Chapter 1246 Truman's Decision
"Mr. President, more than 100 B-29C long-range bombers personally led by Lieutenant General Chennault have been deployed to Oahu and are ready to be dispatched at any time!"
On May 26, 1945, U.S. time, U.S. President Truman received a report from General Henry Arnold, commander of the Army Air Forces, who came to attend the meeting in the White House Cabinet Conference Room.
Now the fighting on the Atlantic battlefield has been suspended for more than 20 days, and the US military has completed its evacuation from most parts of Canada. The entire Newfoundland island is also completely controlled by the German army and the British army loyal to Elizabeth II. At this point, Germany already had a reliable starting base for bombing American cities with atomic bombs, and could basically declare victory.
So a week ago, Adolf Hitler announced in a public speech that Germany had won the war, and also announced that a victory parade would be held on May 28th - May 28th, German time, not far from now (May 26th, US Eastern Time) Day and night) is almost a little more than a day.
"Can we dispatch on May 28th... May 28th, German time?" Truman asked.
"Okay, no problem." Arnold said, "The weather over Tokyo has been good these days, and with the help of the Soviets and Chinese, we should be able to find the target."
The B-29C must fly at high altitude, but it has to lower its altitude when it is really over the city, otherwise it will not find the target at all. Because the air raids on Tokyo are now carried out at night, it is still a bit risky to go anywhere during the day.
"Very good!" Truman nodded, with a sneer at the corner of his mouth, "That's it... we can give the Germans a generous gift on Victory Day. There won't be any problem, right?"
"No problem, Mr. President, the operation will be successful." Henry Arnold assured, "Because we will also arrange bombers of the 15th Air Force to launch feint attacks from the Korean Peninsula and Vladivostok, which can divert with most of their night fighters."
…
After concluding this White House cabinet military meeting that gave President Truman a little thrill of victory, President Truman returned to the Oval Office. On the desk, there are still many official duties waiting for him to handle as the president and various reports that must be read.
Most of the news is bad. Wall Street has been in "disaster" in the past two days. Stocks, bonds and the US dollar have all plummeted. There are already signs of the Great Depression of 1929. In many industrial cities in the northeast and central China, the Bolshevik Party and the recently established Labor Party were intensifying their activities, inciting workers to strike, oppose the armistice and repeal the New Deal legislation - rumors of the repeal of the New Deal legislation began to circulate in early May, saying It has to be close to the real thing. It is said that the Democratic Party is preparing to collude with the Republican Party to treason and support the repeal of the New Deal legislation in exchange for the Republican Party's support for the Democratic government's traitorous surrender.
In addition, the naval fleet that retreated to Norfolk is now in trouble. Many officers and soldiers were admitted to the hospital with strange illnesses, but the doctors were helpless. Scientists from the Argonne Laboratory have detected serious nuclear contamination on some ships. It is said that these ships will be scrapped...
What troubled Truman the most was the rumors about his "virtue". Judging from the content of these rumors, their original sources must be the most core senior officials in the US government. It's probably Wallace who resigned not long ago!
Since Wallace had served as acting president and had served as vice president and secretary of war for a long time, he must have mastered many secrets and perhaps had conclusive evidence. Once this evidence and secrets are made public, Truman may really be impeached.
What should I do to deal with this "Tongde" crisis perfectly?
Just as Truman was deep in thought, the secretary's report suddenly sounded outside the door: "Mr. President, Mr. Attorney General Biddle and FBI Director Mr. Hoover have arrived."
"Oh, Mr. Hoover, please come in alone," Truman said.
"What?" The secretary outside the door, Attorney General Biddle, and Hoover himself were all stunned.
FBI Director Hoover was not Truman's cabinet. His status was equivalent to that of an independent prosecutor, and he was to ensure political neutrality. Therefore, it is not appropriate to meet the president alone. Moreover, the president is currently being secretly investigated by the FBI. In fact, Hoover did not want to investigate, but the news about the scandal forced him to issue an order to launch a secret investigation into the president. .
"Edgar," Attorney General Biddle glanced at the tall, burly, and bright-eyed FBI boss next to him, "How about you meet with the president alone."
Edgar Hoover thought for a while, nodded and said, "Okay, I'll see the president alone."
The secretary pushed open the door to the Oval Office, and Hoover stepped in. Truman was already standing at the door and extended his right hand to him. Hoover quickly stretched out his hand and shook hands with Truman. Truman took his hand and the two walked into the office together.
"Edgar, I think you should know the current situation in the United States, right?" After sitting down separately, Truman and Hoover exchanged a few words and immediately got down to the topic.
"Yes, we defeated." Hoover replied calmly.
"And we had to sue Germany for peace... It was very painful, but someone had to do it."
"Yes, President."
"And this person is me." Truman smiled bitterly, "I am the one who cleans up the mess, but some people regard me as a sinner of the United States. Edgar, what do you think?"
"President, you are a good man."
"Good man?" Truman looked at Hoover, "Edgar, would you order an investigation of a good man?"
"Well... yes." Edgar Hoover replied, "As long as there is evidence that this good man has done something wrong, the FBI should investigate."
Hoover was forced to investigate because someone reported the president to the FBI and provided evidence that seemed credible - the testimony of former Secretary of War Wallace.
“What if something wrong has to be done?”
"That must also be investigated." Hoover said, "But the investigation does not mean there will be results..."
"Can the FBI release the correct investigation results?" Truman asked.
"What?" Hoover was a little surprised. He originally just wanted to delay the investigation so that the major issue would be reduced to nothing, but he did not expect that Truman made excessive demands - delaying time and openly lying to cover the president are completely different. Moreover, Wallace may have more powerful black material in his hands. Once it is released, where will the FBI's authority be?
"Can't do it?" Truman looked at Hoover, "Because of Wallace, right?"
"I'm sorry, I can't say." Hoover was already sweating on his forehead. Truman was interfering with the judicial investigation.
"Edgar, you must help me." Truman continued, "This problem cannot continue to ferment, otherwise the United States will fall into a political crisis. I know you must have a way to silence Wallace, and he must have something to do with it. In your hands. If you really love America, shut that mad dog up."
"Mr. President..." Hoover really didn't know how to answer.
If he doesn't agree, Truman, who is already broken, is likely to remove him from office - the president can remove the "independent" FBI director through the attorney general!
However, Hoover felt that he must not lose his position as FBI director now. It was not that he was attached to authority, but that he felt that the United States must have a strong patron saint in the future so that it would not go down the wrong path due to defeat. Too wrong path.
And in the United States, who else can serve as this patron saint besides Edgar Hoover?
But Hoover could not allow Truman to turn the FBI into a tool of his personal political struggle - this was the bottom line that Hoover insisted on. Because in his view, the FBI is the guardian of the American democratic system, and it must not become a political struggle tool for a powerful American president, otherwise dictatorship may appear on American soil!
"Director Hoover, do you understand me?" Truman's majestic voice sounded again. The US president also knew that he should not try to use the FBI to deal with political opponents - of course the FBI would use the FBI to deal with American political opponents. Characters take action, but it is up to the impartial and independent Director Hoover to decide who to deal with, rather than the order from the President of the United States!
"I understand, I understand." Hoover knew that he could not openly confront Truman, so he could only grit his teeth and agreed.
…
Just when President Truman wanted to use the FBI to defeat former Vice President Wallace. His order for the air raid on Tokyo has been carried out.
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Tibbetts of the U.S. Army Aviation Corps had already climbed into his own plane, an F-13C radar early warning aircraft with a long range. The plane was parked at a sprawling military airport on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, waiting to take off. It is the command aircraft of more than 100 B-29C ultra-long-range bombers that will carry out long-range air strikes on Tokyo. Lieutenant Colonel Paul Tibbetts, who was experienced in bombing oil fields in Southeast Asia for a long time, was the commander-in-chief of this air strike mission.
The aircraft participating in the air strike mission are now lined up neatly at the airport, and deadly bacterial and chemical weapons, as well as coagulant weapons, are also loaded into the bomb bay.
"Paul, this is Chennault. Your plane will take off in 10 minutes."
The voice of Lieutenant General Chennault, the ground commander of the air raid, came over the loudspeaker.
"Understood, Lieutenant General." Paul Tibbetts replied.
"Okay," Chennault said, "As your ground commander, I have something to say."
Chennault began to lecture all the pilots participating in the air raids. He said: "You may already know the situation in our country now. The President has sued for peace with Germany because the Germans have and use terrible super bombs, which cause heavy damage. The Atlantic Fleet. I estimate that in a few days, we will also have an armistice with the Japanese Empire. This means that our actions today are likely to be the last attack launched by the United States against Japan in the name of the country.
It's a pity that we were not able to destroy these evil enemies!
But we can still choose to fight, as individuals! Because after a successful air strike, we would not fly back to the United States, we would fly to Vladivostok in the Soviet Union. There, we and our aircraft can join the Red Air Force and continue the attack on Japanese imperialism!
Of course, this is not forced, nor is it a request from the Army Air Force. It is my personal appeal to you! It is also an appeal from General MacArthur of Australia to you... While the United States has to temporarily surrender, General MacArthur and millions of armed personnel in the South Pacific Theater of the Allied Forces have determined to continue fighting in the name of freedom. I will join them, and I hope you can become one of them!
Long live freedom! Long live America! Long live the liberation of the people of the world! "
"Long live freedom!"
After listening to Lieutenant General Chennault's speech, Paul Tibbets, who was a little depressed, felt his blood boiling. He shouted along, and almost all the cabins of the B-29C and F-13C participating in the air raid shouted "Long live freedom".
The free world has not surrendered yet! The flame of freedom will one day burn all over the world!