1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

Some people came by themselves, some were carried by their companions, and some were politely "invited" by NGW.

Don’t worry about the bruises on the last type of person’s face, Neon Genesis Evangelion can’t be impolite.

Don't ask who hit you, as asking will only make it difficult for law enforcement officers.

The once-dominant congressman's secretary, the arrogant department head, and the wealthy contractor are now all like lost dogs, shivering and wailing for mercy in front of the dormitory building, which makes the onlookers nearby marvel and applaud.

No one knew what exactly happened inside the "reflection point". The only things that emerged were the investigation team members holding thick blank report forms, the lights on all night long, and the occasional sounds of people slamming tables, angry roars, and crying, which formed a chilling scene.

"Specified personnel, specified time, specified location, and specified issues"...

This sentence spread like a plague in Texas officialdom and business circles, causing a panic effect that even exceeded the hurricane and flood itself.

In Texas, officials and businessmen, no matter how high their positions or how much wealth they once held, are inevitably feeling insecure, desperately trying to recall whether they have said something they shouldn't have said, or accepted "thank you money" from someone they shouldn't have received.

Passing the buck is inevitable, and betraying each other is commonplace.

What is certain is that even if Ms. Field were to show mercy and let them all go, or even reinstate them, the "unity" of Texas politics would have been completely destroyed.

Some high-ranking officials who hadn't been implicated were also in a state of panic, knowing full well that their temporary safety was likely due solely to an incomplete chain of evidence or the investigation team's desire to avoid alerting the suspects, not because they were innocent.

So this group of people frantically used their connections, trying to contact their "old friends" in Washington, contact bigwigs in the newspaper, business and financial circles, and contact anyone who might influence President Springfield to plead, pressure or threaten him.

However, they forgot that they are "Texans", "Texans" who have always had a very ordinary relationship with the federal government and other states.

This is Texas!

Normally, they might be able to perfunctorily do so for the sake of their own interests, but at a time like this, which idiot would dare to intercede for the Texan?

How much benefit did it give?

I'm not a fairy, so I'm not going to give you half of Texas if we divorce?

Although Springfield's liquidation had also caused concerns in other states, at least at this moment, no one was willing to face the wrath of the people of Texas and Ms. Field, let alone Huey Long, a political mad dog that would not let go.

As the investigation deepened, one after another of the rats and termites who colluded with officials and businessmen and embezzled state-owned and disaster relief assets were dug out. The scope of the cases, the amount of money involved and the number of people involved were staggering.

After receiving the report, Chuntian directly ordered:

No need to wait for tedious basic judicial procedures, immediately initiate the rapid freezing and pre-confiscation of the assets involved!

Legal basis?

The president is given broad temporary powers to protect state property and safeguard the public interest during a state of emergency.

The real estate of officials involved in the case, the company accounts of unscrupulous businessmen, and the materials hoarded in an attempt to profit from the national disaster... were directly pulled out by NGW to repair roads, help rebuild the disaster areas, distribute them to the victims, and replenish NGW's rescue stocks.

This style of investigating and seizing stolen property on the spot not only dealt a heavy blow to the local forces in Texas, but also allowed the federal power to penetrate into the fabric of Texas in the most practical way, while also gaining huge tangible benefits.

Texas?

After this disaster, there will no longer be a truly independent "Texas".

From top to bottom, from inside to outside, a collective change of blood.

By early September, the biggest hurricanes had passed, and disaster relief work in Texas was basically over. Ms. Field and most of the soldiers left and returned to Washington to handle affairs or went to other nearby states to participate in disaster relief work.

Only Huey Long and his investigative team remained active in Texas. Although Springfield had not permitted them to torture and extract confessions, over a dozen Texas officials and businessmen had committed suicide or attempted suicide due to the unbearable interrogation and immense mental pressure, demonstrating the suffocating atmosphere in Texas politics during this period.

This also gave Huey Long, the Louisiana big man nicknamed "King Fish", a new nickname - "The King of Austin".

In Austin, anyone with a guilty conscience would tremble at the sight of the investigation team's logo, and officials and businessmen would almost kneel down and beg for mercy.

However, on a seemingly ordinary morning, when Huey Long was once again preparing to drive to a certain place with several core investigation team members to dig deeper for clues, a fatal shadow suddenly descended.

A guy pretending to "thank the people" approached and suddenly pulled out a pistol from his pocket, pointed it at Huey Long, and fired three shots!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

613 Good and Bad Police in Mississippi

"The Lone Star Never Sets! Die! Running dog of the Federation!"

Three deafening gunshots rang out almost simultaneously, and the strong smell of gunpowder instantly covered everyone's face!

The incident happened as suddenly as if lightning had struck my wrist.

The NGW guards around Huey Long reacted quickly and professionally. The moment the man pulled out his gun, they shouted a warning and tried to tackle him. However, the distance was too close, and the gunman's movements were too abrupt, swift, and precise!

His first shot hit the shoulder blade of the guard who first noticed something was wrong and tried to block Huey Long, forcing him to subconsciously move out of the way. His second and third shots all penetrated the target's abdomen with great precision!

The "King Fish"'s massive body trembled violently. He was stunned for a few seconds before the fanatical confidence on his face was instantly replaced by unbelievable pain. He fell backward like a felled tree!

"There's an assassin!"

"Protect the Senator!"

Roars of shock and anger erupted, and the remaining NGW guards and the investigating team members who had reacted immediately rushed towards the gunman, while forming a human wall with their bodies to protect the fallen Huey Long.

However, something even more frightening happened—the gunman faced the oncoming guard with a grin that was a mixture of relief and resentment, and without hesitation, he thrust the muzzle of the gun into his own gaping mouth!

boom!

The fourth shot, blood and brain matter splattered backward onto the cold marble wall of the investigation headquarters.

A carefully planned and targeted suicide assassination was completed in less than ten seconds.

"...The murderer committed suicide on the spot...shouting...The senator is currently seriously injured and in critical condition..."

When she received the news from Austin, Springfield was battling someone in Jackson, the capital of Mississippi. Upon learning that her "lackey" had been assassinated, she remained extremely calm and simply gave a single instruction to a blonde maid who had appeared beside her out of nowhere:

"Sandoresi, I'm busy lately, so I'll have to trouble you to go to Huey's place... I want him alive and awake, to see with his own eyes how we crush those bugs hiding in the dark."

"Yes, Madam President."

G36 nodded, turned and left the room in front of everyone's astonished gazes, and flew to Austin.

"Okay, Mr. Connor, let's continue talking about what we just talked about..."

"

Even though he was very dissatisfied with many of Springfield's policies, Mississippi Governor Martin Senon Connor still had to admire in his heart the calmness and magnanimity of this woman who was too feminine and yet not like a woman at all.

If he had received the news that his most important political thug had been assassinated right after he left and his life or death was in danger, he would have been in a state of panic.

No wonder she can become president...

"...So, have you thought it through? Regarding the Federation's proposal?" "I'm sorry, Ms. Field, I..."

Connor tried to argue, but Haruta cut him off:

"Mr. Connor, do you know what I'm most dissatisfied with you for? It's not that you refused to accept the federal Agricultural Adjustment Agreement and resisted labor reform policies, nor that you procrastinated and wasted my time. It's that your governance of Mississippi has been an abject failure!"

As Connor looked grim, Haruta picked up a report:

“...棉花价格从1929年每磅18美分暴跌至1933年的5美分，全州90%的棉田严重亏损，州农业收入锐减85%以上;”

"43% of the state's banks have collapsed, and the remaining ones are struggling to survive. Credit has almost dried up, rural areas have fallen into a state of barter, all industrial enterprises have ceased operations, the state government is on the verge of bankruptcy, tax revenue has plummeted, the risk of debt default is extremely high, and public services have almost ceased;"

"In 1932, Mississippi's per capita annual income was only $115. Judging by the data trend, this year's figure is expected to drop even further, to less than half of what it was in 1929! Less than a third of the national average! It has long been ranked last in the nation!"

"A large number of landless farmers and tenant farmers have no jobs, the people are generally malnourished, more than 20% suffer from poverty diseases such as pellagra (vitamin B3 deficiency), and the infant mortality rate is as high as 29%, and this is without counting black people..."

As he was speaking, Chuntian slammed the table and scolded:

"Frankly speaking, if you hadn't run Mississippi so badly, if you could have allowed the people of Mississippi to live and work in peace and contentment, let alone resisting federal policies, I wouldn't have said a single word against you even if you had called me a bitch in public!"

"I.."

Governor Connor was speechless and wanted to refute, but the iron-clad facts left him with no excuse.

Since the Great Depression of 1929, the economy and people's livelihood of the entire Mississippi have been almost in despair. If he had not pushed for the passage of the first sales tax bill in history against all odds, the state's finances would have collapsed.

As Springfield said, all his efforts were just "barely maintaining the state finances and barely preventing major riots from occurring across the state," but all public services had been suspended, and the recent hurricane had exacerbated the difficulties.

If there really wasn't any other solution, how could Connor and the people behind him have agreed to NGW's smooth entry into Mississippi, a state like Texas that represents Southern states' rights, for disaster relief?

After what happened in Texas, everyone knows that once NGW enters a state, how much impact that state will have and to what extent the federal authority will expand.

NGW's "invasion" was already a very bad thing, and the conditions proposed by the federal government were unacceptable to Mississippi.

All agricultural production in the state must accept federal "guidance" and obey federal unified scheduling;

The federal government can provide financial assistance (such as funding from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration), but at the same time, the funds must be allocated by the federal government;

Large-scale businesses within the state must establish labor unions, and all farmers must comply with federal labor laws to protect the rights of (farm) workers;

The state government must publicly and formally abolish Jim Crow, abolish slavery and all its variants, abolish child labor, and dismantle racial segregation...

These demands almost all touched upon the core interests of the Mississippi ruling class and triggered a strong backlash. Since June 1933, the federal government and the Mississippi state government have been refusing to give in to each other at the negotiating table.

It's already September, and the matter has been delayed until President Field came to discuss it in person under the pretext of disaster relief. If no clear response is given, Mississippi may face the same big trouble as Texas.

Seeing that the atmosphere in the room was almost frozen, Chuntian changed the subject and softened his tone a little:

"Mr. Connor, I actually quite appreciate some of your policies, like the 'budgetary principle of living within one's means,' tightening the fiscal policy rather than rampantly borrowing. I've always believed that borrowing is something that must be used with extreme caution, like drugs..."

"...Yes, Ms. Field, I also think we can agree on some things..."

Chuntian's soft words made Connor's expression look much better. He sighed and said:

"To be honest, I have complete respect for you personally, but I am the governor of Mississippi. There are many issues that I cannot make decisions on my own. I have to consider the opinions of many people in the state, and they don't completely agree with me..."

"You have great resistance... I understand, so I brought you a gift to persuade them."

We've swung the stick enough, applied enough pressure, and it's time to give some sweet treats.

President Springfield was willing to be so polite to Governor Connor because he was a pragmatist, which was rare in the Southern states. At least he was much better than those guys who were full of racial discrimination and refused to change.

If you want to use such a person to do things, you need to make him convinced. Turning the table right away may seem easy, but it will cause endless trouble.

Chuntian waved his hand:

"My dear Minister of Agriculture, it's your turn to discuss the following matters." "Yes."

A middle-aged man with an elegant temperament, graceful demeanor, a strong sense of elitism, but inexplicably with the unique earthy flavor of a simple farmer's son stood up with a smile.

He is the current Secretary of Agriculture of the United States federal government, Henry Agard Wallace.

This person may not be very famous in later generations, but before Roosevelt's death, he was recognized as "Master Roosevelt's political successor", the first minister appointed by Roosevelt, and the chief designer of Roosevelt's New Deal's agricultural policy.

Its core policies and political philosophies include but are not limited to:

It advocates strong government intervention in agricultural production, protecting farmers' income, providing low-interest loans, and learning from the ancient Chinese dynasties to establish systems such as "Ever-Ping Granaries" to combat the agricultural crisis brought about by the Great Depression.

He advocated for the establishment of universal health care, full employment, the elimination of racial segregation, the protection of civil rights, the strengthening of labor union power, and heavy taxes on large corporations and the wealthy.

In addition, historically, he led the Economic Warfare Committee and the Supply Distribution Committee as Vice President. From 1943 to 1944, he represented Roosevelt in visits to Latin America and China, promoted the "Good Neighbor Policy" and attempted to mediate relations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. He was also the highest-ranking American official to visit Yan'an.

After the war, he firmly opposed mindless anti-Sovietism and firmly believed that the United States and the Soviet Union could and must coexist peacefully and jointly maintain post-war peace. He believed that the world should make common progress based on economic fairness, anti-colonialism, and US-Soviet cooperation.

If you think he is just a more "progressive" politician, then you underestimate him.

In fact, Wallace's original profession was half agricultural scientist. He came from an agricultural family. His grandfather founded the influential agricultural newspaper "Wallace Farmer" and his father Henry Cantwell Wallace served as Secretary of Agriculture in the Harding and Coolidge administrations.

In such an environment, he devoted his life to the research of agricultural issues and the dissemination of agricultural knowledge, especially in plant genetics and hybrid breeding. In 1926, he founded the Pioneer High Breeding Company and launched hybrid corn seeds, which greatly increased the corn production in the United States.

Such a pragmatist among pragmatists has naturally long been a member of the core decision-making level of the Field government cabinet. Once Springfield's pressure ends, the opportunity to "deal with" the major agricultural states will have to be his to take action.

Wallace bowed to Springfield first, then looked at Governor Connor:

"Mr. Connor, what you're most worried about right now is that Mississippi and local farmers will suffer losses due to the New Deal, right?"

"Yes, especially the cotton industry."

Although the Third Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, promulgated on December 6, 1865, clearly stipulates that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United States, or anywhere subject to their jurisdiction, except as a punishment for crimes punishable by law."

However!

Mississippi has always refused to ratify the amendment.

Although the subsequent collapse of the Southern government and public pressure forced Mississippi to make certain concessions (because black slaves actually began to break free from their bonds on a large scale), the cotton planting industry's reliance on cheap labor has never been fundamentally changed.

In other words, Mississippi still uses "slaves" to grow cotton, including but not limited to:

1. Sharecropping system: Black families rented land from landlords and shared the harvest with the landlords in proportion. However, seeds, tools, clothing, etc. had to be provided or loaned by the landlords, who would then repay the families with the cotton harvest (the purchase price), thus tying Black people to the land for generations.

2. Debt Trap - Accidents or illnesses caused Black people to become indebted to landowners and were forced to work for free to repay them. However, the debt often increased inexplicably due to various "unpredictable" reasons, resulting in debts that could never be repaid.

3. Legal provisions - Mississippi directly enacted laws to restrict the movement and employment of black people. Violators would be fined and forced to do labor, which in fact forced black people to grow cotton.

Does it look familiar?

Landlords/farmers all over the world are the same.

(Remember what I said? In 2013, in this world, Mississippi finally legally abolished slavery, sending the relevant documents to the White House, declaring the official end of slavery in the United States (legally)...)

For these slave owners, the "slave model" undoubtedly reduced costs. So, when the federal government required them to treat black slaves as human beings, provide wages and insurance, and significantly increase costs, would it trigger a violent backlash from them?