World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

The International Monetary Fund—this institution hadn't even been established yet, but Asquith knew that a new international financial system would inevitably emerge after the war. Rather than let the French and Germans fight over it, he'd rather proactively offer it to Merika.

Give a favor, and you can gain a million-strong army.

This deal is worth it no matter how you look at it.

On the evening of the seventh day, the outline of land appeared on the horizon.

Asquith stood on the deck, watching the land draw ever closer. It was Melaka, it was New York, it was the direction of the Statue of Liberty.

Lloyd George walked up to him and said softly, "Prime Minister, the coast guard speedboat from Maryka is here."

Asquith nodded.

He took one last look at the draft agreement, which had been revised thirteen times, folded it neatly, and put it in his pocket.

He then straightened his collar and strode toward the gangway.

November 25, Washington, D.C.

The White House mornings are much warmer than those in London. Sunlight streams through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the Oval Office, casting warm shadows on the floor. Outside, gardeners are trimming the shrubs on the lawn; everything seems so peaceful, so normal.

President Wilson sat behind his desk, a cup of coffee in his hand, looking at the disheveled British Prime Minister across from him.

Asquith looked ten years older than when we last met. His eyes were sunken, his face was covered with tired wrinkles, and his once-sharp suit looked much looser. But his eyes—those eyes were still so bright, like two lamps in the dead of night.

"Mr. Prime Minister," Wilson began, a diplomat's smile on his face, "you must have had a long journey."

Asquith nodded.

"Your Excellency, thank you for taking the time to see me."

Wilson waved his hand.

"Britain is a traditional ally of Merriam-Jones. When an ally is in trouble, Merriam-Jones will naturally help."

He paused, and the smile on his face faded slightly.

"However, Mr. Prime Minister, 14,000 people is already the limit for Mica at present. Neither Parliament nor the public supports a large-scale involvement in the European war. You should understand our difficulties."

Asquith remained silent for a few seconds.

"Your Excellency, 14,000 men are a drop in the ocean for the European battlefield."

Wilson looked at him without saying a word.

Asquith continued, "The Germans still have two million troops on the Western Front, the French are almost at their limit, and Britain has limited troops that can be transferred back to Europe. Without Marilyn's full support, we might lose."

He said the words "we might lose" very softly, but each word was as heavy as a stone.

Wilson tapped his fingers lightly on the table, once, twice, three times.

"Mr. Prime Minister, Merika doesn't want to lose. But Merika also doesn't want to gamble everything on a ship that's destined to lose."

Asquith looked at him.

"Your Excellency, if Britain loses, will Mirka be able to escape unscathed?"

Wilson did not speak.

Asquith stood up and walked to the window. Outside, sunlight shone on the lawn and on the busy gardeners.

"If the Germans win Europe, what will they do? They will integrate the industrial capacity of the entire continent and build the most powerful fleet in the world. Then, they will cross the Atlantic and come looking for trouble with Merika."

He turned to look at Wilson.

"Your Excellency, do you think Mirika will be able to stop them?"

Wilson remained silent for a long time.

Then he spoke, his voice very soft: "Prime Minister, you didn't come here today just to scare me, did you?"

Asquith walked back to his seat, took the draft agreement out of his pocket, and pushed it in front of Wilson.

"Your Excellency, this is Britain's sincerity."

Wilson took the document, glanced at the title, and his pupils contracted slightly.

"Proposal on the Restructuring of the Post-War International Financial System and the Status of the Merica".

He looked up at Asquith.

Asquith nodded.

Wilson lowered his head and continued watching.

Page one, page two, page three—he read slowly, carefully examining each line. When he reached page three, his hand trembled slightly.

"After the war, Britain will fully support the dollar as the main international settlement currency, jointly dominating the international financial system with the pound sterling. Britain will promote the establishment of new international financial institutions and support Merica in playing a leading role in them."

He looked up at Asquith, his eyes holding something indescribable.

"Mr. Prime Minister, are you serious?"

Asquith nodded.

"This is a formal proposal from the British government. As long as Mirka is willing to fully commit to the European battlefield, the dollar can be on par with the pound after the war."

Wilson put the file down, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

He understood all too well what this meant.

Victoria's economy is the largest in the world. Its industrial capacity exceeds the combined output of the UK, France, and Germany. Victoria holds one-third of the world's gold reserves.

However, the US dollar is not an international currency.

International trade still needs to be settled in pounds sterling, international lending still depends on the City of London, and international investment still has to go through British banks. America has money, power, and resources, but Britain has financial hegemony. As long as the pound sterling remains the international currency, Britain can use other people's money to fight wars, rebuild, and continue to be the world's leading power.

But what if the US dollar also became an international currency—

Banks in the United States can directly participate in international settlements. Businesses in the United States can directly invest overseas in their own currency. The government of the United States can directly use US dollars to aid allies, purchase resources, and exert influence.

At that time, Miracle will truly be number one in the world.

It's not number one in economics, it's number one in finance, number one in power, and number one in influence.

He opened his eyes and looked at Asquith.

"Mr. Prime Minister, what about Parliament...?"

Asquith interrupted him: "Mr. President, you have a way with Congress. All you need is a reason."

Wilson remained silent for a few seconds.

"Is the reason sufficient?"

Asquith stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to Europe.

"Your Excellency, please look at this map. The Germans have already advanced into France, the Italians are collapsing, and the Russians have withdrawn from the war. If Mirika doesn't intervene soon, Europe will be completely finished."

He turned to look at Wilson.

"Europe is finished. What can Mirka do then? Guard the Atlantic and watch the Germans rule the entire Old World? And then wait for them to build enough warships to cross the Atlantic and come settle accounts with you?"

Wilson did not speak.

Asquith walked back to his seat and sat down.

"Your Excellency, Merica needs Europe. Europe is Merica's largest trading partner, its largest investment market, and its greatest cultural source. If Europe falls into German hands, Merica will lose everything."

He paused, then lowered his voice.

"This agreement is the best return Britain can give Merica. We're exchanging the hegemony of the pound for Merica's guns. Do you think this is a bad deal?"