The U.S. Marine Corps collective debt incident in Tianjin happened in a ridiculous manner and was solved in a confusing way.
Everything in the United States has to follow procedures. Under normal circumstances, it is impossible to help soldiers pay off their debts. Even the president of the United States does not have the right to approve such a special fund of 2 million silver dollars. Once the media exposes it, American citizens will definitely explode.
In this way, we can only rely on other means to solve the problem of the Marine Corps being stuck in Tianjin. It is not a solution. How embarrassing.
It just so happens that the United States is currently negotiating with the Nanjing government on the issue of returning tariff autonomy, and the two sides happily reached a consensus during the negotiations. For the debts owed by more than 2 million soldiers, the tariff money in the second half of the year will be used to offset the debt. If it is not enough, find another way (Nanjing
government paid).
By the way, the fact that China's tariffs are not independent does not mean that Chinese tariffs are collected by foreigners, but that the rates of Chinese tariffs are set by foreigners.
In the late Qing Dynasty, although tariffs were not independent, they were still collected by the Chinese.
What is ridiculous is that after the success of the Revolution of 1911, the Beiyang government instead handed over customs duties to foreigners.
From 1911 to 1928, except for necessary customs operating fees, all the remaining money from China's customs duties was left in the International Banking Commission (Shanghai) and was hosted by the British HSBC Bank. This money was used specifically to pay compensation and loans.
If there is any surplus, it will be handed over to the Chinese government.
Zhou Hexuan encouraged foreigners to use Chinese tariffs to clean up waterways, and this time to use tariffs to help American soldiers pay off their debts. In fact, the purpose of this was to decide whether there was any tariff surplus in the Chinese government's money, and how much was left every year. It was entirely up to the foreigners.
In July, the United States and China formally signed the "Treaty Governing Tariff Relations between China and the United States," becoming the first country to agree to China's exercise of tariff autonomy.
After the news spread, the whole country rejoiced, and the move was called "the progress of the century" by Chinese newspapers.
Since the Opium War knocked on China's door, China's tariff sovereignty was completely lost in the 1860s, and it has been nearly 1970s.
This is a heartbreaking humiliation for a country!
The happiest people are those businessmen. Tariff independence can not only increase tax revenue for the government, but also enhance the international competitiveness of national products. Previously, foreign merchants had the right to reduce or exempt tariffs.
Countless Chinese people instantly had a very good impression of the United States and believed that the United States was China's true friend. The Nanjing government also took advantage of the trend to launch various cooperation with the United States.
The British could not sit still, fearing that their interests in China would be replaced by the United States, and immediately followed up on tariff negotiations with China. Immediately afterwards, France, Germany, Italy, the Soviet Union... also expressed their willingness to return tariff autonomy.
The only obstacle is Japan, who will not let go even if they are beaten to death.
Although the Nanjing National Government was corrupt and authoritarian, to be honest, it was still much stronger than the Beiyang government, at least in terms of diplomacy and sovereignty.
Nowadays, the government is not only talking about tariff autonomy, but also has a very tough attitude to take back the consular jurisdiction of the great powers in China and abolish all unequal treaties, which is the "New Testament Movement".
Among them, Portugal, Italy, Japan, Belgium, Spain, and Denmark had just reached the expiration date of the treaty in 1928. Among these six countries, except for Japan, which is stubborn and stubborn, the other five countries have expressed their willingness to abolish consular jurisdiction and have successively cooperated with China.
Signing the New Covenant. Of course, these countries have retained many of the unequal privileges in the Old Covenant in the form of attachments, which means that they have changed the old covenant without changing the medicine.
In the following years, the Nanjing government sent notes to Britain, France, the United States and other major powers, requesting the abolition of consular jurisdiction.
Despite the firm objections of Britain, France, the United States and other countries, China has gradually taken back some sovereignty, including the abolition of the Weihaiwei Concession, the British Concession of Xiamen, the Shanghai Consular Court, etc.
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While Principal Chang was still dividing the spoils with Feng Yuxiang, Yan Xishan and Li Zongren in Peiping, Zhou Hexuan finally took Zhang Leyi south. He handed over the supplement of "Popular" to Shen Congwen and asked Liao Yaquan to take charge of the radio station. He went to Nanjing first for a meeting and took over Come down and prepare to go to Lushan to propose marriage.
During the Republic of China, the Beijing-Shanghai Railway was the railway from Nanjing to Shanghai.
Therefore, the most convenient way to go south from Tianjin is to take the sea route. It is impossible to take the train.
At the end of July, although the Northeast had not yet changed its banner, the life-saving food route to Shandong was opened, and the people of Shandong finally no longer had money and could not buy food.
At the same time, Zhou Hexuan and Zhang Leyi also landed in Shanghai.
Shanghai pier.
"Mingcheng, this way!" Xu Zhimo waved his arms vigorously.
I have to say that Xu Zhimo is really enthusiastic about his friends, but the ship did not say it accurately.
Zhou Hexuan walked over to shake hands with him and said with a smile, "You've been waiting for a long time, right?"
"Not long ago, I came at eight o'clock in the morning." Xu Zhimo said.
Sweat, it’s been almost three hours.
Zhou Hexuan introduced: "This is my fiancée Zhang Leyi."
Xu Zhimo immediately greeted: "Hello, Miss Zhang."
"Hello, Mr. Xu." Zhang Leyi smiled implicitly.
Xu Zhimo took them away from the pier, helped stuff the luggage into the car, and said enthusiastically: "Xiaoman is busy at home, and the cook specially prepared a French meal today."
Zhou Hexuan said with shame: "Zhimo, you are too polite."
Xu Zhimo smiled and said: "It's rare for you to come here, so of course you have to treat me well."
Everyone was driving forward in a car, and when passing through a street in the concession, they suddenly saw more than 20 people holding wooden sticks in their hands and wearing red hoops with the words "anti-Japanese" on their arms, rushing into the store in a hurry.
Zhou Hexuan asked in surprise: "Who are those people?"
Xu Zhimo responded with a smile: "Members of the Shanghai Committee against Japanese Atrocities from All walks of life."
"What did they do when they rushed into the store?" Zhou Hexuan asked puzzled.
Xu Zhimo said: "Japanese goods are banned, and any store selling Japanese goods must collect a high amount of 'National Salvation Fund'."
"Isn't this chaos?" Zhou Hexuan sweated violently.
This so-called ban on Japanese goods naturally means that it is impossible to ban Japanese stores. It is only possible to ban Chinese stores that sell Japanese goods.
It is tantamount to bullying domestic businessmen to make money under the guise of being anti-Japanese.
Zhou Hexuan couldn't help but ask: "Who created this organization?"
"Who else could it be? Chen Dezheng, the number one celebrity in Shanghai." Xu Zhimo said disdainfully.
"He, no wonder." Zhou Hexuan couldn't help laughing.
Chen Dezheng was really a famous person and was jokingly called "the greatest man of the Republic of China" by later generations.
This guy is a real fighter, he has reached the level of a Saint!
He is anti-(Harmonious) Communist, anti-Japanese, anti-imperialist, anti-Christian, anti-commercial, and anti-cultural. He sprays anyone he catches and bites anyone he sees.
In his life, he had fought against Feng Yuxiang, Song Ziwen, Yu Qiaqing... he had fought against too many people.
Just next year, Hu Shi, a scholar who is good at writing, will be criticized by Chen Dezheng in his articles and will resign and go abroad. After criticizing Hu Shi, Chen Dezheng turned around and made trouble for Lu Xun, forcing Lu Xun to hide in a Japanese bookstore and dare not come out. .
