Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 157 Should we rule Kedah?
Zheng Yi had no choice but to put aside the matter of Siam and talk about building an army first. He said, "General Long, I will leave everything to you on the Burmese side. I have already told them about General Long's side. Don't even think about returning to the country to join the war."

"I emphasize again that Japan's attack on Southeast Asia is highly likely. If they don't attack Southeast Asia, you can defend Rangoon and the Yunnan-Burma Railway. Once the railway is completed, the economic war alone will be enough to defeat Japan."

"If he attacks Southeast Asia, Yangon will be the top priority in Southeast Asia. Firstly, it is the gateway for aid from Southeast Asia and even international aid. The Yunnan-Vietnam Railway is unreliable, and we can already see the signs of this."

"Once Yangon falls, all external aid and interaction in the country will be completely blocked, and there's nothing I can do."

“Secondly, Yangon and Penang are mutually dependent, and this place is related to Penang’s food security.

I will go to the US Congress in a few days to try to persuade the US Navy to station troops in Rangoon. As long as Rangoon is not lost, Penang will be safe, and it will not be easy for the Japanese to blockade Penang. "

Long Yao: "Yes! I understand, Mr. Zheng. I will defend Rangoon to the death. If the Japanese dare to come, the city will be destroyed and everyone will die!"

In fact, Long Yao didn’t quite believe that the Japanese would dare to attack Rangoon. After all, if the Japanese attacked Rangoon, then almost all of Southeast Asia would have been lost.

Even if the Japanese really have the courage, he really doesn't believe that the Japanese have the ability to do so.

However, he and Ho Shai-lai are different after all. Strictly speaking, Zheng Yi and Ho Shai-lai do not have a clear superior-subordinate relationship. Ho Shai-lai himself is also one of the original shareholders of Penang and has invested in many industries.

It was indeed difficult for Zheng Yi to stop those overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia who resolutely returned to fight against the Japanese. To put it bluntly, they all had Chinese nationality, and these people never regarded Penang as their home at all, but as a place to work and make money.

It’s not that he didn’t say that Penang also had to fight against Japan, but for many people, whether Penang fought against Japan or not, or even whether it survived or not, was not important to them at all. The motherland was home. If I lost my home, what was the point of making money?
However, Long Yao was different. He was a serious soldier, and obedience was his duty. If he could deal with General Long directly, he naturally could not go back, and even if he went back, there would be no place for him in the Yunnan Army.

"With just the reinforced brigade in your hands, I think the military strength in Yangon is not enough, because you are from the Yunnan Army.
This time, I didn’t ask the Colonial Office to directly grant you British military status, but status is not a big deal anyway.”

"The British troops stationed in Burma should be completely withdrawn within the next six months. After the withdrawal, you will be the one to take over. Your brigade must be expanded to a division at the very least."

"As for light weapons, Yangon's production capacity should be sufficient. Add to that Yangon's own artillery, and the quantity is also sufficient. As for aircraft, I'm still negotiating with the US. You can use the powered delta wing to deal with it first."

"Oh, and there are also cannons. I placed an order from Germany for one hundred 280mm coastal defense cannons. Penang will use fifty of them, and I'll give you fifty as well."

"When expanding, hire more Chinese people from northern Myanmar. I've thought about it, and I should be able to squeeze out another 20 million US dollars for you within the next year. Don't worry about the money. If you spend it all, I'll find another way."

"Yes, I understand." Long Yao agreed.

"Also, Lao Hu, I will also give you 10 million US dollars. This money will be used to recruit the local Burmese and Karen tribes and landlord armed forces in Myanmar. As long as they are friendly to us, we can give them more benefits and also arm them appropriately.

We can distribute the newly produced Zhongzheng rifles to them, and if we find some of them trustworthy, we can arm them with artillery. Of course, we still have to keep the ammunition in our own hands."

"As for the rifle and artillery factories in Yangon, we'll expand them as much as possible. Money is no problem. I recently negotiated for two more steel furnaces to come over. Since the Thai machinery is too late to make the molds, I even ordered molds from the United States."

"As for skilled workers, there have been quite a few Japanese expatriates coming here recently, many of whom have technical backgrounds and could be used. Of course, we also need to hurry up with the technical schools in Yangon, as Penang has already opened. As always, don't be afraid to spend money; I have the money."

Hu Wenhu: "Even artillery, are you arming those tribes? This is too... too... too much."

Zheng Yi said seriously, "As for that, Yangon is not like Penang. The coastline is too long, and there are too many places to land. Although it is a city, the city defense is far from good. I saw it, it's all slums, and the gun ownership rate is not good either."

"The most important thing is that the Chinese population in this place is too small. In Penang, I am confident that I will not be afraid even if the Japanese land. The worst that can happen is that we can just fight them in the streets.

Indians, Burmese, Karen people, do you expect them to voluntarily help us fight the Japanese devils? This is the only way. As for whether it will cause trouble in the future or whether it will become too big to be dealt with, we will talk about it later. "

Anyway, he was not interested in other parts of Myanmar. It was enough to keep Yangon. He felt that he was becoming more and more like a British colonist. His way of doing things was almost the same as that of the British Colonial Office, and even his ideas on building the army were similar.

"And Lao Tao, the same goes for you. I have plenty of money. Build an army with the goal of attacking Siam. I'll give you 30 million first. When you spend it all, you can come back to me for more. There's no need to save money for me."

"I don't quite understand how to build it specifically, so you can decide for yourself. But in short, if there aren't enough Chinese, we should use more Malays. It's also necessary to promote Malay generals."

"Yes, I understand Mr. Zheng."

Zheng Yi was short of money because he was supporting the domestic war of resistance and also needed military equipment. However, he had a good reputation and was ready to fight to the death in this battle.

He has already negotiated with several banks, including HSBC, Citibank, and Morgan Stanley. He can use his property in Penang as collateral and obtain loans totaling up to US$200 million at any time.
If the 200 million US dollars loan is not enough, he can also issue special bonds, which conservatively estimate to at least 100 million or 200 million.

In addition, 37 years ago, because the U.S. stock market was in a bull market, Zheng Yi invested most of his profits in the U.S. stock market and let them appreciate in value.
With the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in China and the weakening trend of the U.S. stock market, he had actually withdrawn all the money and converted it into cash, which he kept in his own hands.

Even though the expenses of supporting the domestic war and the textile war against Japan were not small, there was still 100 million US dollars in cash left.

It can be said that it is still sufficient. You should know that before World War II, the US military expenditure was only 9.8 million US dollars.

By overdrawing his credit and selling everything he had, the money Zheng Yi could come up with was enough to support half of the US military (before World War II).

Money is meant to be spent once earned. As long as there is a real need, he doesn't mind spending it all.

Of course, money is only a necessary condition for building an army, not the only condition. Without money, you certainly cannot build an army, but if you only have money, you definitely cannot build an army.

When the two heard that there was enough money, they immediately became excited. Although they did not think that the Japanese would really attack, they were more than happy to spend money to build an army.

Even if they really don't need it, they can still be greedy.

Zheng Yi did not expect these two guys to be very honest, especially Tao Jun, who had a criminal record of embezzling military funds. As a person who knew nothing about military affairs, he was bound to be embezzled when he was involved in military affairs, but he did not care. He could even tolerate his money being embezzled as long as the army could be built.

But Tao Jun said, "Mr. Zheng, if we really want to attack Siam, money is secondary. Support from Kedah is the key. Logistics and supplies must pass through Kedah, and Kedah itself is the production center of Malaya."

"Most importantly, I suggest that you allow me to make extensive use of Malays, or even use the Malay army as the main force."

"Huh? Why is that? There's no way around it in Yangon because there really aren't many Chinese. And why is it in Malaya? It's completely unnecessary.
In terms of manpower, it's always easier to have hundreds of thousands of full-time soldiers, and don't forget, I have the Guangxi clique's troops already here."

Penang alone now has a population of more than six million, with at least two million strong and healthy people and one million "registered members of the Guangxi clique". In addition, Zheng Yi has always insisted on military training and has been working towards the direction of abundant martial virtues and universal military service.

The Malay army must be used, but he is different from the British after all. It is impossible for these Malays to be the main force. He is satisfied with being able to use them as auxiliary troops, cannon fodder, and puppet troops on the battlefield.

"Mr. Zheng, the people in southern Siam are all Malays. There is also a Sultan in Pattani Province. Moreover, Siam's military is not weak and it has geographical advantages. If we want to fight, it will not be easy. Not only will there be heavy casualties, but morale will also be difficult to maintain."

"Besides, even if we take over the place, there are no cities and no Chinese there. What if, and I mean what if, the local people also oppose us and engage in guerrilla warfare against us, destroying roads and railways and our military supplies? The cost of our governance will probably be very high."

"If it is true as you say, the Japanese army will use Siam as a transit point to attack Malaya, and we have to block the Japanese army here at every level, if we don't have the support of the local people, this war will be very difficult to fight."

"Besides, if we fight this war and the Japanese don't come, our rash act of invading a sovereign country and occupying its territory will probably put us in a passive position in international diplomacy in the future."

"But if we use Malays, it's different. I heard that Siam has been promoting Greater Thai nationalism since the establishment of its constitution in 1932. It's not just us Chinese who are oppressed and excluded."

Zheng Yi: "You mean... to let me support the Sultan of Patani?"

Tao Jun: "Yes and no. We're just afraid of nurturing a tiger that will become a threat. We don't have the means to contain them. After all, we don't have much contact with Pattani Province. If we really want to support the local Sultan, we don't have much other means to contain them except ammunition."

"What I mean is, support the Malays in Kedah. Kedah is adjacent to Penang and has long lost its sultan. You even helped them develop the textile industry. Now, it's no exaggeration to say that most of Kedah depends on Penang for its livelihood."

"You have a certain prestige in Kedah. As far as I know, the local people respect you very much and hope that you will rule Kedah.
All key departments and businesses in Alor Setar are now basically controlled by the Chinese in Penang."

"So I think if we can pull out a Malay force from Kedah, with your prestige and Penang's control over Alor Setar, we can control them. They can be the ones to send troops to Siam. They are all Malays, of the same race."

"This is not called invasion. This is the Malays of Kedah, who spontaneously went to rescue their fellow Malays in neighboring countries and save them from the Nazi rule of the Thais. They are fighters fighting for freedom."

"Internationally, this matter has nothing to do with us. It's just that Penang and Kedah are close and have a good relationship. Therefore, freedom fighters in Kedah can more easily obtain industrial support from Penang and have the money to buy guns from Penang. This is something we can explain away." Zheng Yi heard this and suddenly realized: "Ah, so that's how it is."

Then, he couldn't help but frown again: "But then, don't I still have to take care of Kedah's government affairs?"

"Ah... that's true, I have to take care of it."

If the Malay army from Kedah was to fight Siam, they would have to be well armed. After all, Siam was not a weak country, and it might be considered weak compared to China and Japan.

But as the only independent country in Southeast Asia that has not been colonized by Britain and France, in addition to relying on diplomacy, it also has some strengths in military.

This country's navy bought ships from Italy, its air force bought planes from Japan, and its army used domestically produced weapons. It has a certain defense industry and its strength is no less than any warlord in the country before the Anti-Japanese War.

Now that you have armed him, do you dare to ignore him?

To put it bluntly, the same principle applies all over the world. Who would dare to hold military power upside down?

Rights and obligations are equal. You want others to work for you, fight for you, but don't want to interfere in their political affairs. There is no such thing in the world.

Besides, if we arm a place so close to Penang but cannot directly control it, who knows when an ungrateful person will appear?
Who knows if there will be reactionaries who will use the weapons and equipment he gave them to oppress the lower classes, and eventually cause a big mess that will keep him from quieting down?

If he really wants to use the Malays from Kedah to form an army, I'm afraid he will not only have to manage Kedah in the future, but also have to manage it well.

If you don't lead the people of Kedah to live a good life, why do you ask them to work for you?
The colonial army was defeated in the first blow when faced with the Japanese army that was as fierce as wolves and tigers.

"Hey~, I... let me think about it. I'll go talk to General Bonnar again in the next few days. If... we can get Britain to send troops in the name of Britain, and we follow, then things will be much easier."

To put it bluntly, Zheng Yi still wants to shirk responsibility and is really unwilling to expand his territory, especially the Malay territory.

For Zheng Yi, he does not need to be in charge of the urban area or have management rights. After all, the industries are his and the workers listen to him. Even if he does not have political power, he still has the final say.

He doesn't care about areas outside the city, and he really doesn't know how to manage them, and he is even more unwilling to do so.

This is the same reason why the United States was reluctant to establish colonies after World War II.
Colonization was definitely not going to work after World War II.

But without colonization, Zheng Yi really didn't know how to manage the Malays, and he didn't know how to build it.

This was even a blind spot for him as a time traveler.

As a man, he is now a politician. If you ask him to expand his territory, he must be happy to do so deep down in his heart. Who can resist the temptation of expanding territory?
But the problem is that he lacked a way and overall structure to effectively manage non-Chinese areas after World War II.

If you let him govern Kedah, is he practicing democracy or authoritarianism?
Once this door was opened, it would not be impossible for the British to hand over the whole of Malaya to him after World War II.

You say he practices democracy, but he is a minority ruling the majority. So should he merge with Penang? If he merges, even if Penang has a larger population now, or if he only wants Kedah to maintain the absolute numerical advantage of the Chinese, the Malays can have more children.

Malays have four, five, or six children in a family, but you Chinese only have one or two.

Within thirty years, something Zheng Yi doesn't want to see will happen.

This is the most paradoxical problem with one person, one vote, because regardless of race, rural people are definitely more fertile than urban people, and urban people can represent advanced productivity.

Isn’t this counter-urbanization?

In any country, before the entire population achieves basic urbanization, middle-class status, and primary industrialization, holding democratic elections will be a dead end.

So, no Malays, only Chinese? Isn't that just an Asian version of Israel?

What's more, you don't give them votes and still want to use their army. How can this be good?

So is it okay to be authoritarian?

Okay, but it's tiring.

Actually it is possible, but it is not worth it.

Authoritarian rulers after World War II often face two choices:

First, you will be dissatisfied with whatever I do. I work hard for the national economy, but you still call me a dictator. Moreover, you don’t have the ability to overthrow me. So I might as well give up and engage in corruption.

There are a lot of such rulers in the Third World, and their endings are often not good. The only one that is slightly better may be the Ma family in the Philippines.

This is definitely not what Zheng Yi wants.

Then secondly, since you like me so much and you think I am not doing well in everything I do, why don’t I convert the power in my hands into commercial energy as much as possible, control it from behind, and only enjoy the economic benefits without taking any responsibility.

A typical example is South Korea, which gave up political power and actively merged with the chaebols.

Most of those who devoted themselves to the people and worked hard for them did not have a good life or reputation after their death, and some even did not live to see it.

So in short, if Zheng Yi had made a choice after World War II, he would still have relied on the minority to rule the majority.

Then he could either use the power of the entire country to support one person and let the people repay his kindness from generation to generation.

Or, retreat while the going gets tough and learn to delegate power to engage in business.

Why would he want to go? Doesn't he already control the economic lifeline of Kedah? Whoever becomes the Sultan, or the governor in the future, will have to act like his grandson.

So you ask Zheng Yi, does he really want Kedah?

Actually, I thought about it.

But he needs a political system that is neither democratically elected nor authoritarian, which can control Kedah without being subject to counterattack from the Malays in Kedah, which can exercise some power without taking on too much responsibility, will not be easily overthrown, and will not be criticized internationally.

Even if he spends some money and loses some economic benefits, he still has money.

To be honest, Zheng Yi did have no ideas at all. He had thought about this problem. If he really wanted to do it, he probably had a framework.

However, this framework was designed entirely by him out of thin air based on some modern experience. No one has clearly used it in history, so he is a little hesitant to bring it out.

As a time traveler, he has always been successful by relying on his foresight. He is unsure if he is asked to give up his foresight and do something original, using his own model to do things.

He was not sure about his random thoughts. What if there were any loopholes in the actual practice?
"Let's wait and see. What if Britain agrees to his plan and sends troops to Siam directly in the name of Britain?"

Wouldn't that make everyone happy? Isn't he now nominally the British Lieutenant General Chief of Staff?

Seek his own government in his position.

We have to help them with some advice.

(End of this chapter)