Chapter 881 Potential Enemies

At the port of Dunkirk, a cruise ship from the United States slowly approached the shore in the rain.

Teams of young American soldiers came down from the cruise ship, looking at this new continent with curiosity as they walked.

One of the teams of fully armed and highly alert guards, with a civil servant wearing a top hat and a windbreaker in the middle, got off the boat and hurriedly got into a car parked on the roadside and drove away.

Inside the car, the secretary asked the civil servant: "Mr. Minister, do you need to rest here for a while? I have arranged accommodation here."

"No." The civil servant replied, "Time waits for no one, David, go to Fremen, I want to see Pershing immediately."

…

In Freymen, Lorraine, French people are celebrating their return to their motherland in the rain.

Unlike the last time when Charles recaptured this area with fear and trepidation, people knew that this time France had completely recovered its territory.

"That was the British's fault. I knew they couldn't defend Lorraine. After this lesson, Charles will not make the same mistake again. He will be stationed here in person."

"Yes, I heard that Ciel will also build a 'super defense line' here?"

"This is great, with it we won't have to worry about war anymore!"

…

If there was anyone who unwaveringly supported Charles's "super line" plan, it was the citizens of Lorraine and Alsace.

Because these two regions are located on the French-German border, they have been in the midst of war for hundreds of years, and the citizens have suffered terribly.

Once the "super line of defense" is established, it will be like building a dam in the front that can block floods and keep the war outside the high walls. From then on, Lorraine and Alsace regions can develop peacefully.

Therefore, people from these two places even spontaneously went to Paris to give speeches and distribute leaflets, hoping that more people would support the "super defense line" plan, and that capitalists in the two places would provide them with funds.

The American Expeditionary Force headquarters was located in the temporarily vacated City Hall.

Prior to this, Freimen was ruled and administered by Germany, and most of the people working in the city hall were Germans or their minions.

Now it is completely liberated, all these government officials from top to bottom have been dismissed, and citizens will elect a mayor and form a new municipal team in a few days.

Pershing, dressed in military uniform, stood at the window and looked at the people below who were cheering, dancing, and forming cliques during the campaign speeches in the rain, and sighed softly.

Chief of Staff Hubbard handed Pershing a cigarette.

Pershing took it and looked at it. It was Chesterfield. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Have you made a fortune recently?"

(The picture above shows Chesterfield cigarettes, a high-end brand supplied to the US military during World War I and preferred by officers)

"No, General," Hubbard replied with a smile, pulling a packet from his pocket and handing it to Pershing: "I was fortunate enough to receive two packets from the Red Cross."

"Red Cross?" Pershing looked incredulous: "They also give out cigarettes?"

Pershing thought the Red Cross was only responsible for saving lives.

"Of course." Hubbard smiled. "Their slogan is: 'Cigarettes hit the enemy harder than bullets.'"

Pershing was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Cigarettes can hit the enemy more effectively than bullets? Do they mean to use cigarettes as bullets?"

"No, they probably thought we could use cigarettes as grenades," Hubbard replied.

After a while, the two calmed down.

"What are you worried about, General?" Hubbard lit a cigarette for Pershing. "We have won the victory, and the situation is very good."

"I'm not sure, Hubbard." Pershing shook his head slightly, exhaled a long puff of smoke and looked out the window: "See, everyone supports Charles."

"That's not a bad thing, is it?" Hubbard asked.

"Yes, there is nothing wrong with that." Pershing's tone turned serious: "But I don't know if you have considered that this is not in the interests of the United States."

Hubbard was stunned. It turned out that this was what Pershing was worried about.

Hubbard was in charge of logistics and training and didn't care much about politics.

But it was different for Pershing, the commander of the expeditionary force. He was the link between the military and the government. Politics was one of the things he needed to think about, and it was quite important.

"Are you worried that there might be problems with our cooperation with France?" Hubbard asked.

"No." Pershing shook his head: "I am worried that we will become the enemy of the Shire, a potential enemy."

Hubbard expressed his approval with silence.

Charles is too scary, not only in terms of military, but also in terms of economy, politics and tactics, each of which is daunting.

Being his enemy, even a potential enemy, could result in a heavy price to pay.

"They wouldn't be that stupid," Hubbard replied.

Pershing said nothing, just smiled.

This is not a question of stupidity, but a question of interests.

Pershing even knew that the path Charles was taking now was the same path Wilson was planning to take, but Charles got there first.

Therefore, Wilson had reason to stand against Charles.

Just as Pershing was worried, the guard came forward and reported: "General, the Secretary of War is here, and he wants to talk to you."

Hubbard looked at the guard in surprise, then looked back at Pershing.

Pershing gave a bitter smile: "What is coming cannot be avoided!"

(Note: Since the American Revolutionary War, the person in charge of the military and national defense has been the "Secretary of War", and it was not until after World War II that it was changed to the "Secretary of Defense".)

…

In the meeting room, Secretary of War Baker, who was a lawyer by profession, paced confidently and spoke to Pershing: "As the war has developed to this point, we believe that the American Expeditionary Force should establish an independent command..."

Pershing interrupted him expressionlessly: "We have an independent command, Your Excellency."

Baker stopped and looked back at Pershing. "I mean a command that is not attached to anyone or any army, Brigadier General."

After a pause, Baker emphasized: "You know what I mean!"

"Yes, sir," Pershing replied, "I know what you mean, but we have no experience in command, nor in the use of equipment, let alone the tactical experience that goes with it..."

Baker moved closer and looked Pershing in the eye. "Now you have it."

"You don't understand." Pershing explained: "We still need to practice. Every battle we stay in the French system will greatly improve us. Why don't we..."

"This is a political requirement, Brigadier General." Baker interrupted Pershing again: "If you need to, you can cooperate with the British Expeditionary Force and learn from them."

Although the United States hopes to pull Britain down from the altar of "the world's number one", it is more important now to work with the British army to force Germany to surrender unconditionally.

Otherwise the US government will be finished!

However, this seemingly reasonable choice politically confused Pershing.

"What?" Pershing looked incredulous. "You want us to learn from the British? Learn how they lost the war?"

(End of this chapter)