Canteen System Assistance Notes

Compared to Zhu Pianxian, whose power came entirely from his own hands, Dai Yunong's influence within the Military Control Commission was deeply entrenched and difficult to shake with simple means. However, Chiang Kai-shek, a representative of the landlord and comprador classes, was a master of officialdom, knowing how to leverage others' strengths and manipulate power.

He dug up the fact that the U.S. Navy accused the Chinese Communist Party of concealing and deceiving the U.S. intelligence, and even refused to share the meteorological data submitted by the Communist Party. He then put the blame on the Military Control Commission, which was responsible for intelligence gathering at the time.

Later, while Dai Yunong was in Hunan Province handling the affairs of Milton Mary Mellors's visit to China, Chiang Kai-shek personally took action and appointed Yu Lexing to summon the directors of the Military Control Commission; Shen Zui took over the defense of the Military Control Commission headquarters and arrested the close guards loyal to Dai Yuyi, blocking the news; Wu Jingzhong personally led people to welcome Dai Yunong back to Chongqing after completing the mission, and read out Chiang Kai-shek's handwritten letter, announcing that Dai Yunong was immediately dismissed and detained for corruption, decadent lifestyle, and secretly deceiving the allies on intelligence, which caused surprise to friendly countries, and awaiting trial.

As a result, Chiang Kai-shek's thunderous crackdown left a serious power vacuum in the two major military intelligence and espionage systems of the Republic of China, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics and the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. With the exception of the temporarily immobilized CC faction, all the other branches of the Republic of China's intelligence and espionage systems, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics and the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, faced with a severe power vacuum. For a time, the members of the Preserved Fruits Group were trembling with fear and trembling. With Wu Tiecheng appointed to succeed Zhu Pianxian as Minister of the Organization Department, even the "Two Chens," who had hoped to seize power, were forced to rein in their actions and resort to indirect means to ascertain the President's intentions.

"Father, I have some questions for you."

In the Huangshan official residence in the mountain city, Chiang Kai-shek and his eldest son, Negurai Ilizarov Chiang, sat together in the living room. With no one around, Chiang Kai-shek seemed to have finally let go of his inner tension. Dressed in casual clothes, he half-leaned, half-reclined in a comfortable rocking chair. Chiang Kai-shek, on the other hand, was dressed in formal attire, sitting upright, appearing a bit reserved and serious.

I called you over here today so you can ask me questions. A lot has been going on lately, and both you and I have been very busy. But you're young, and your mind hasn't fully recovered yet, so there must be a lot you don't understand. If you don't understand something, just ask. Seeing his father using three fingers to pick up "crispy yam slices" from the plate and put them into his mouth, Xiao Jiang finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Lao Jiang was in a good mood.

"Father, why did you insist on me going to the scene to arrest Dai Yunong? And why did you choose Yu, Wu, and Shen to go together? Isn't this too obvious?"

Xiao Jiang summoned up the courage to ask, "If you were to take over the Military Intelligence Bureau, after removing Dai Yunong, it would obviously be better for me to directly serve as Deputy Director of the Investigation Bureau. But why did you only appoint me as Director of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Political Department and let Zheng Jiemin take over as Deputy Director?"

"Jianfeng, what are the backgrounds of Yu Lexing and Wu Jingzhong, and how did they get to know you?" Old Chiang glanced at Little Chiang without answering, then asked, "And what is Shen Zui's relationship with them?" "Father, I met Yu and Wu when I was studying in the Soviet Union, and Shen Zui is...Yu Lexing's brother-in-law."

"That's right. Yu Lexing is well-versed in the workings of the Communist Party and, having studied espionage in the Soviet Union, he's quite capable. Although he was introduced to the Military Control Commission by Dai, he was feared by Dai. He will undoubtedly be grateful to be recruited by you. Wu Jingzhong was also your classmate in the Soviet Union. He fought the Communists many times in Gaojing and has extensive experience, making him useful to you. And Shen Zui is a close associate of mine. Bringing him in will ignite the struggle and facilitate your control over them."

"As for why I didn't let you become director of the Military Intelligence Bureau, I'll test you," Chiang Kai-shek asked. "Within the Central Bureau, why did you ask you to separate the Special Economic Investigation Division of the Central Bureau and place it under your Ministry of Economic Affairs, rather than having you directly serve as director? Why did I appoint Wu Tiecheng as head of the Organization Department of the Central Committee, rather than giving it to the 'two Chens'? Why didn't I let Xu Enzeng, deputy director of the Central Bureau, move up the pecking order and succeed him as director, instead of looking for Ye Xiufeng, who lacked prestige?"

"This is because..." New Era, New Shareholders - Chapter 263 https://kdocs.cn/l/cncaGCrHYhAD

Like a flash of lightning, Xiao Jiang suddenly understood the key point. His father had actually explained his problem very clearly:

Although he was the son of the chairman, he had no place in the officialdom of the Republic of China.

Zhu Liuxian, with his father's care, could indeed hold great power, but it would not last long, and it would be even more impossible for him to hold his position as firmly as Mount Tai.

Now he had been arranged by his father to take over the Military Intelligence Bureau. As the director of the Political Department, he could enjoy the actual control of the Military Intelligence Bureau, but avoid sitting in a position like the director that was in the spotlight. The same logic applied to separating the most capable department of the Central Bureau and placing it under the name of the Ministry of Economic Affairs under his management.

At the same time, recruiting new members who lack prestige or have conflicts with the original team can make them firmly attached to their "tiger skin" and become swords and tools in their hands. As long as my father and I always hold power, these people will be the most loyal supporters and there is no possibility of rebellion...

Xiao Jiang's body trembled, recalling the handwritten order he received from his father a few days ago, asking him, the principal of the Three Youth League Cadre Training Class, to reorganize it into the National Government Military and Political Cadre Training Class. Father, this is allowing me to train my own team and officially appointing me as his successor!

He suppressed his excitement and, using the most concise sentences possible, laid out his judgments and assumptions, reporting them to his father one by one. After listening carefully, Chiang Kai-shek finally revealed a hint of a teachable smile.

"I'm glad you can do this! However, you must remember that you can't kill all of Zhu Pianxian's men. They're all students and can't cause any trouble. Those secretaries at the Central Party Headquarters should just do what they need to do. Don't kill them all at once, as this will discourage their subordinates. You should release some of those we arrested earlier - you still need them."

"After managing the Central and Military Control Commissions, you still need soldiers! So, my student Hu Qinzhai is now your brother-in-law. Go and discuss with him to see if there are any promising talents who can be trained and brought under your command. You must build up your youth army as soon as possible..."

Chapter 652: Spy (19) Mr. Xiong, the Secretary of the Republic of China

Just as the times always give some people some magical responsibilities by accident, history will also place some people in a special position by chance.

Hu Qinzhai's confidential secretary, Comrade Xiong Huiquan, now feels that he is in such an interesting and critical moment. After all, not only now, but looking back on his experiences in the past few years, he still has a strange sense of unreality.

Xiong Huiquan has experienced many major events in recent years.

After graduating from the officer training class of the Seventh Branch of the Whampoa Military Academy in March 1939, Xiong Huiquan was assigned to Hu Qinzhai's secretariat as a personal aide-de-camp and confidential secretary because of his outstanding abilities, strong family connections, and his experience in holding important positions in the Hunan Youth Third Battlefield Service Corps serving the First Army.

During his years of service to Hu Qinzhai, Xiong Huiquan fully utilized the knowledge he acquired in college and the skills he had acquired through training within the Party Central Committee. He smoothly handled military affairs, telegrams, and administrative matters for Hu, and he catered to his superiors by preparing short, concise, and highly insightful speeches, earning Hu Qinzhai's trust.

After the Guanzhong food crisis at the end of 39, Hu Qinzhai lost nearly 80% of his operating funds due to his willful behavior. It was Xiong Huiquan who was entrusted with the task and took over the last 20% of the capital that was temporarily withheld, as well as Hu Qinzhai's private treasury. He made a lot of quick money by moving between northern goods, food, and military supplies, and thus stabilized the morale of the First Army and prevented a mutiny.

This reliance even reached such an extent that during the "February Incident" in 40, Hu Qinzhai had to call him back to formulate military plans and assist the national army in "dividing troops into multiple routes and launching a surprise attack on the border areas."

Xiong Huiquan did not disappoint everyone's expectations. He not only drew up a battle plan that even Chiang Kai-shek praised, but also turned the tide at the end of the battle, urgently evacuating Commander Hu and President Chiang who came to supervise the battle to Hanzhong, and preserving part of the First Army's troops.

Later, during the period when Hu Qinzhai was briefly settled in Henan Province, Xiong Huiquan helped Hu Qinzhai clean up the mess left by Commander Tang, restore the operations of some business companies, and gather some defeated soldiers scattered in the countryside, becoming a great contributor to the National Army.

So, when Chiang Ching-kuo went to Commander Hu's new headquarters in Lizhou, Sichuan Province (the original defense zone of Henan Province had been reassigned to the 5th War Zone) in April 1942 to inquire about potential candidates, Commander Hu, with sunken eyes and inexplicably tired, and separated from his newlywed wife, pondered for a long time and finally, somewhat reluctantly, mentioned Xiong Huiquan's name.

"Huiquan, from now on, you will be my secretary. However, according to my father's request, since you are still young, you need to serve in the attendant's office for a period of time to gain more training before you can work with me."

On the bus from Lizhou to Nanzheng, Xiao Jiang, who was in his early 30s, briefly told Xiong Huiquan, who was in his early 20s, about his future plans for him. "I plan to place you in the First Division of the Adjutant's Office to give full play to your military talents. Since promotions are suspended during wartime, I will grant you a temporary rank of colonel and concurrently serve as the Secretary-General of the General Political Department of the Youth Army and the Secretary-General of the Military and Political Cadre School to facilitate your work.

"The director of the First Department is He Yaozu, and he's not difficult to get along with. Previously, you two worked very closely together in Gaojing, and I'm sure you'll get along well in your future work." Huiquan will definitely live up to your superiors' expectations and make a name for himself in the Secretariat.

"What's the use of being a superior? You and I are both revolutionary soldiers. From now on, you will be my chief secretary. Just call me 'Comrade Jianfeng'."

Chiang Ching-kuo was actually quite pleased with Xiong Huiquan's "good manners," and his words often hinted at his willingness to win him over. He had previously sent people to gather information from various sources and was very pleased with Xiong Huiquan's outstanding abilities and character. Even more commendable was the fact that such a pillar of the Party and the country also possessed a deep and unwavering loyalty to his country. After all, with the Communist army pressing in on the city, he was able to calmly propose the strategy of "borrowing vehicles from the British and American consulates," and personally lead a search for gasoline for the fleet. Such a talent was truly rare within the Party and the country.

He pondered for a moment, then continued, "Commander Hu praised you highly, but taking you from him seems a bit like stealing someone else's love. The long line of defense from the Qinling Mountains to Longnan is the first line of defense against the Communists. If the war breaks out, they will bear the brunt of the attack—Commander Hu is under tremendous pressure."

"During this time, you must accompany me on thorough inspections, visiting key points along the defense line. You must also ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities, ensuring your successor has a firm grasp of the defense situation. Honestly, aside from Commander Hu, I'm afraid no one else possesses your understanding of military deployments. Commander Hu's next secretary must be given a thorough education."

"Comrade Jianfeng, I have compiled the work I have done into the core outline of the Qinling Defense Line."

Xiong Huiquan answered confidently. He placed his Jinniu Xuecheng milk tea cup in the armrest cup holder of the Cadillac 67 and pulled a manual from his briefcase. "The defense deployment and troop training along the Qinling front line will be clear at a glance just by reading the outline."

As for the ability of the successor... Xiong Huiquan recalled that it was not just one person who took over his job. Perhaps because he was deeply trusted and could be responsible for multiple aspects, Commander Hu did not find someone to directly take over his job, but broke up the various functions and assigned them to multiple departments.

For example, the drafting of military plans was handed back to the General Staff Office, where Sheng Wen was in charge. This man, ambitious but incompetent, preferred theoretical strategies. Asking him to formulate an offensive plan was simply overkill, a task too difficult for him to handle. The only option left was to beg him to faithfully follow the defensive outline he had left behind. This way, while the Nationalist army would likely face a difficult defeat in the face of a powerful Eighth Route Army attack, it would likely avoid a disastrous or overly obvious defeat.

His responsibility for overseeing logistics and finances was handed over to the newly promoted Wang Weiheng, Director of the Sichuan-Shaanxi-Hubei-Gansu Border Security Office and Commander of the Sichuan-Shaanxi Supply District. Xiong Huiquan knew this man well; he had not only trained nearly every quartermaster in Hu Qinzhai's army who could write and calculate, but also possessed excellent professional skills and a keen economic sense. During the grain speculation storm, in which Commander Hu lost 80% of his capital, it was Wang Weiheng who withheld 20% of the principal, allowing Commander Hu to pay his soldiers and control his troops. A man like him should have reliable professional skills.

The final job of confidential secretary and personal aide was given to his classmate, Kong Lingsheng. This 24-year-old had good grades, was a member of the Kong family, one of the Four Great Families, and was a contemporary of Commander Hu's wife. He had essentially gotten in through connections. Xiong Huiquan thought, "Although this man had excellent grades, he wasn't on the same wavelength as me. His presence at Commander Hu's side probably had some other meaning, something I couldn't fault."

...Great, great, this arrangement... Indeed, indeed! Mountains and rivers, garrison lines, troop situation... With this book, everything is clear at a glance."

Xiao Jiang took the handwritten "Zou Ling Military Affairs Outline" and carefully flipped through it. The more he read, the more he felt that his new secretary was outstanding. People like this who would take the initiative to complete the work in advance and ensure quality and quantity as long as the leader gave them an idea were simply too rare in the Republic of China.

What is even more commendable is that he is one of us.

Xiong Huiquan is indeed a pillar of the Party and the country recognized by my father and recommended by Commander Hu!

Xiao Jiang was delighted, feeling that the process of building his own direct lineage and forming a youth army would be much easier. After years of unsuccessful efforts, he could finally see a blue sky and a vast expanse of land to realize his ambitions. Thinking of this, he put away the Outline and said to Xiong Huiquan:

"Huiquan, you've done a great job. However, as my secretary, you will not only be responsible for military affairs, but also assist me in managing the Central and Military Control Commissions. However, I previously lived in Gan Province and lack some intelligence experience. I need to find a few more capable people to help me control the situation."

Xiao Jiang explained his father's instructions and mission to Xiong Huiquan, and told him the purpose of his trip to Nanzheng. "...Right now, the Special Economic Investigation Division of the Central Bureau of Investigation is in need of new talent. Several members of the former Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee have been detained for fighting. I need your help in selecting capable individuals from among them and developing them into our own deputy director of the Investigation Division..."

"I see. Comrade Jianfeng, do you have a list of candidates in mind? I can prepare in advance and do some research..." "Li Zijing, that's the person."

Xiao Jiang pulled out a list, pointed to a name at the end, and said with a hint of disgust, "I've investigated thoroughly. The brawl in the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee was caused by a conflict between these Party-state parasites over who should share the profits from the northern goods trade. Humph, those holding important positions in the Party and the state should have been displaying a special spirit and working on earth-shaking undertakings, but instead they're fighting over an unequal distribution of the spoils..."

In the final conflict between the two factions, only this man proposed a solution and mediated. Apart from anything else, his character and moral integrity are always more reliable... "Xiao Jiang took a deep breath, suppressed the "iron iron cannot become steel" in his words, and said slowly: "Besides, Li Zijing, the director of the Shaanxi Provincial Telegraph Bureau, was in charge of the Jinling Post and Telecommunications Inspection Office and has considerable intelligence gathering and processing capabilities. Since the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics didn't use him before, let me use him!"

Chapter 653: The Youth Army's Blind Men and the Elephant

(A rough compilation chapter)

Supporting the pro-Party, releasing Chiang Ching-kuo, or using marriage as a bond to bind Chiang Kai-shek's favored students, was ultimately for one ultimate goal: defeating the Eighth Route Army, or in other words, blocking the Communist Party's potential offensive. Anyway, Japan would have its allies to deal with it.

Therefore, according to Chiang Kai-shek's arrangement, Chiang Ching-kuo's newly established Youth Army's imaginary enemy was naturally "friendly parties and friendly armies" who were also allies in the War of Resistance. When Mr. Nicholas gathered several practical staff members, including Xiong Xianghui, to begin drafting a new model for the Youth Army, he explicitly required that the Youth Army at least be comparable in combat power to the main forces of the Eighth Route Army.

However, at this time, Chiang Kai-shek issued an order. Because Chiang Ching-kuo's own staff team was newly established and had little experience and was difficult to convince, the organization of the Youth Army was transferred to the Military Commission, and the Deputy Minister of the Military Affairs Department was responsible for the planning.

He told Chiang Ching-kuo that establishing new units and revising their organization would affect the interests of domestic warlords and be an offensive undertaking. Therefore, Chiang Ching-kuo stated that he had assigned He Jingzhi, Chief of Staff of the Military Commission, to oversee the disbanding of miscellaneous units and the elimination of old and weak units. Furthermore, considering Chiang Ching-kuo's "lack of experience and difficulty in gaining public support," the Youth Army would not have army-level units, but rather divisional units, relying primarily on American-made weaponry.

Next, Xiao Jiang only needed to wait for Grandma He to finish the offending thing and wait for the staff of the Military Affairs Department to discuss and reach a result.

"I understand, Father."

Xiao Jiang, who had experienced a lot, sensed the hidden wariness and distrust behind his father's protective protection, but he still answered respectfully.

"Although there are some constraints, it is a good thing anyway."

After he walked out of the Huangshan official residence, he couldn't help but imagine that he could make great plans and do whatever he wanted tomorrow - after all, at this moment, Mr. Nicholas still had some ambition or desire to make some progress.

But the ambitious Chiang Kai-shek never expected that this task would encounter an unexpected problem at the very beginning: since it was to be the "imaginary enemy", what should the Eighth Route Army be like?

What is the Eighth Route Army like? This is a question, but not a question; just as the National Army is very familiar with the Eighth Route Army, but also very unfamiliar with it.

After all, since the Red Army era, the National Army has been tirelessly suppressing the Communist Party, and its understanding of the Communist Party has been changing and improving. It can be said that the National Army's judgment on the Communist Party's armed combat capabilities was basically accurate until it was reversed by the Eighth Route Army in the February Incident of 1940.

The Eighth Route Army was very powerful, extremely powerful. As long as there were more than 5,000 of them, they would be impossible to defeat... After experiencing that battle, the National Army had this understanding.

However, the Eighth Route Army's subsequent dramatic transformations made it difficult for the Nationalist forces to keep pace. From annihilating brigade-level Japanese forces in the counter-encirclement and suppression campaigns to the Battle of Western Inner Mongolia and the Battle of Shanxi Province... Even the significantly smaller New Fourth Army was able to maneuver amidst the intertwined forces of the Nationalist and Communist forces, launching opportune attacks to annihilate regiment-level Japanese forces, even defeating brigade-level Japanese forces, and driving division-level troops into retreat. The Communist Party's armed forces began to feel unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and even repulsive to the Nationalist forces.

In addition, the KMT's foreign intelligence work was so poor that, up to now, apart from information from public channels, the KMT's understanding of the Eighth Route Army only remained at the "qualitative" level. As for the specific organization of the Eighth Route Army, the configuration of its technical equipment... and other "quantitative" issues, the KMT knew almost nothing about them.

But the construction of the youth army can't stand still, right?

Taking into account that Chen Chi-hsiu, who originally led the "Twenty-Nine Strengthening Plan" and the new organizational reform of the National Army, had been transferred by Chiang Kai-shek to the India-Burma Theater as commander, leaving the political and military center of the country; at the same time, the youth army belonging to Chiang Ching-kuo's "Prince" faction could not be too similar to the "small army and small division" in the "Twenty-Nine Strengthening Plan" and had to use American equipment, so naturally it could not copy the original organization.

Therefore, the National Army staff, led by Liu Fei, Deputy Minister of the General Staff, and Han Liancheng, a military officer of the Secretariat, began to "profile" the Eighth Route Army, and based on this, began to compile a specific organization.

What are the characteristics of the Communist Army?

When advancing, their bullets rained down like thunder; when retreating, their marches were as swift as the wind. They could attack with a full-scale frontal assault, or they could maneuver diagonally and strategically. The Nationalist Army struggled to obtain intelligence on the Japanese and Communist forces, but they were able to infiltrate the puppet army, and thus gained some understanding of the Eighth Route Army's astounding artillery preparations and unimaginable deep penetrations against the puppet Mongolian forces during the Battle of Western Mengxi. However, they had no knowledge of, or even any consideration of, the Eighth Route Army's well-organized artillery coordination and logistical support, its technical equipment and command techniques that matched or even surpassed those of the current elite. Even so, this style of Communist army was difficult for the Nationalist Army to emulate.

So......

Since we want to stand against the Communist army, we must first have enough soldiers! The Kuomintang staff imitated the old wisdom of the anti-encirclement and suppression and Red Army periods, and adopted the most simple and unpretentious large-scale organization model: the Youth Army will set up 3 brigades in a division, and 2 regiments under each brigade, plus the engineering, artillery, communication, and logistics forces directly under the division headquarters, the paper establishment of the entire division will reach a full 2.6 people.

It's not enough to have people, you must have guns!

The General Staff and the Military Affairs Office sorted out the oral intelligence obtained from the puppet army and verified it with the reconnaissance intelligence of the "Two Unified Inspections". They believed that the reason why the Communist army was able to compete with the Japanese army must be that it followed the Soviet artillery tactics and organized 75mm mountain artillery into artillery companies at the regimental level; 122 and 100mm cannons were placed at the division level; and in the army at the higher level, they controlled the terrifyingly powerful "6 o'clock cannon" and "8 o'clock giant cannon".

At the same time, in order to fight against Japanese tanks, they must have been equipped with a large number of anti-tank guns and "man-person guns". Perhaps each battalion had a special anti-tank unit - so many artillery and ammunition must have been provided by the Soviet Union through the northwest land transport to the Eighth Route Army.

But the Eighth Route Army has the Soviet Union, and our army also has the support of friendly countries!

Since the US Army had already contacted Guopian and agreed to provide Guopian with enough weapons to establish 10 infantry corps (29 reinforced mini-corps), the national army staff were finally able to freely select supplies from the shelves of the "Free World Arsenal" to equip the prince's army.

The pistol needed to be powerful, the rifle was an M1917 or Springfield, the submachine gun was a Thompson (I heard the Armalite ones were pretty good too), the machine gun was a Browning or I'd commission a new one, and the mortar was the imported M2 50mm. I also had to buy rations, gas masks, an engineer's shovel, a helmet...

In the situation of liberating oneself for the first time and making unbridled purchases, leaving aside the "individual cannon" and "large-caliber mortar" for which there was no news yet and they had to go to the United States to inquire, the Military Affairs Department decided to equip each young army with luxurious heavy firepower: the division headquarters would be equipped with 24 new M1897A5 75mm field guns or more advanced M2A1 105mm howitzers, while the brigade level would be equipped with 12 American-made M1A1 mountain guns, and the regiment level would be equipped with 8 MB 37mm anti-tank guns, forming a dense blocking fire network, vowing to make the Communist army using Soviet and British artillery unable to return.

Of course, Chiang Kai-shek had studied in the Soviet Union and understood that both artillery and vehicles were essential for combat. Influenced by his repeated requests, the staff added a supply company consisting of approximately 30 2.5-ton Dodge trucks to the Youth Division. Nearly 20 American-style jeeps, large and small, were added to the division to tow the anti-tank guns and transport officers and staff, sparing them the arduous journey.

In light of intelligence reports that the puppet Mongolian army and other units were frequently defeated by small Communist units, leading to their defenses being breached and the entire army collapsing, Chiang Kai-shek, after consulting his younger brother, who was "proficient in German-style warfare and adept at teaching others," also established a search battalion under his divisional command, capable of independent mobile operations using its own vehicles, for reconnaissance, blocking routes, and breakthrough operations.

Oh, and in addition to that, we have to ask our allies for "6 o'clock cannons" and "8 o'clock giant cannons" that are more powerful than the Communists', organize them into independent artillery brigades, and deploy them on the vast Qinling Mountains!

"I believe that with such a new force, and with the support of friendly nations, once the Youth Army is formed, it will surely revolutionize the army, replace the old warlords, and become a strong and elite revolutionary army!"

Finally, in May 1942, after nearly a month of discussion and wrangling, the organization of the massive and well-equipped "Youth Army of the 5st Year of the Republic of China" was finally finalized. Looking at the long list of equipment and personnel on the organization chart, Chiang Kai-shek could no longer contain his excitement and began to imagine the future.

According to his father's order, he could organize 10 new divisions of the "Youth Army" in the country, select officers from among the army commanders to serve as his own division commanders, and build his own political work system within the army. If these 26, nearly 30 troops were put into practice, they would surely become his direct subordinates, making his words have great impact and his policies enforced.

The heroic spirit of a dragon soaring into the sky and an eagle flapping its wings filled his heart, and Xiao Jiang sighed:

"Next, we must first...eliminate the Japanese invaders, then cleanse the country and realize the ideal of a unified Republic of China!"

Chapter 654: American Aid Story - Preserved Fruits

During World War II, all anti-fascist forces in the Allied camp had to deal with American aid to some extent.

Whether it is the youth army that makes Mr. Nicola excited, or the newly organized troops in the "100th Army" plan of the National Army, or the expeditionary force going abroad to fight

Even the Communist Party, which already has a small but complete industrial system in the country, has more or less

At least they had to take some of the "rubber hose" sent by the "good man" Roosevelt to speed up the liberation process of their own country and defeat the fascist forces as soon as possible.

Reasonably relying on external forces is also a manifestation of adhering to the principle of seeking truth from facts.

all

In this time and space that has undergone major changes, because the Communist Army had brilliant achievements among the entire Allied Powers in the fight against Japanese fascism, China's status in the anti-fascist alliance has been significantly improved. The Sino-US Lend-Lease Agreement, which was originally scheduled to be signed in May 1942, was signed shortly after the outbreak of the Pacific War.

Now, according to the coordination and agreement at the diplomatic level, China's anti-Japanese and anti-fascist forces, including preserved fruits and the Communist Army, can no longer be subject to the "spot goods self-transportation" principle.

Joint Munitions Allocation Board and Joint Raw Materials

The committee applied for an allocation of Lend-Lease supplies.

At this time, the United States, which was losing ground in the Pacific battlefield, was indeed giving weapons to any force that could cause trouble for Japan - as long as it was not the most advanced stuff, the Yankees were happy to give it, not only on credit (for free), but also with free shipping.

Therefore, when the domestic party-state elites finally compiled the various supplies of the Youth Army, the National Army's "100th Army" plan and the related needs of the Expeditionary Force into a book after weighing and planning, and then delivered it to TV Song, the plenipotentiary representative of the preserved fruits in the United States through diplomatic mail, the preserved fruits, including Chiang Kai-shek, began to dream of countless machine guns and cannons building a magpie bridge from the United States across the ocean, rushing thousands of miles to the party-state in both directions, arming millions of young people and millions of soldiers, and then doing both the defense of the country and the maintenance of domestic peace.

After all, Ambassador Hu Simi, who loved public speaking and had a degree, changed his previous low profile and violated his oath of "not promoting the war of resistance and not demanding arms" by shouting in a speech in Washington, D.C., "America has entered the war, China is saved, we can already resist Japan, and with the United States, the anti-Japanese war will surely succeed soon!" (roughly speaking)

However, when Song Guojiu in the United States received the bulging diplomatic package, he did not arrange for the relevant military attachés and staff to prioritize the list of American aid weapons requested by the country, or extract effective information. He did not even make a comprehensive translation. He directly forwarded the document to the Washington office of the China-India-Burma Theater, waiting for them to deal with it themselves.

Please! I'm the only Chinese representative on the Joint Finance Committee on the Lend-Lease Act, and I'm about to go to the US Treasury to discuss the next round of dollar loans. I'm so busy I can't get away. How can those weapons and equipment be more important than the direct US dollars allocated?

There's no one at the embassy to help me, so I have to handle everything myself?

As for what weapons the soldiers would use and how they would be implemented in practice—they're all guns and cannons anyway, so why not just leave it to the Americans to decide?

The process of sending American aid to the National Army was thus handed over to the Americans for full responsibility.

Under the Lend-Lease Act, if there was no communication, coordination, or feedback from the recipient, the specific weapons delivered would be determined by the specific theater of war after the Joint Committee set the quota and scheduled the shipping date. So, strictly speaking, even if the US military dug out a US-made "Shaw-Sha" machine gun from World War I inventory and sent it to the Kuomintang, the Kuomintang would have to accept it.

However, given that General Joseph Stilwell, the Chief of Staff of the China-India-Burma Theater, had already made up his mind to thoroughly reorganize and train the Chinese Expeditionary Force in China and to wipe out the Japanese in Burma in one fell swoop, the theater's office in Washington, under his care, was still very concerned about the needs of the National Army.

Even with the goal of minimizing American casualties, the theater office diligently pushed forward the process. They recruited Chinese-American employees who could read Chinese to translate Song Guojiu's report into a document that complied with US military standards and began revising and improving the various requirements put forward by the Nationalist Army.