The Longworth House, Washington, D.C. ([] ) But the former President Theodore Roosevelt strode over and stretched out his hand: "Marson Marshal, I'm honored to see you."

"Mr. President, this is also my honor."

Xu Fan nodded to Alice and held Roosevelt's hand tightly together.

"Teddy..." Alice came to her father and pulled the other party's sleeve mischievously, "I have something to talk about with the marshal..."

"Okay, my little Alice, I'll just borrow it," Theodore Roosevelt had a headache for the only blood left by his first wife. He also felt a little guilty, "Don't worry, I'll return your friend to you later."

Xu Fan looked at Old Roosevelt, then looked at Alice, picked up Alice's hand and kissed: "Beautiful lady, please forgive me for having to leave for a while. I think Mr. Roosevelt's invitation. No one in this world can refuse."

Theodore Roosevelt looked at Xu Fan with interest and laughed: "I like your way very much, Marshal. Come on, I will introduce you to a few friends. You will definitely like them."

"Hello, Alfred."

Xu Fan shook hands tightly with the old American man in front of him and looked at each other.

Chairman of the U.S. Naval Affairs Commission, Major General of the U.S. Naval Reserve, Alfred Thayer Mahan, author of "On the Sea Power", and former principal of the Indianapolis Naval School, looked at the famous Chinese marshal opposite him, who was already known as the god of contemporary naval.

"Well, we have been intimate with each other for a long time." Ma Han, who was seventy years old, has shown an unconcealed old look. The desk work for too long has made this elegant veteran a little hunched, and his eyesight is not very good. His originally burly body has obviously become much thinner. "You have created a miracle and have also caused my book to be questioned a lot... Thank God, with you and those colleagues on the other side of the Pacific, our era can perform such a wonderful legend... Admiral Makarov wrote me a letter, and he thought you were amazing and he was very satisfied with the opportunity to fight you."

Xu Fan looked at the somewhat nagging veteran with a gentle smile on his face. It was not until the old man finished speaking that Xu Fan spoke: "It was an unforgettable battle, and those of us who have experienced it will be engraved in their hearts. Stepan is a genius, but unfortunately Russia is too old-fashioned."

"As for your "Theory of the Sea Power", Alfred, it is an immortal work." Xu Fan smiled, "Although we defeated the enemy on land and the island states on the sea as a mainland country, this is still an exception, an exception to the East and China. After all, your theory of the sea power is aimed at European history and reality. China is a country that cannot be measured by common sense."

"Yes, that's a country that I find difficult to understand but has to admire." Old Mahan was a little confused, "China... By the way, Akiyama visited me when he came to the United States last year. He was very grateful to your navy for helping to rebuild Etashima Sea School."

"This kid is very energetic." Ma Han was obviously very proud of the closed disciple. "If you lose on the battlefield, you can still have a long way to cultivate talents. You will have to compete again in commercial navigation in the future."

"Akiyama is a promising young man." Xu Fan said with a smile. "In fact, it was a talent to let him be the principal of this sea school. Unfortunately, he had no intention of military service... But Japan is already a peaceful country. What they need is no longer guns, but trade, wealth, and let their people live a peaceful and prosperous life."

"Alfred, we are all old..." Xu Fan looked at Ma Han and sighed softly, revealing a hint of melancholy, "Those wars of life and death, the rise of the country, and the turmoil of the great era should not belong to me anymore, nor should they belong to our descendants. Whether it is the passion, cruelty, or death of war, it is enough for our generation to bear it."

Ma Han remembered the Spanish-American War that he personally directed, and his eyes were slightly wet: "

aweight,boysanchors aweight

farewellcolleg. sailbreakday, day, day, day

through our last night the foam untilmeet onbsp;more heres wishing you a happy voyage home!”

Ma Han whispered the US Navy's military song, but when he heard Xu Fan, he hummed immediately, and the two looked at each other and smiled.

"Navy, warship, white seagull, sailor's wake up... I miss it." Mahanton paused, "By the way, you attacked the warships with planes and airships in the Battle of the Yellow Sea. To be honest, we are very interested. What do you think about this?"

"Frankly speaking, terrible, that was a failed experiment." Xu Fan shrugged, "We hardly caused any damage to our opponents. This is the premise that the opponent is not prepared for... But maybe one day the airplane will become more deadly. The warships will also be equipped with countless anti-aircraft weapons, and naval battles may be beyond recognition... But this is all for the younger generation. For an old seaman like me, I still trust cannons and armor more."

Ma Han looked at him with great interest, and after a moment he smiled, "But there are many interesting young people here... They think that airplanes are the masters of the future battlefield, and whoever controls the sky will dominate the ocean and land. You are right, okay, this is all for the younger generation."

Xu Fan just smiled.

He knew that Mahan was not lying.

Since the Chinese air forces played an important role in land and sea battles in the Asian War, European and American countries attached unprecedented importance to accelerating the development of air weapons and studying related tactics after the war. In May 1908, two years earlier than history, American Eugene Erie flew a "Cortis" biplane and successfully completed takeoff and landing from the USS Pennsylvania armored cruiser that was temporarily equipped with wooden horizontal decks.

In the same year, Germany, Britain, France and Italy also completed similar experiments. Russia, which had the deepest feelings about aircraft and airships, has also introduced French technicians to develop air weapons, and experimental airships and aircraft troops have begun to operate.

The Chinese armed forces that shocked the world with new weapons and new tactics have long become the target of public criticism of the whole world, and every move has been put in the spotlight.

If the country's development does not advance, it will retreat. He did not expect to take everything by relying on these concepts that transcend the times.

"Okay, both of us, our little Franklin can't wait." Henry Capote Rocky, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, son-in-law of Rear Admiral Davis, and Mahan's disciple, said with a smile. "He came here specially from New Jersey."

"I'm glad to meet you, Franklin."

Xu Fan turned around and faced the tall and thin young man, and the images in his memory gradually coincided with the figure in front of him.

"Marson, it's a great honor to see you." Franklin Roosevelt's face showed sincere excitement, "You know, Uncle Teddy wrote textbooks for the Indianapolis Sea School. I had wanted to take the navy since I was a child. Although I am just a maritime lawyer now, I hope I am a naval officer who can fight for the interests of the United States under a great general like you..."

"Teddy. Nephew can't wait to win over talents for your navy." Xu Fan smiled at Theodore Roosevelt, "What a smart and capable young man... I already fall in love with him."

Theodore Roosevelt smiled: "He is indeed very good... I think he is born to be a political material. How about it, Marshal, are you interested in giving him some advice?"

"I am just a soldier." Xu Fan said with a smile, "Many people think that Japan's change is just because of me, but it is actually a misunderstanding. The key to the success of transforming Japan is that the Japanese people have sincerely reflected on the past and realized the mistakes of their country's past. I just promote some things according to the will of the Japanese people. I do not have the ability to impose some inappropriate things on a nation like Japan."

"Greatly said, Marshal." Franklin Roosevelt said admiringly, "This is what I admire about you. It is able to allow a nation like the Japanese to accept transformation willingly and respect you. It is not difficult to defeat a country, and it is not that difficult to completely eliminate a country. But it is a hundred times more difficult to truly change a country. But you defeated it and transformed it... You are a great man of this era."

"Japan is still far from a true democratic system. We still have a lot of work to do..." Xu Fan smiled, "I think the United States also has a lot of things worth learning from and learning from in this regard."

Theodore Roosevelt nodded: "Indeed, it is impossible to truly establish a democratic system in a traditional Eastern country..."

The former US president looked at Xu Fan meaningfully: "Marson. I think we still have many important issues that need to be communicated well... Are you interested in going to have a cup of coffee with Henry and me?"

"Honor is so honor." Xu Fan turned around and smiled at Mahan and Franklin Roosevelt, "Sorry, I'm missing a little."

"We need an explanation, Marshal."

In the living room, Theodore Roosevelt sucked a cigar, exhaled slowly, staring at the marshal opposite, with a serious expression.

"You know the bottom line of the United States... no other country can interfere in America's affairs, even a very powerful empire." Theodore Roosevelt said slowly, "William now asks you. And he... but we need to explain, the United States needs an explanation. This is a very serious issue."

"If it's not handled well," the former president leaned forward slightly, "things that might happen."

“What you mentioned about America’s affairs…”

"Venezuela, Marshal, we don't need to beat around the bush." ​​Theodore Roosevelt stared at Xu Fan. "Your hands are too long, which is unacceptable... Gomez has contacted you a long time ago, his well-equipped private armed forces... Marshal, you know what I mean. Monroe Declaration! America is the America of Americans! As I once said..."

"Long-term improper actions or weakness and incompetence have led to the general slight ties of civilized society, and ultimately demanded that a civilized country intervene, in the Americas and other regions: In the Western Hemisphere, when the above-mentioned infamous improper actions and weakness and incompetence occur, the United States will have to exercise the power of the international police very reluctantly out of its belief in Monroeism." Xu Fan calmly spit out the famous quote from Theodore Roosevelt with a calm expression, "The Empire expressed its understanding of your claim and did not intend to control some Latin American countries."

"But you have reached out." Henry Capote Rocky's face was a little gloomy. "Marson, we cherish your country's close cooperation with the United States very much, and we don't want to see the Pacific move towards war. But we must get an explanation: You intervene in Venezuela!"

"Although we don't have any conclusive evidence yet, we all know that you are behind this." Theodore Roosevelt said, "Nighthawk! Your retired Marines... were they trained Gomez's private armed forces? We are sure that the salary of this unit comes from the funds provided by your country, and their commanders and grassroots officers are all Black Hawk mercenaries!"

"Now this information is still in the hands of the White House." Rocky said, "Once it is disclosed by public opinion, the United States will make a fuss! At that time, it will be difficult for William to face the blame of Congress, and the United States must respond! The direction of Sino-US relations will be very dangerous and unpredictable, and that is definitely not what both sides expect."

Xu Fan quietly looked at two American political giants with serious expressions.

According to the original history, the United States did not have professional foreign intelligence agencies at this time. Although the U.S. Naval Intelligence Department and the Army Intelligence Department were established in 1882 and 1885, it mainly collected and sorted out foreign military intelligence. The Army Intelligence Department was removed by Army Chief of Staff Franklin Bell in 1908 and was not restored until the United States participated in World War I in 1917.

As for the comprehensive external intelligence agencies like the General Intelligence Agency, it was not until 1938, after the Spanish Civil War that Franklin Roosevelt approved the establishment of the Intelligence Coordination Bureau, and reorganized into the Strategic Intelligence Agency in 1942. Then, in 1947, the National Security Commission was established under the National Security Act, and the Central Intelligence Agency was established.

But now, retired President Theodore Roosevelt and the senior senator Rocky, who has a huge influence in the US diplomacy, have mastered some of China's behind-the-scenes actions in Venezuela.

This made Xu Fan feel a little alert.

{Piaotian Literature www.PiaoTian.com Thank you for your support, your support is our greatest motivation}
Chapter completed!