The journey starts from the Titanic

Back in the United States, Situ Nan will also discuss with Andrew Mellon the Wuhan government to join the US dollar group. It is not difficult to persuade the shrewd donkey of the Mellon family. After all, the benefits to both parties are obvious.

The West's attitude towards China is no different from that in history. They have a pursuit of interests.

When Japan became strong and began to be aggressive, threatening their interests, they also favored China to a certain extent.

It is a pity that the Chinese have never seized the opportunity. For most of the twentieth century, society was turbulent and national construction was naturally out of the question. Now Situ Nan will not miss this opportunity anymore.

Yenching.Zhang Xueliang walked into Zhang Zuolin's study. There were only two people in the room.Seeing that Zhang Zuolin's expression was not very good, Zhang Xueliang whispered: "Great handsome."

"Six sons, there is news from Wuhan. Song Ziwen and the others are trying to join the US dollar group and get involved with the United States. Are they going to borrow from the Americans to go north?"

Zhang Zuolin frowned and asked.

"This should not be the case. My friends in the south said that they want to do business with Americans. To put it bluntly, it is to hold Americans thighs, borrow Americans money to build railroads and build factories. According to their practice, it doesn't take three to five years. , Don't want to go north."

Zhang Xueliang said.

Chapter 81

Li Zongren led his troops into Sichuan and stationed in Yucheng. He was supported by four to five million well-armed troops and the thriving Zhi Gong Party regime.

Under heavy pressure, the warlords in central Sichuan wisely chose to obey the leadership of the Wuhan regime, at least in form.

In Sichuan, peace was gradually restored in the southwest, and the people's attention shifted to the Sichuan-Han Railway in full swing.

"The problem in Sichuan is mainly a traffic problem. In fact, most of the domestic problems are also traffic problems.

As the saying goes, Shu Road is difficult, it is difficult to go to the blue sky.No, Li Zongren urged me to send the Construction Corps into Sichuan. He suggested that the railway plan be started as soon as possible."

In the residence of Situ, Song Ziwen smiled at Situ Nandao while holding a telegram.It seems that he is in a good mood, very different from the entangled face when he saw the budget of the Sichuan-Han Railway not long ago.

The Sichuan-Hanzhou Railway passes through Chengdu, Yucheng, Wanzhou, Yichang, and Wuhan, covering a total distance of 3,000 kilometers, with complex geology and vast engineering.

In particular, the Yichang-Wanzhou section of the railway, which is only 300 kilometers away, has 70% to 80% of the road section with high mountains and steep walls, deep river valleys, and extensive lava. It can be regarded as a collection of geological diseases. Almost the worst geological conditions in the world are concentrated in Together, I don’t have 70 to 80 million dollars to complete this short Yi (Chang) Wan (Zhou) railway!

The US-China Consortium and Situ Nan prepared a billion-dollar budget for the Wuhan government’s industrial plan for the construction of railways and railway-related steel industries.

The total amount of this fund is staggering, and there has never been such a large construction fund in Chinese history.

However, Song Ziwen did not want to risk his precious funds into the lofty mountains of Shu Road. There was more than one railway into Sichuan. The Nanning (Ningbo) Kun (Ming) railway was about to be completed, and the next step was to build the Guizhou railway.

It is also possible for the railway to enter Sichuan from Guizhou. The cost is relatively low, and the economic benefits are quicker. After all, Guangxi is not the poor and backward Guangxi in history.

On the contrary, after four or five years of great development, Guangxi has developed transportation, has a certain industrial foundation, and has become increasingly prosperous in foreign trade, and its economic development is about to surpass the prosperous Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions.

Once the Chengdu-Kunming Railway is completed, the rich resources of the Sichuan Basin will go south via the railway, and it will not be more suitable to directly enter the South China Sea.

"In fact, apart from the Chengdu-Kunming Railway, entering Sichuan from Shaanxi in the north is also worth considering." Song Ziwen casually said to himself, but looked towards Situ Nan.

"You will be content! I have personally paid for the most difficult Yichang Wanzhou section of the Sichuan-Han Railway. The remaining eastern section of Wuhan-Yichang, and the western section of Chengdu-Yucheng are much less difficult.

Both American China Bank and Robles are willing to invest. Investors in Wuhan and Shanghai, as well as excited Sichuanese, are willing to spend money to invest in Wuhan-Yichang section and Chengdu-Yucheng section.

In all, the government can reap a southwestern economic artery with only a small portion of the funds. The political, economic, and military gains are all profitable. At least it can speed up immigration, transport the poor Southwestern population to Southeast Asia, and alleviate it. Domestic conflicts."

Situ Nanbai glanced at Song Ziwen, a trace of anger surged in his heart.

The Sichuan-Hanzhou Railway did not run through for a whole hundred years from the late Qing Dynasty until the 21st century. There are various reasons for this result. There are human factors and objective restrictions. The biggest reason is that the Yi (Chang)-Wan (Zang) section of the railway is more difficult than Qinghai-Tibet The railway is harder!

As a crazy railway controller, Situ Nan did not intend to let the "tragedy" happen again, so he resolutely took on the most uncomfortable section of the Sichuan-Han Railway with his personal financial resources, which gave Song Ziwen and the Wuhan government great confidence to start Sichuan-Han Railway Project.

The Sichuan-Han Railway adopts the construction method of section construction. Yi (Chang) Wan (Prefecture) starts construction first, and the Cheng (Du) Chong (Qing) section is later. For this reason, the government plans to invest in a batch of steel and cement in Yucheng, Chengdu and other places. , Chemical plant.

"Unfortunately, Zhan Tianyou died early, otherwise the project will be handed over to him, and it will be even more exciting." Song Ziwen suddenly sighed, and his words revealed regret and admiration for the railway engineer.

"It's a pity. But I think there are some problems in Zhan Tianyou's design that need to be improved. After so many years, the engineering technology has made great progress. It just happens that I have the best resources in my hands. Haha."

Situ Nan smiled confidently. He believes that the harder the project, the more excellent engineering and technical personnel will be cultivated. This is the most precious asset. Think about the millions of technical personnel trained by Japan after World War II. Right!Without them...

It is not economically economical to invest an additional 100 million US dollars to build an expensive railway, but the meat is always rotten in the pot. It is not Hanyang Iron Works and Wuhan Industrial Group that have the biggest gains?

In addition to providing steel products, Wuhan Industrial Group has also expanded its mechanical engineering to produce mixers, bulldozers, cranes, road rollers and other construction machinery. It is foreseeable that China's machinery manufacturing industry will take off due to railway engineering.

"Well, you are right. The Ministry of Communications has organized an expert group to revisit Yichang, Wanzhou and other places, and then make detailed plans."

Song Ziwen nodded. The Yichang-Wanzhou section project will not start until one or two years at the earliest. However, Song Ziwen still can't wait to get the funds from Situ Nan in advance.

Fortunately, the assets of the William Consortium have exploded due to the prosperous American economy, which has provided a guarantee for Situ Nan to burn money in China with his "surname".

Situ Nan, who has worked in oilfield exploration, is not a person who can only talk about things on paper. He also maintains the rigorous style of on-site inspections, so he personally visited Sichuan.

In this era, with airplanes, it is not difficult to get to the blue sky. During this time, Situ Nan went upstream and probably inspected Sichuan. The situation is not good or bad.

Compared with Hubei, Sichuan’s industry is much lagging behind, but with abundant crops and abundant food, under the Wuhan government, most of the previous exorbitant taxes have been cancelled, and the burden on the people has been greatly reduced. The leisure life of the wealthy and idlers in Chengdu teahouses The state is more laid-back than the aboriginal aristocrats of Southeast Asia.

Nanyang is rich in products, and the original indigenous people can fill their stomachs without being very hardworking, so their surnames are optimistic.

The only exception is South China, where the Javanese natives are being exploited by Chinese capitalists and manor owners who are profiteering?So the lazy surname had to become diligent.

Situ Nan was sitting in a teahouse in Chengdu, facing the street, watching the crowded and unhurried flow of people on the street, and from time to time, tea visitors from the surroundings commented on various measures to the new government of the Communist Party, or Liu Xiang, who was once all-powerful in Sichuan. , Liu Wencai and other warlords.

A man in his 30s and 40s was sitting across from Situ Nan. He took a sip of tea in his mouth. He was serious and confident. He had a strange name called Friday.

As the director of the American China Foundation and the Sichuan branch manager of American China Bank, this Mr. Friday has a huge influence on the current railway projects in Sichuan. He is a remarkable person and also very low-key.

"They will soon forget the original owner! The people are forgetful. They are now gradually beginning to feel that the new government is good, and even a little grateful, but over time, everything will become a matter of course, maybe so. Forget the government and our efforts to open up external traffic."

Commented somewhat harshly on Friday.The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, as if it was a mockery of the world. Obviously this was a person who had been ridiculed by life.

"People are always chasing profits. The new government of the Chinese Communist Party and the generous American and Chinese Bank are not so selfless. I have a friend who makes money madly, is wealthy to the enemy, and generously returns to the society. He is John Rockefeller. We are doing the same thing, but with an extra national mission.

Of course, this is also a great benefit for us, and no one needs to remember us. For example, the William Foundation is about to build an advanced university here."

Situ Nan said indifferently, but unfortunately there was a drought in the northwest not long ago. Mr. Chongmingdao, the informant of the William Foundation and Situ Nan's old friend, went to the northwest for an inspection, otherwise the two could meet in Chengdu.

"Make money and give away money. Is that right?" On Friday, he looked at Situ Nan in front of him. His eyes were deep, he had a calm caste surname, and a trace of compassion.

"Mr. Friday, you did a good job. Both the company and the foundation's business have been greatly expanded here. At least we have obtained Sichuan tung oil and bristles, and sold our kerosene, fertilizers, electrical appliances, and textiles. Sichuan. I heard that the salt industry in Zigong is losing ground under the competition of cheap Yingge salt?"

Situ Nan admired the ground and said from the window. Not far away, there were surging heads of Meihua Bank and Meihua Foreign Company. The silhouettes of staff and guests came and went in and out at the door. The business was lively!It can be seen that Mr. Friday is a very capable person.

Friday was not proud of Situ Nan’s praise. There is no industry in Sichuan. Some local industries are dying from the cheap Wumart industrial products imported by Meihua Company. Therefore, Mr. Friday needs to take measures to integrate some industries, which will cost him. A lot of energy.

“There are large saltworks such as Yingge in Hainan, which are much larger in scale and have cost advantages. The government has begun to integrate the saltworks on the southeast coast. The Sichuan salt market is shrinking step by step and is on the verge of bankruptcy. I am really not happy, but I have a headache. Fortunately. Since the Sichuan Basin is rich in natural gas for energy, it is a good choice for industries such as salt chemical industry, refined salt, and fertilizer."

Speaking of this, Friday's speech slowed down, and he glanced at Situ Nan expectantly.

"Not enough funds? Or is it a technical problem?" Situ Nan asked with concern.