that he would eat one less meal a day and use the money saved to buy and build new warships for the Japanese Navy.

Under the leadership of Emperor Meiji, Japan set off a wave of donations to purchase warships. To say that the mobilization capacity of the post-industrial country is far from that of the feudal countries. The whole of Japan, from the Chinese (the name of the Japanese nobility) to the Japanese prostitutes and women who earn foreign exchange in foreign countries, can be said that except for the Japanese farmers, they all took out their own money pots and made more or less donations to the government. The Japanese government took advantage of the opportunity to issue national bonds in the country, and the Japanese Chinese Bank took the lead in subscribing for a batch of national bonds, and then various companies have also purchased national bonds. In just a few months, the Japanese government used fundraising and purchase of national debt to generate as much as 60 million yen in funds.

The yen of this era is not the kind of thing that people are accustomed to with the ratio of about one hundred to one with the dollar. This sum of money has even exceeded half of Japan's fiscal revenue in one year.

...

"We have received news that Japan has begun to request additional ship purchases from the United Kingdom, and at the same time it has also made ship purchase requirements to France and Germany." Bond reported to Scrooge.

"What warships did they order?" Scrooge asked.

"We are not very clear about these. But it should be something similar to the warship they have ordered now." Bond replied.

"Ah, I see." Scrooge said.

At this time, the phone on Scrooge's desk rang suddenly. The secretary picked up the receiver and put it to her ear, then took the receiver off again, covered the lower end with her hand, and said to Scrooge: "Mr. MacDonald, it's Mr. Morgan's call."

After successfully pitting Morgan, the relationship between the McDonald family and the Morgan family is no longer as close as before. However, as the saying goes, there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. So although the two consortiums will inevitably still have some fights from now on, today you cheat me and tomorrow I cheat you are too many to count, but this does not mean that the two are really rivals. . Although there were not so many pitfalls when the two families were in partnership, it was not uncommon. Even now, the industries of the two companies are often integrated into the same company, and the struggle between the two parties is more often expressed in the fight for control of some companies.

Scrooge reached out his hand to take the call from the secretary, and said, "It's Mr. Morgan? Why did you suddenly remember that you want to call me?" His tone was very affectionate, I don't know, just listening to this voice, most of it is still If you think Scrooge and Morgan are good friends.

"Oh, Mr. MacDonald." Morgan said on the phone, "Some Japanese found me, hoping to make a deal with our shipyard. I know you are playing around with the Far East. I want to hear from you. opinion."

The Japanese actually found Morgan there, and they would actually be willing to do business with the shipyard under the McDonald Consortium that just caused their mess. This is a bit beyond Scrooge's accident.

"What business do they want to talk to us?" Scrooge asked.

"They want to order warships from us." Morgan said, "a warship that is exactly the same as those we built for Chile. And they want us to get the warships they ordered before the Chileans' warships."

Scrooge couldn't help laughing. It seems that the Japanese really understand the characteristics of the guys including Morgan and himself-everything is for profit, for all profit.

"There is no hesitation." Scrooge said, "We do this business. As long as the United States government does not prohibit the sale of weapons to Japan, we can do this business with them. Whose money is not money."

Anyway, the Japanese have money and can always buy warships. Even if they don't sell them, they will definitely be able to buy these things elsewhere. Besides, in this battle, no matter how he fought it, Scrooge felt that Japan's victory was inevitable. That being the case, let others make this money, it is better to let yourself make it. This money will be in the hands of others, and it will not benefit China at all. In our own hands, after the defeat of the Manchu and Qing Dynasty, we can still go to China to run education, run newspapers, and open up people's wisdom. Although subjectively, this is still to make money, but objectively it is definitely good for China.

"Since you think so, then I agree to it. In addition, the Japanese told us that if we can delay the delivery date for the Chilean warship, then they are willing to pay us a higher payment for this. I can see that the actions in front of you made them feel a lot of pressure." Morgan's voice was smiling.

"This is what we should do." Scrooge didn't know what was going on, suddenly such a sentence popped up. Then he said to Morgan: "The Japanese have recently purchased a lot of warships. Didn't you take the opportunity to ask them for agency financing?"

"Of course there is. But the Japanese don't need this right now. Unless you can sell a fleet to the Chinese again." Morgan said.

It is obviously impossible to sell it to a fleet of China in one breath. Even if a certain "Lafayette" suddenly had a snake disease and sold the Summer Palace, he would not be able to spend so much money. And even if the "Lafayette" got so much money, Scrooge didn't have enough production capacity here to build so many warships. Of course, he can let out a bit of wind, saying that Man Qing ordered more warships from him. But the Japanese are not fools. Just check the number of dry docks and the number of ships they have built over the years to find out how much production capacity the Morgan McDonald Shipyard has. This can't fool those little Japan. Alas, if they can be as easy to cheat as the Manchu Dynasty now or the Heisei death house many years later.

"This can't be done." Scrooge said, "but I think it is unlikely that the Japanese will buy warships from us in the future. If you can make money once, you can make money once. Ah, yes, you can cheat. To lie to the Japanese, it is said that we secretly built a kind of underwater warship for the Manchus. It was specially used to attack the berths. See if we can trick them into ordering more patrol boats from us."

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