Chapter 295

Navy Choice-

On July 30, 1912, Emperor Meiji, who had ruled Japan for 45 years, died of illness./.qΒ5\\.Go to 'Green') After the death of Emperor Meiji, the 34-year-old Prince Yoshihito ascended the throne and changed his reign name to "Taisho".

Taken from the Chinese saying: "The tycoon's righteousness is the way of heaven." Japan has since entered the Taisho era.

Huge foreign debt, overflowing trade, and budget deficit are a reflection of Japan's fiscal distress at the end of the Meiji era. In 1911, Deputy Minister of Finance Wakareijiro complained to Army General Yamagata Aritomo that if this continues, the hard currency retained by the government will soon be exhausted.

Although the proximate cause of this situation is the imbalance in the international balance of payments caused by sluggish exports, the remote cause is the long-term financial pressure caused by military expansion and war preparations, and the domestic market is difficult to develop healthily due to the contradiction between the landlord system and the capital system. This seems to be

The hopeless disease was alleviated in one fell swoop due to the "God's blessing" brought by World War I.

Although the war only broke out for a few months, suddenly everything was different for the Japanese people. Factories that had to cut production and laid off a large number of employees were not only working overtime to produce due to European and American orders, but also recruiting a large number of new workers, and exports surged.

, the continuous inflow of hard currency, although it lasted only a few months, created Japan's wartime prosperity.

Stimulated by the wartime boom, it is extremely natural for the rural population to move in large numbers to cities where job opportunities have suddenly increased. The expansion of factories has absorbed the labor force liberated from the countryside. Almost every day, in Tokyo and any other big city,

At any train station, there will be a large number of ordinary people carrying luggage into the city looking for work.

In Tokyo in October, an autumn rain added a bit of chill to this late autumn. On the streets of Tokyo, you can still see some unskilled farmers who came to Tokyo to look for a new life. These farmers sleeping on the streets did not live in the streets.

They have found a new life in the capital of Japan. Perhaps, in the past, they could get half a meal and half a meal through maids in the countryside. But in Tokyo, because they could not find a job, they could only live in the wind, sleep in the dew, and suffer from hunger.

Through the window, Hashimoto Keiji, who was on duty, stood helplessly by the window, looking at the poor people wandering under the rain eaves on the street. However, he did not feel any sympathy. He just looked up at the sky with some sadness.

, the gloomy rainy weather was very similar to his mood at this time. This afternoon in the intelligence room of the third department, he heard a very unexpected news from his boss. According to his estimation, a sophisticated person, he was in the Navy

The bright future in China may be coming to an end soon.

Due to the fact that the "Hammock" was placed astern, Hashimoto was not able to join the fleet after graduating from the Naval War School. Instead, he entered the Third Department of the Naval Military Command. This was a sort of assignment, which meant that his

It is impossible to have a bright future in the navy.

"Damn Hammock Number!"

Thinking of the Navy's perverted "Hammock" Hashimoto cursed in his heart, his words full of injustice.

The Hammock is the result of the Navy's announcement of the results of the Marine Corps' entrance examination. Every student of the Marine Corps will know their ranking changes anytime and anywhere. The Japanese Navy has a name called "Green".

It's the hammock number. Marine students sleep in a detachment in a large room, and there are rules for who sleeps in what position, based on ranking. In fact, sailors don't sleep in hammocks, they sleep on beds. But according to navy customs, they are still called hammock numbers.

.

This hammock number when you graduate will be with you for a lifetime. There are two ways to get rid of this unlucky hammock number. One is to find a way to get good grades in the Naval Academy and improve your hammock number, and the other is to do more in research and training.

When the results are announced, meritorious service and awards will be received. However, these two methods are almost impossible. First of all, the admission order of Hainan University is based on the hammock number of the navy graduates. Only those with hammock numbers in the front will fail the exam, and those with hammock numbers in the back will be admitted.

The method is because everyone usually does the same thing, and it is difficult to tell even if it is the point of effort. Even within the same period, which one is better or worse depends on the hammock number that has been followed for a lifetime. In short, it is very evil.

And today his boss unexpectedly told him that due to the suppression of the Army today, the Military Command may need some people to retire from active service. Who will be killed if they retire from active service? There is no doubt that it must be the one at the back of the Hammock. Although I don’t know

This news is true or false, but Hashimoto knows that if the news is true, then he will definitely retire.

"Green! Business is going great now!"

Hashimoto comforted himself in his heart. At this moment, he was even a little lucky to have married a rich girl. When he graduated from the Naval War School, it was the time when the United Fleet won the battle in the Sea of ​​Japan, and the navy's status was unprecedentedly high. As a general,

A "young and promising" naval officer, he married a merchant's daughter and received a large dowry.

Maybe we can set up a factory, it seems...

"bell……"

At that moment, a sudden rapid ringing of the phone interrupted his thoughts.

"Moxie!"

As soon as he answered the phone and heard what was coming from the other end of the phone, Hashimoto, who was not wearing a military cap, rushed out of the office and rushed towards the telegraph room. As an officer on duty, he must deliver the emergency telegram as soon as possible.

Upload to the superior.

As soon as he rushed into the telegraph room, amid the ticking of telegrams inside, Hashimoto saw that the sergeants and officers in the telegraph room all looked pale and frightened.

"What's going on!"

Hashimoto gave a deep shout and took the telegram. He just glanced at the contents of the telegram and felt a little dizzy. Just go to 'green')

First Fleet!

After the distraught Hashimoto took the telegram, left the confidential telegraph room and returned to his office, it took him a few minutes to come back to his senses, but even after he came back to his senses, his mind was still filled with confusion.

Blank, even forgetting the normal reporting procedures, but directly picked up the conversation.

"Please take the call from Chief Shimamura and report any emergency to him!"

Hashimoto had never had the courage to call Commander-in-Chief Shimamura Hayao directly in the past, but today, he was shocked by the shocking news and subconsciously called the Commander-in-Chief of the Military Command.

Hayao Shimamura, who had not fallen asleep for a long time, sat blankly, thinking about his thoughts.

"Why hasn't the fleet sent a telegram yet?"

Although he had never thought about what might happen to the fleet in the future, the strange fact that there was no news from the fleet for several hours still made him feel a little uneasy. As the chief of the Naval Command Department, it was with his support that he

Sent the First Fleet to China.

But now, what makes people feel strange is that the fleet has lost contact.

If China had a powerful navy, maybe he would be in the military headquarters now, waiting for news of the naval battle. But facing the powerful First Fleet, China has no power to fight back. What is there to worry about?

There is nothing to worry about! In fact, no one would worry, but the fact that he still had not made contact with the fleet until he left the military headquarters made him have to think too much.

"I hope it's just a technical issue!"

The explanations from the communications officers in the Military Command Department calmed Shimamura Hayao somewhat.

"bell.……"

The phone rang in the corridor next to the official residence of the Chief of Naval Command, and the policeman on duty who was resting next to the phone quickly answered the phone.

"Moxie! Moxie! ...Hi! Hi!"

The policeman quickly put down the phone and ran towards the chief's bedroom. A few minutes later, Hayao Shimamura, wearing a kimono, walked to the phone and picked up the phone.

"I am Shimamura, you are that one!"

What emergencies will be reported at this time?

"Your Excellency, I am Major Keiji Hashimoto, the officer on duty in the third unit!"

"Oh, is there anything you want to report?"

"Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, we received a report from the Sasebo Castle, and the report came from the "Nishigomaru"..."

"Nishigomaru"?

Shimamura frowned when he heard the name of the ship mentioned on the other end of the phone. He couldn't remember the name of the ship at all. Just "Green")

"The "Nishigomaru" is an Army requisition ship! It belongs to the Japanese Cruise Line!"

First Fleet?

Shimamura reacted immediately, but he still had some doubts in his heart. However, he said nothing and just put the receiver held in his left hand as close to his ear as possible to avoid missing anything.

The silence on the other end of the phone made Hashimoto take a deep breath. If possible, he would never want to be the one to announce the funeral, but he had no choice.

"The First Fleet suffered an air attack and may have lost all its warships!"

What!

A scream came from the phone. Hashimoto quickly moved the receiver slightly away from his ear, and then he heard words like "Impossible, this is impossible" from the other end of the phone, like a dream. Minutes later, he

Only then did I hear President Hayao Shimamura say on the other end of the phone.

"I will rush to the military headquarters in half an hour and collect relevant information immediately. I want you to report to me personally!"

"Hi!"

When I put down the phone, another Chief Cao ran in quickly.

"Your Excellency Major, we have received another identical telegram!"

Next, telegrams continued to gather in front of Hashimoto. Most of these telegrams were sent by the troop transport fleet, but they clearly conveyed a message - the First Fleet is finished, and the First Fleet is finished.

It has become history. In front of him, he used the names of battleships that once made him yearn for it, but now, those battleships have been sunk, sunk. Let's get to 'green')

Ten minutes later, another Chief Cao rushed over.

"Your Majesty, Major, a staff member from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent us important information from China and asked us to identify it!"

"Oh, hurry up, invite him in!"

Half an hour later, when Commander Hayao Shimamura's car arrived at the Military Headquarters, Hashimoto had received nearly sixty telegrams and three official letters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as copies of the telegrams. It can be said that by analyzing and sorting the contents of the telegrams,

He had already vaguely speculated on the process and outcome of the entire naval battle.

"Are you Major Hashimoto?"

Seeing the unfamiliar Major Officer greeting him, Hayao Shimamura asked. At this time, his face looked calm.

"Yes, Your Excellency, we have now received fifty-seven telegrams, three official letters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and copies of the telegrams..."

"Let's talk after we get in!"
To be continued...