Chapter 725 A Year of Harvest
"Mr. William is so generous. I am really grateful." Little Newton smiled and said thoughtfully, "In fact, it is said in our small circle that large-scale conscription to expand the size of the army is an important step in defending the country."
"Very good!" Sheffield said noncommittally. For Sheffield Rand, no matter how much the consumption at sea is, it can be calculated. How can a real ground war break out? That is the real bottomless pit. If you don't believe it, just look at the three decisive battles going on in Europe at the same time.
"Also, regarding the aviation team, Mr. Lindley has already practiced this on the airship. Personally, I am very optimistic about the development of airplanes. Like airships, they are also an important part of sky power. And as we all know, United Aircraft Corporation and a series of aircraft companies have mature technologies." Newton Jr. looked at Sheffield's face as he spoke, trying to see something from it.
"Both the two war ministers have made outstanding contributions to the country in strengthening aviation power." Sheffield exclaimed, and almost at the same time, he began to calculate how much profit the new order could bring. "But I am afraid that the construction of aircraft and airships at the same time will cause the War Department to face some unreasonable criticism. Everyone knows that media people never do human affairs, otherwise I would not have entered the media industry."
Sheffield unscrupulously criticized a group of people represented by his brother-in-law Ogle, which livened up the atmosphere among the three.
"That's not a problem. As our folk saying goes, if you pass by a river and see two fish fighting, it must be that the British have just left. Even if it has caused a certain degree of duplication of construction, we can only say that this world war has caused everything that is happening now, and no matter how much we invest in protecting our citizens, it won't be excessive, so..."
"So of course they are not responsible!" Sheffield quickly said, "Even I, a citizen, feel that everything is so natural."
Sheffield had very good communication with two successive secretaries of war. When the three of them returned along the same route, the slave owners' wives had already dispersed and started chatting with the people related to them.
"I don't know what kind of charm William has that has so many friends willing to help him." Lindley was moved by this scene. He turned around and saw Sheffield seemed to be in a trance. He whispered, "William?"
"Maybe it's a kind of luck? I don't find any talent in myself." Sheffield wanted to give the two war ministers a simple answer, such as being rich! But when he thought that these two people were politicians, he couldn't answer them directly. He still had to use words when necessary.
In any case, the slave owners had already learned from Newton Jr. that the new Secretary of War was very interested in airplanes and expanding the army, which meant a steady stream of revenue, and this alone was enough for him to treat him as an equal.
"He wants to put his name on so many companies?" Edith Rockefeller heard this and secretly glanced at Lindley not far away, and whispered, "What a greedy man."
"Don't say that, dear." Sheffield shook his head slightly and said indifferently, "Most of them are just empty positions with a salary. That's the way it is."
"But it would take so much for a Secretary of War to step down? What if the President steps down?" Louisa Morgan also came over to ask. Although their two families had done this kind of thing, it happened that neither of them had experienced it personally. It was Rockefeller Jr. and Morgan Jr. who did it, holding so many positions and collecting salaries.
"Of course the president is treated differently. Normally, there is no need to hold such an empty position and collect a salary. We usually help the president's relatives enter the business world and open a good company in this field. Robert Parker is like this." Sheffield shook his glass and answered, "If the president makes outstanding contributions, he can even have his own charitable foundation and important directors who hold real power and can speak on the board of directors. This is far more than what the Secretary of War gets."
"Why don't you give them the title of Honorary President of Sheffield Union University?" Edith Rockefeller exclaimed helplessly, "I've only heard about it before. Little John was the one who did all the housework. Today I've seen it with my own eyes."
"The position of Honorary President of Union University can only be given after Newton Jr. stops being the Secretary of War." Sheffield laughed, "I have to keep some positions for the new Secretary of War. I can't give them all to Lindley."
It was not until the slave owners revealed the matter of aircraft orders and army weapons supplies that Edith Rockefeller and Louisa Morgan formed a united front and felt that this was still a profitable deal.
"Don't make some emotional judgments to determine whether the business is profitable or loss-making, especially Louisa. Little William's education was a failure, but at least he and John learned to be cautious. George must use the best resources in his growth process." Sheffield's eyes fell on Louisa Morgan, "I am dividing the property not because I hope these industries will disappear in the hands of future generations."
"Actually, I'm very curious, Lindley, why the women of the Morgan and Rockefeller families are so obsessed with William Sheffield, and these, the former president's daughter, the Hollywood movie star, the female tycoon in the publishing industry, and even that foreign woman." Newton and the other man also saw it with their peripheral vision. The slave owner among the flowers asked in confusion.
"Oh, my friend, if I knew this question, I would be the one surrounded by these women." Lindley said with an exaggerated smile, "Obviously these women have lived together for a while and are very familiar with each other. This is what is worth studying."
The new Minister of War nodded solemnly, agreeing with his predecessor's statement. This question is actually very simple. If the two of them can also give away shares in the steel industry and electrolytic aluminum industry without hesitation like Sheffield, they will naturally receive such treatment.
In such an occasion, Sheffield thought that Edith Rockefeller or Louisa Morgan would be the focus, but now it seems that he made a wrong judgment. The one who was really at ease was Alice Roosevelt. The daughter of the former president was surrounded by civil servants and was at ease.
"I forgot that the people here are quite different from the upper class you usually come into contact with." Sheffield pouted at the women from the two major families with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"The influence of political families will continue to decline over time." There was a hint of sourness in Louisa Morgan's tone, but of course it was a fact, and it worked most of the time.
Sheffield also did not refute Edith Rockefeller and Louisa Morgan who had lost the spotlight. If it were someone else, it might be possible, but Alice Roosevelt had a cousin named Franklin Roosevelt. There was still time to wait for this political family to lose its influence!
"Mary Pickford is with Minako Sato. The two of them can't get a word in. They're playing with Evelyn and Natalia. But speaking of which, the Japanese woman seemed to be in a bad mood after hearing about the incident in the Persian Gulf." Edith Rockefeller glanced in the direction of the women and said generously, "You should talk to Minako Sato."
"Yes, she should be influenced by her mother. Mrs. Sato is a first-generation Japanese. She is very concerned about Japan. Many Japanese died in the Persian Gulf." Sheffield said helplessly, "Many Asian countries, including China, are like this. They always think they are being targeted. Take this time for example. I can't kill all the Indians and deliberately leave the Japanese. Anyone can see that this is not a spontaneous religious conflict, but a massacre with strict instructions. Besides, I didn't spare some soldiers from Japanese colonies and killed them anyway. Isn't this fair?"
"Well, you have the upper hand anyway, so whatever you say is an excuse. If the war is over, how can we ease the relationship with the Japanese government? Speaking of which, I remember that the loan for the Russo-Japanese War was finally repaid." Louisa Morgan seemed to have remembered something and said in annoyance, "Be careful when lending money to Japan in the future."
Ahem! Sheffield, feeling guilty, pretended to be calm and said, "We'll talk about the future later. After all, we are all here to serve the United States. Sometimes we may sit down with the bad guys and chat and laugh, and occasionally abandon the good guys who don't cooperate."
Reaching out and touching his hair, Sheffield felt that he should accompany the women, especially Minako Sato, who had already shown signs of misunderstanding, although Japan would be hit by a nuclear bomb sooner or later.
But the problem is just like what Sheffield said, it's not that Japan is particularly hated, but it just happened to be in the path of the United States. If any country were in the position and stance of Japan in World War II, they would eventually be hit by a nuclear bomb, it just happened to be Japan.
Can the consequences of being hit by a nuclear bomb be avoided? Sheffield's answer is no. Even during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the United States would most likely choose nuclear war, especially after knowing that the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons were only one twentieth of the United States' and were not enough to destroy the United States.
It was because of the presence of spies inside the Soviet Union at that time that the insufficient number of nuclear weapons could have been avoided from being exposed.
If the orders for aircraft and army weapons were a natural process, then the orders for aircraft carriers and submarines were a pleasant surprise. This surprise made Sheffield fall directly under the spell of Alice Roosevelt.
There is no doubt that Franklin Roosevelt, now the Undersecretary of the Navy, played a key role in this. The three decisive battles in Europe this year were in full swing, and with Sheffield and Britain easing relations, the United States' trade volume experienced explosive growth, and with domestic orders, 1916 was destined to be a bumper year for the United Company.
Aircraft orders, army orders, aircraft carrier orders, and submarine orders add up to more than 200 million US dollars. The bulk of these orders are undoubtedly from the army. This is before the war. When the war really begins, the profits will be even greater.
(End of this chapter)
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