Wild North America 1846

Chapter 698 The Fate of a Weak Country

A whole week later, on a night shrouded in darkness, President Petrola and his party secretly boarded the return train, ending this hasty secret visit.

On April 1889, 4, the government of the Tang Empire officially announced;

At the request of Peru and Bolivia, one side of the Pacific War in South America, the Tang Empire strongly intervened in the war as a mediator with the absolute authority of the permanent chairman of the "American League".

The First Marine Expeditionary Division of the Royal Navy in Panama changed its appearance and put on the armband of the "American Alliance Peacekeeping Force". Under the cover of the fleet led by the "Zhennan" and the "Zhenbei" ironclad ships, it landed in the coastal port of Peru in a grandiose manner. The fortress of Iquique declared that it would separate the two sides of the war.

Such a tough move caught the Chilean army occupying Iquique by surprise, but faced with the powerful fleet of the Tang Empire, they had to hold back their anger and withdraw from half of the city.

The arrival of the American League peacekeeping force was warmly welcomed by the local citizens of Iquique with the highest courtesy.

The main fleet of the Chilean Navy, anchored in the harbor of Iquique, received a clear warning from the expeditionary fleet of the Datang Empire;
Until the second Panama peace talks process achieves obvious results, your country's fleet had better stay in the harbor quietly and refrain from making any misleading actions.

Otherwise, all consequences are at your own risk.

Facing the powerful fleet composed of the "Zhennan" with a displacement of more than 9000 tons, the "Zhenbei" ironclad ship, and the accompanying four "Gust" modified ironclad cruisers with a displacement of more than 4 tons, they are obviously intimidating.

The Chilean navy was frightened into silence, and could only endure the humiliation and said that it would comply with the implementation and would not take any unnecessary actions.

The main force of the Chilean navy has only one 3120-ton "Giovanni-Bausan" armored cruiser, and some ironclad ships and sail warships of different sizes, which are completely irresistible in strength.

The "Giovanni Bausan" is a cutting-edge warship urgently ordered from the United Kingdom by the Chilean Navy after the flagship "Esmeralda" armored cruiser was attacked and sunk.

The ship is worth 19.5 pounds. It is a fast dome cruiser similar to the "Esmeralda". The layout of the main guns and secondary guns is exactly the same, but the tonnage has increased by more than 200 tons, and the voyage has been increased accordingly.

This class of ships has a 254 mm 30-caliber main gun at the bow and stern, produced by the British Armstrong Company.

In addition, six 6mm secondary guns, two 152-pound small rapid-fire guns, and three 2-inch torpedo tubes are equipped on both sides of the ship's side. It is a new ship launched in 6.

The sudden action of the expeditionary fleet of the Royal Navy of the Tang Empire was tantamount to completely abolishing Chile's overwhelmingly superior naval power. Before obtaining permission, it could only berth obediently in the port of Iquique.

Resistance is absolutely impossible. Facing the main ironclad ship of the Tang Empire, which looks like a sea monster, it is like a child trying to overthrow a strong man. The main guns of the Chilean Navy can't even break through the defense.

Santiago, capital of Chile
Inside the presidential palace where the national flag flutters
Chilean President Francisco Antonio Pinto sat at the table with a livid face, and in front of him was a mediation letter from the "American League" from Panama.

Inside means;

It is hereby scheduled on May 1889, 5, to hold an international mediation conference on the Pacific War in South America with the headquarters of the American League in Panama. It is hoped that the Chilean government will send officials above the level of the vice president with decision-making power to attend the conference to discuss the situation of regional peace and stability.

During the peace talks, it is advisable to stop all hostile acts of war and disengage the two warring parties, so as not to trigger a new round of fighting.

Anyone who is good at using weapons will be regarded as an unfriendly act of disobedience to the mediation of the United States and the United States, and must bear the consequences caused by it...

It was signed by the Secretary-General of the American League, the Minister of South American Affairs of the Tang Empire, the Duke of Escalade-Frech, and it was also affixed with the seal of the noble badge.

His Excellency, the Duke of Escalade Fritch, is the successor of Admiral Harry Fritch, the former deputy chief of staff of the Tang Empire, and a royal aide-de-camp.

The Frech family is one of the richest families in the empire, and the Duke of Escalade Frech himself is a confidant of His Highness Tang Li Kun, King of Guangnan, and is now the Minister of South American Affairs in the cabinet.

What he said can largely represent the official attitude of the empire.

Now a new generation of powerful figures has emerged in the political arena of the Tang Empire, such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lord Liu Daqing, who is a member of His Highness Tang-Li Xin, Prince of Pingxi.

As early as 1861, Liu Daqing, the eldest son of the former Prime Minister Liu Xianjun, who was only 15 years old, became the accompanying courtier of His Highness Tang Li Xin. It has been 28 years since then.

His body was engraved with the seal of His Majesty the Eleventh Emperor, and so was the entire Duke's family.

"Datang's move can be described as vicious. On the one hand, it forced the Chilean navy to anchor in the harbor and become a de facto hostage, unable to play an active role in the war.

On the other hand, forcibly isolating the two sides of the war is an obvious bias.The so-called Panama peace talks are just an attempt to give Peru and Bolivia time to rearm.

Ladies and gentlemen, are we just waiting to die? "

When Chilean President Francisco Antonio Pinto spoke, his facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, showing the turmoil in his heart.

Under such obviously biased bullying behavior, no one can keep calm?
The Chilean military and political officials in the conference room all had dignified faces. Army General Otto von Sternberg, General Sasotho, and Chilean Navy Commander General Williams were all silent. They could say What?
All eyes were on Mr. James Greystone, the British special envoy who presided over the war mediation. With the help of the British special envoy, Chile made excessive demands on Peru and Bolivia for a large area of ​​land occupation, and also demanded a large amount of war indemnity.

Now it's a pot of raw rice, what should I do?
"Gentlemen, we shouldn't be the ones to worry about. Don't forget, we have the overall advantage now."

Mr. James Graystone shrugged his shoulders with a relaxed expression. Sitting among the military and political officials in Chile, he still looked arrogant and outstanding.

Because he represents the British Empire, the only master in this world, the world hegemon across the seven seas.

paused slightly
Mr. James Grayston continued to speak unhurriedly; "Yes, Tang Guo's actions have indeed caused us some troubles, and this is exactly the problem to be solved in the next step.

For this reason, I have already sent a letter to London, and I believe that the high-level officials of the two countries will have effective communication.

I want to remind you; any action taken at this time will complicate what should be simple. "

"Dear Mr. Special Envoy, there is news from Lima that Peruvian President Petrola once secretly visited the Tang Empire, and what kind of consensus was reached is not yet known. But it will definitely be detrimental to the current situation of the war. Fang is deeply concerned about this." General Otto von Sternberg said in a deep voice.

Mr. James Graystone nodded without denying it, and said; "It is true, but since we can defeat the Peruvian and Bolivian coalition forces once, we can defeat them for the second time. We must have full confidence in this."

Wow shit...

Hearing the British special envoy's answer, all the military and political officials of the Chilean government present here were really filled with black beasts, and they wanted to kill people.

What does it mean that if you can beat the first time, you can beat them the second time?
In order to win this war, Chile can be said to have tightened its belt, almost exerting all its strength, and owed a huge war loan of up to 1.5 million Tang yuan.

Chile is a country that relies on mineral exports. Due to its narrow and long terrain, Chile is located on the west side of the Andes Mountains, which are thousands of kilometers long.There are hills and mountains all over the country, and only a small piece of plain and valley in the coastal area is suitable for farming, and the agricultural and animal husbandry resources are not rich.

Therefore, it is a country that has long relied on crop imports.

The war caused the food imports from the Tang Empire to soar, while the exported minerals were sanctioned and could not be exported through the Nicaragua Canal, and they had already piled up in the country.

Now that the Chilean government is heavily in debt, and many provinces in the country are suffering from starvation in large areas, it is nothing new for people to starve to death, they are just gritting their teeth and carrying it to death.

Chile's traditional military government has a strongman in power, giving it many advantages during wartime, with higher execution power and greater endurance, but this is not unlimited after all.

The generals closed their mouths angrily, with dark faces, they didn't want to speak any more.

Chilean President Francisco Antonio Pinto took two deep breaths, calmed the boiling emotions in his heart, and said in a soft tone as much as possible;
"Dear Mr. Special Envoy, the current war is being mediated by the United Kingdom. The Tang Dynasty suddenly intervenes in the name of the "American Alliance". This is undoubtedly provoking the authority of the British Empire!"

"No, it's not possible to have such a one-sided understanding." James Graystone shook his head like a rattle, and said in a tone of "I say, you just listen carefully", raising his chin arrogantly;
"As world-class powers, Britain and Tang Dynasty have cooperated a lot in global affairs. This traditional and close friendship has lasted for nearly half a century and has made indelible contributions to stabilizing the world order.

The South American War is only a regional issue, and London needs to communicate closely with Tang before it can draw a more objective conclusion.

This will take time, and the relationship between the two countries will not be separated by the South American issue.

Great Britain respects the leadership of the Tang State in the Americas. Under the leadership of the British Empire, the Tang State jointly maintains the current world structure. This is the mainstream perception of society.

Of course, France, Russia, Austria, Italy, and the Ottoman Empire are also players in the game, and they will continue to play a leading role in the present and the next century.

Therefore, the Pacific War is only a regional dispute and can only be resolved within the region. "

The meaning of these words is already clear;
Chile has no place in world affairs. You should know how much you are?
Chilean President Francisco Antonio Pinto forced a smile and asked: "Then... the upcoming second round of the Panama peace talks?"

"Of course we're going, and we have to show our sincerity for the peace talks." James Graystone glanced at him and seemed to say, "Are you an idiot?" He explained a few words impatiently, and said;
"This is the re-activation of the mediation mechanism in the name of the "American League". As one of the member states that signed the "American League" treaty, Chile cannot refuse such international mediation from any angle.

Regardless of forcibly intervening or not, many countries in the "American Alliance" headed by Tang Guo promised to remain neutral, with the purpose of promoting the settlement of disputes and restoring regional peace.

Chile cannot bear the consequences of undermining the peace talks, and the best way is to respond positively.

As for the peace mediation presided over by myself, it can come to an end temporarily and wait for news from London. "

Finished
Mr. James Grayston stood up, picked up his precious cane and top hat, then bowed and gave a knightly salute, and said: "Mr. President, generals, please continue your meeting, I still have some things to say goodbye to." .”

Until Mr. British Special Envoy left the dome conference room, all the military and political officials of the Chilean government present were in a state of confusion, staring at each other with big eyes and small eyes, and then there was a roar of greetings to the British family...

In the courtyard in front of the Presidential Palace

The black car parked quietly in the yard. The British special envoy Mr. James Graystone and Colonel George Graham got into the car one after the other. The car immediately made a semicircle forward and drove along the manicured road. Out of the presidential palace.

In the car

Mr. James Graystone, the British special envoy, completely lost the relaxed expression just now, and his face was so gloomy that he was about to drip water. He cursed angrily, and said, "Damn it, what did President Petrora of Peru give to Datang?" What drug did the dictatorship take? Let all our efforts be in vain."

"Mr. James, is that the end of the mediation?" Colonel George Graham asked unwillingly.

If the international mediation can be successfully completed and the UK's strategic plan to bury nails in the South American countries along the Pacific Rim is realized, Mr. Special Envoy and he will both be honored, which is also a brilliant achievement in life history.

After working hard for more than three years, no one wants to end up with nothing.

James Graystone seemed to be several years old at this moment, lying loosely on the seat, swaying with the bumps of the vehicle, and replied with a sigh; "The master is back, if we guests are interested, You should say goodbye politely."

"In that case, it would be pointless for us to stay here any longer."

"That's right, Mr. Colonel, you can prepare your bags and bring your beautiful Chilean lover. Our next stop is Panama, and we don't expect to stay long before returning to London."

"Then here..."

"Don't miss anything. The Pacific War has always been Chile's trouble. This South American country is just a stop in our life journey. When the real powerful local snakes stand up, our existence will be insignificant."

"I see, thank you for your reminder." Compared with the coldness of the political figures, Colonel George Graham felt a little bit regretful. He turned his head and looked at the receding street scene in San Diego, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Perhaps, this is the fate of small and weak countries?

(End of this chapter)