Chapter 574 The Ultimatum From the United States

"Our invincible Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Mutsu recently encountered and engaged in a fierce battle with the U.S. Atlantic Fleet while performing a traffic sabotage mission in the North Atlantic waters, and achieved an unprecedented victory! The U.S. battleships South Dakota and Indiana were sunk, and the U.S. light The cruiser Omaha, as well as dozens of British ships, suffered only minor damage..."

A soft and beautiful female voice came from a Zephyr wire recorder placed in the Oval Office of the White House. President Roosevelt, who was ashen-faced, raised his finger and pointed at the tape recorder. Colonel Cotton, the presidential adjutant, immediately stepped forward to turn on the tape recorder, and then stood in the corner of the office without daring to show his anger.

"Tokyo Rose admitted in a broadcast to the West Coast that the Mutsu sank the South Dakota and the Indiana!" Roosevelt's tone was very calm, as if he was talking about an insignificant matter.

But anyone who knows the president knows that he is really pissed off this time. Not only did the Germans sink an American battleship and an American light cruiser without declaring war, resulting in the loss of nearly 2,000 Americans. It was also because the Germans and Japanese teamed up to tease Roosevelt, making him miserable and unable to publicly accuse Germany of sneak-attacking the U.S. Navy fleet. It was a despicable and shameless villain regime that must be completely eliminated.

Because the U.S. government has previously told the American people through the media that there are Japanese battleships in the Atlantic Ocean, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet must escort British merchant ships to prevent them from being sunk by Japanese battleships. Although this statement is pure nonsense, it complies with legal procedures. Who The president and the military cannot be blamed either.

However, the Germans used the name of the Japanese battleship Mutsu to attack the U.S. Atlantic Fleet escorting the British fleet, and sank the battleship South Dakota, the battleship Indiana, and the light cruiser USS Richmond. They also used carrier-based aircraft and submarines Sunk more than sixty British merchant ships!

However, the Japanese government's broadcast "Tokyo Rose" (this is the nickname given to Japanese female announcers by the Americans), which was used by the Japanese government to carry out propaganda war against the United States, publicly admitted in a broadcast later that day on April 15 that it was Japan. Battleships sink the USS South Dakota, USS Indiana, and USS Richmond (the radio said it was the USS Omaha)—since Japan now controlled Hawaii, it could send broadcasting ships sneaking up to the West Coast to broadcast propaganda. Therefore, many people on the West Coast have learned about the "Victory in the Sea of ​​Fog" achieved by the "Battleship Mutsu" through Japanese broadcasts.

Roosevelt was a little dumbfounded at this time. The U.S. government had previously said that there were Japanese battleships in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Atlantic Fleet was dispatched to fight Japanese battleships. And now the Japanese admit that they have battleships in the Atlantic Ocean and they beat up the Americans... This, this sounds very real!

What should the US government do now? Could it be that they came forward to clarify that there were no Japanese battleships in the Atlantic and that it was not the Mutsu that sank the South Dakota and the Indiana, but the evil German Nazis pretending to be Japanese?

In the eyes of the American people who have the "ability to think independently", this matter is 100% a conspiracy by politicians. It was the Roosevelt administration that wronged the good man Hitler. If Roosevelt insists on using this as an excuse to declare war, Congress may be able to pass it, but the American people will not wholeheartedly support this foreign war that is full of conspiracy. If the war progresses smoothly, that's fine. If not, then there will be accusations against the government and calls for peace.

"It could only have been the Japanese battleship Mutsu that sank the South Dakota and the Indiana, because the U.S. government cannot lie to its people!" Roosevelt said in a calm tone. This was actually an order issued to the Navy - not to The truth of the "Battle of the Sea of ​​Fog" is revealed.

"Mr. President, I understand." Admiral Ernesto King, the new Chief of Naval Operations, responded immediately.

Roosevelt nodded and added: "But the activities of the Mutsu in the Atlantic were supported by Germany. Germany was Japan's accomplice, and the country indirectly participated in the attack on the United States!"

"Mr. President, people will think that the United States should reach some kind of exchange of interests with Germany, exchanging European interests for Pacific interests." Hopkins reminded Roosevelt.

Of course the American people know that Germany is Japan's accomplice, but they also know that the United States is Britain's accomplice, and it was the United States that helped Britain first. If Germany is a pushy character, it would be okay to declare war on this grounds. But Germany looks difficult to deal with now...

"Germany should be given an ultimatum to expel the battleship Mutsu immediately from any German or European Community-controlled port!" Secretary of State Hull suggested. "If the Germans refuse, we can legitimately declare war."

Chief of Naval Operations Ernesto King interjected: "The Germans will definitely accept it, because this battleship may be in Japan, or it may have sunk in Hawaii!"

Secretary of State Hull shook his head. He could not think of a reason to declare war that could mobilize the morale of the American people. At this moment, the door of the Oval Office was pushed open by a White House secretary, and then Secretary of State Hull's secretary walked in quickly, leaned over and whispered something in Hull's ear.

"What happened?" Roosevelt asked with a frown, obviously a little dissatisfied with Hull's secretary - what big thing could be more important now than declaring war on Germany?

"Mr. President, this morning there was an independent revolution in Dutch Guiana," Hull said. "The revolutionaries have taken control of Paramaribo, the capital of Dutch Guiana."

"What? Dutch Guiana?" Roosevelt immediately turned his eyes to his old classmate, William Donovan, director of the Strategic Intelligence Agency.

"Mr. President, it's not our people." Donovan knew what Roosevelt wanted to ask, and he replied, "We didn't support this revolution."

Is there such a thing? In South America, there are people who dare to make revolution without the support of the United States?

"It must be the Soviets who are doing it!" Donovan said again. "Germany and the Netherlands have close relations, and they can't support the independence revolution of the Dutch colonies. And Britain is now busy with its own affairs and doesn't care about South America at all. And they will definitely ask for our opinions in advance for their actions in South America."

"Cordell," Roosevelt said to the Secretary of State, "Immediately notify the Dutch ambassador and tell the Dutch that we firmly oppose the Dutch government's use of force to suppress the independence of the people of Guyana."

"I understand, Mr. President." Hull immediately stood up and quickly left the Oval Office-the Dutch Guiana Revolution was a matter of great or small.

It's nothing for the Dutch to lose a colony, but if the suppression of the Netherlands causes German forces to take the opportunity to enter, it will be a bit troublesome. So Roosevelt immediately ordered Hull to warn the Dutch that the Guyana issue must be resolved through peace talks.

However, Roosevelt did not expect that Hull would return to the Oval Office in a hurry less than 10 minutes after leaving.

"Mr. President, there is no need to notify the Dutch ambassador." Hull said to Roosevelt with a puzzled look, "Because the Dutch government recognized the independence of Dutch Guiana an hour ago, and now it is the People's Republic of Guyana."

Now everyone in the Oval Office was stunned.

This is not right! Dutch Guiana was so peaceful yesterday, but this morning, it was said to be a revolution. The Dutch garrison there is transparent? Moreover, the revolution was victorious after a few hours, and the Dutch government actually recognized the independence of Dutch Guiana... How could a revolution be so easy?

There must be a problem!

This time, Roosevelt was not in the mood to study the issue of declaring war on Germany - the war with Germany was for the territory of Europe, and the United States would be the world hegemon if it took Europe. If Europe cannot be taken, as long as the basic base in America is preserved, and Japan is defeated and the Pacific territory is taken, the United States can still compete with Germany. Taking a step back, if even Japan cannot be taken, as long as Hawaii is taken back, Australia and New Zealand are preserved, and the basic base in North and South America is added, the United States will still be a superpower. But if there is a problem with the basic base in America, such as South America being infiltrated by German forces, then the United States will be in big trouble.

Therefore, the meeting in the Oval Office was immediately suspended, and Secretary of State Hull, the head of the secret service Donovan, and the heads of the army and navy all went to urge their subordinates to find out the truth about the revolution in Dutch Guiana.

However, things changed faster than their investigation, and by the evening of the same day, the truth had come to light.

The newly established government of the People's Republic of Guyana announced that it would invite European coalition forces to enter to help the People's Republic of Guyana restore order and avoid the risk of civil war! The Senate of the European Community immediately held a meeting and passed a resolution to send troops to the People's Republic of Guyana...

"The German Nazis invaded America! This is very obvious...America is the America of the Americans, not the territory that Germany can get involved in!"

At the emergency meeting of the White House that night, President Roosevelt seemed quite angry, but people close to the president could feel that Roosevelt was in a very good mood. The Germans finally did something that annoyed the American people! Although the American people want to be "isolated", that is based on the fact that the entire Latin America is the backyard of the United States.

Now the Germans have extended their claws into the backyard of the United States. Although they only occupied the territory of the Netherlands, it is still intolerable to the American people. If you magnify this matter with a magnifying glass, it is the beginning of the Nazi invasion of America! How can Americans, as the big brother of the American people, tolerate it?

As for the United States occupying Iceland, the Azores, etc.... Well, Europe is not the territory of Germany and the European Community! Even if the Nazis proposed to exchange Iceland and the Azores for Guyana, the American people would not know, because Roosevelt did not want to negotiate with Germany at all.

"Prepare for an ultimatum!" Roosevelt said angrily, "In order to defend the interests of all American people and to protect Guyana's independence, freedom and democracy, the United States must stand up and say no to the evil German Nazi regime! If the Nazi German army does not get out of Guyana within 24 hours, they will be expelled by the United States Army!"