Chapter 487 It's Time to Win

"Can you provide help to Germany?" Fritz Thyssen was noncommittal. If it wasn't for the partnership between the two joint companies, he really wanted to ask why? With the extremely powerful 90,000-man US Army?

Sheffield clearly felt the contempt in Fritz Thyssen's eyes, but it was not worth getting angry about. There are two countries that are arrogant and look down on everyone, one of which is Germany. Germans are anti-China, anti-American, and anti-Russian. In various surveys, Germans have a much higher negative impression of any country than a positive impression, even for Germans themselves.

As for another country that everyone looks down upon, they are the Russians, the mortal enemies of the Germans. If you encounter a conflict with the Russians, please don't make a fuss. They look down on everyone. It has nothing to do with your nationality. You are just one of them.

Unlike the happily educated citizens of the later United States who almost lack common sense, these two countries have sufficient basic common sense, that is, they know what is worth learning from your country, but they will still look down on it.

"It's not about providing help, it's about helping each other. Just like you may look down on the military strength of the United States, Germany is very strong in this regard, but the Germans' weakness is also at the crossroads of Europe. Now the relationship between France and Russia is advancing by leaps and bounds, while the relationship between the Russian Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire is not harmonious." Sheffield also said in a relaxed manner, "Austria-Hungary is a multi-ethnic country. The Austrians and Hungarians together account for less than half of the country's population. The internal conflicts are no less than those of the Russian Empire. If a conflict really breaks out, the Germans may be needed for help."

"So what? If anyone is dissatisfied, let the outcome of the war speak for itself." Gustav said calmly, "One is strong on the outside but weak on the inside, and the other is a defeated general. Can they win together?"

"We have confidence, but if a war similar to the Seven Years' War breaks out, can Germany survive?" Sheffield clapped his hands in admiration. "Are you planning to copy the Anglo-Prussian alliance? Are you planning to let the Tsar of Imperial Russia show mercy and let you Germans get away with it? Although I seldom go to Europe, I feel that Nicholas II is not that kind of spiritual German."

During the most difficult period of the Seven Years' War, the Russian Empress Elizabeth I, who hated Frederick, died. Peter III, who succeeded him, was an admirer of Frederick. When Frederick received the news, he immediately ordered all Russian prisoners to be given clothes, shoes and food, and released them. Peter announced the end of the war with Prussia. The Germans saved their lives, otherwise the predecessor of Germany would have existed three hundred years earlier. How could the Germans show off their power now?

Seeing that Gustav wanted to talk, Sheffield stopped and changed the subject, "I said we were helping each other, so I will not let you Germans suffer any loss. My agricultural and livestock products are naturally in exchange for the Germans."

"Those rural Junkers in East Prussia are not easy to deal with!" Gustav did not bother to argue and shook his head. "If this problem was easy to solve, the relationship with Imperial Russia would not have become so bad. Now that the domestic agricultural production efficiency has improved in the previous large-scale agricultural mechanization, they will use this as an excuse to oppose it."

"So I hope you two can do your best. Given Germany's geographical location, if we want to go to war, we must have enough confidence and be prepared for a war that cannot be ended in one year. Being prepared is the real victory. We need to establish a national grain reserve system so that we can have no worries." Sheffield said this without being modest. "There are not many countries in the world that can help the Germans in agriculture, and I am the most suitable candidate."

Of course, Sheffield would not let the other party work in vain, and when the two were considering it, he formally raised the issue of tariffs in exchange, saying that he would find a way to get the federal government to adopt a low tariff policy.

In fact, as for the low tariff policy, it is already this time, and Europe will go to war sooner or later. Sheffield feels that whether or not there is a low tariff is no longer a big problem. It is true that this will make small and medium-sized enterprises that are already in difficulties even more difficult, but companies like United Company will not be troubled by this.

On the contrary, if Germany could lower agricultural tariffs, the South and Midwest of the United States would benefit. As for the Yankees of the Great Lakes, their life and death have never been related to the slave owners. Those who are related to the slave owners are the rednecks.

There was no other way to choose Germany. France and Russia were both agricultural powers in Europe. The British Empire, whose agriculture was not that strong, was now implementing the Imperial System of Preferences. Although it had not officially appeared like when Chamberlain was prime minister, some regulations had already appeared. Unless the war really broke out, the United States could not squeeze in.

At present, the only most suitable export destination for United States farmers is Germany. However, as Gustav and others said, this is not an easy task. The rural Junkers in East Prussia are very difficult to deal with, and the capitalists in the Ruhr area are unwilling to get involved with these Junkers without sufficient benefits.

This is the benefit and dislike of the vested interests. On the one hand, they want to protect their country from external shocks, but on the other hand, when raising tariffs, they are completely helpless. This is not just a matter for Germany. A hundred years later, many companies in the Republic are like this. The pride of the country under state protection can be killed by a chip.

It has been said that we are protecting the pride of domestic products and that we are an international enterprise, and we will always be invincible.

Sheffield wanted to lower tariffs because he felt that large companies in the United States were no longer inferior to German companies. The lack of competition among small and medium-sized enterprises was not the concern of the United Company. Since the United States was a free country, it could of course lower tariffs freely. If they died and vacated the market, the United Company would become even stronger.

When the war breaks out on the European continent, these foreign companies will shrink and the United Company will benefit from it. From the beginning to the end, Sheffield did not think that the United Company would suffer any loss. The United States might suffer, but the slave owner was not the president, so it was not his turn to be responsible if the United States suffered any loss.

Fritz and Gustav had already been tempted by the Sheffield tariff issue, but when they thought about the domestic situation, they could only do their best. Everyone knows their own business. Due to the decline of the manor economy, the Prussian aristocracy in the German Empire became increasingly dependent on the official income of bureaucrats and officers, and the need to control the civilian army became more urgent. The development of industry made the bourgeoisie increasingly powerful as a political force. The decline of the liberal economy and the German bourgeoisie's dependence on state trade protection began to cause traditional liberalism to decline.

A large number of Prussian nobles needed positions, especially military positions. Germany's most efficient war tool to support Europe was its proud Imperial Army. Sacrificing the Prussian nobles again this time would be beneficial to the entire German Empire, but for the Prussian nobles, it was completely different.

"You two, it was me who implemented the large-scale agricultural plan and improved the living standards of the Junker class. Are the Junkers in your country really only willing to take benefits and not suffer any losses? To be honest, it's a pity that those Junker nobles did not go to colonize. What's even more regrettable is that now all the land under the sun belongs to the British Empire." Sheffield seized the opportunity to sneer. There were not many opportunities to mock the Germans, and he must not miss the opportunity.

"This will take time, and based on our understanding of the United States, if Mr. William wants to lower tariffs, the Democrats must come to power. If the Democrats come to power, we will definitely do our best to cooperate." Fritz still did not want to give up this opportunity to enter the US market. On the issue of tariffs, he prepared to return home and talk to Country Junkers.

"We also need time. We need to get broad agreement from our comrades in the Ruhr area to jointly deal with this problem." Gustav Krupp said, "In short, both of us have time to plan this matter now, right? Mr. William needs the Democratic Party to come to power to implement policies, and we also need to let the Imperial Government know the benefits of this matter. This all takes time. In fact, for our Emperor, he is the one who can really make a decisive opinion on the Empire's grain reserve plan."

William II? Sheffield actually expected a good result. For an emperor like William II, whose strengths and weaknesses were very obvious, it was not too much to expect.

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In a country with an imperial government, the emperor's inclination is very important. This is not like the United States, where many things that seem to be able to be passed immediately still require meetings to study.

This matter was settled in the communication between the three people. Sheffield would strive for low tariffs and try to get the Democratic Party to power. Fritz and Gustav would represent the opinions of the Ruhr industrial area, let William II take more care of the interests of the Ruhr area, let the rural Junkers make a small sacrifice, and agree to the grain reserve system.

In fact, after they really agreed to it, both sides found that many of the difficulties they had just thought of were not unsolvable. For example, the imperial grain reserve system. Who said that all of it must be imported from the United States? The rural Junkers also worked hard for this.

The Germans were very sincere in coming to the United States, but most of them refused Sheffield's attempt to be a good host. They were not here for tourism, but just to discuss business. Especially Fritz and Gustav, after a brief communication, they booked a return boat ticket and said that the two sides could communicate by telegram. The communication between the vested interests was so smooth.

"The key is to win this year. I should win once." Sheffield sent two people on board, put his hands in his pockets, faced the sea with spring flowers blooming. The Democratic Party really deserved to win once.

(End of this chapter)