Chapter 615: Traditional Arts of Latin American Countries

Chapter 608 Traditional Arts of Latin American Countries

After discussing the establishment of the state of Western Mexico and Utah Territory with Fremont and Pan Zhengwei, Liang Yao summoned Jose Manuel Hidalgo, the consul of the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco.

The war between the North and the South is inevitable, and the gap in maritime strength between the North and the South is huge. The North will use its naval advantage to block the South's seaport and cut off the export trade between the South and the European continent. It is only a matter of time before the South is trapped in economics.

Many products exported from the West to the European continent are exported from Texas via transit and eventually shipped to the European continent. Liang Yao wants to keep this trade route.

Otherwise, all goods exported from the West to Europe will have to go around Cape Horn in South America and then be shipped to Europe. The Cape Horn route is not impossible.

It's just that Cape Horn has high winds and rough waves, strong winds all year round, and the climate is cold. Going around Cape Horn not only increases the time cost and transportation cost, but also the risk.

There are two main ways to keep the trade route from the west coast to Texas and then to the European continent.

One is to use diplomatic means to mediate with European powers such as Britain and France, so that the two powers of Britain and France can put pressure on the federal government to allow merchant ships from the west to go to the European continent as usual.

The second is to send a powerful fleet into the Atlantic to escort merchant ships from the west.

In 1860, the Panama Canal had not yet been opened, and the bases of the Umbrella fleet were all on the Pacific coast. Therefore, Liang Yao urgently needed a port in a neutral country as a logistics supply base for the Umbrella fleet on the Atlantic coast to provide logistics support for the fleet.

Liang Yao had already found this base, which was the Port of Veracruz in Mexico.

Today, Liang Yao summoned the Mexican Consul in San Francisco to inform Mexico that he would help Mexico modernize the Port of Veracruz and lease it for use for a period of time.

Of course, Texas also has a ready-made port to use. However, as a slave state in the South, Texas will inevitably be involved in the civil war. It is too risky to anchor all the main battleships of the Umbrella Company fleet in the port of Texas.

Battleships are not like guns. If guns are lost, they can be replenished in a short time. If a battleship is sunk, it will take at least several months to replenish it with a new ship.

"Governor, you are looking for me?"

After meeting Liang Yao, Jose Manuel Hidalgo, the consul of the Republic of Mexico in San Francisco, USA, politely took off his hat to Liang Yao.

Hidalgo had long heard about the rise of separatist forces in the United States after the Republican Party won the election. These days he has been gloating and looking forward to the outbreak of civil war in the United States as soon as possible.

Only when there is civil unrest in the United States will the Republic of Mexico have the opportunity to take advantage of the chaos to recover the large tracts of territory occupied by the United States. The foreign debt owed to the United States can also be delayed for a while.

"Please sit down, Mr. Hidalgo." Liang Yao showed a very kind smile and motioned Hidalgo to sit down.

Lease of port, this unreasonable request of losing sovereignty and humiliating the country, would not be agreed by any normal country. But Liang Yao had no concerns about Mexico, nor was he afraid that Mexico would not agree.

Since the founding of Mexico, the frequent wars have already exhausted the treasury, and it has to rely on debt to survive.

In order to repay the interest on foreign debts of Britain, France and Spain, Mexico had to borrow 850,000 US dollars from California for emergency.

As an agricultural country, Mexico's economy is relatively fragile. In addition, due to the immaturity of Mexico's political system, the central government's control over local states is extremely weak.

Although the United States' control over local states is also relatively weak, there is no harm without comparison. Before 1859, the federal government was able to collect considerable tariffs from the states despite the quarrels between the North and the South.

On the other hand, the Mexican government can collect a considerable amount of taxes from the states depending on the mood of the powerful people in the states.

The Mexican government's tax collection capacity is low, but since its independence, Mexico has spent a lot of money.

Mexico experienced a series of wars and conflicts in the early and mid-19th century, such as the War of Independence, the Civil War, and the two Mexican-American Wars. These wars not only had a serious impact on Mexico's economy, but also put the Mexican government in debt.

The Mexican government has survived to this day without bankruptcy and collapse, all relying on foreign debt.

After the end of the first Mexican-American War, according to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the United States paid Mexico a compensation of 15 million US dollars as war compensation and land purchase money.

15 million US dollars is a considerable sum. As long as the money can be used effectively, the financial situation of the Mexican government will not be so bad that it can't even pay the interest on foreign debts.

The Mexican government is in such a tight financial situation today. I'm afraid only the insects in the Mexican government know where the 15 million US dollars was spent.

Liang Yao's amiable smile made Hidalgo feel uncomfortable and fidgeted: "Your Excellency suddenly wants to see me, I wonder why?"

As the consul of the Republic of Mexico stationed in the western United States, Hidalgo speaks fluent Chinese.

Since the northwest region of Mexico is directly adjacent to the west, trade between the two regions is becoming more and more frequent, and economic ties are becoming closer. The influence of the western region on Mexico, especially the northwest region of Mexico, is deepening.

Chinese has become the second most popular foreign language in Mexico after English, and more and more Mexicans can speak Chinese.

Especially in the northwestern states of Guerrero and Michoacan, the local elites basically master simple Chinese.

"Consul Hidalgo, I am here today to speak to the Lord of the Branch. In 1858, your government borrowed $850,000 from this state, but it has not even paid a cent of interest." Liang Yao said slowly while sipping the fragrant tea.

Next year, in 1861, the three major creditors, Britain, France and Spain, will form a three-nation intervention coalition and send a fleet to Mexico to intervene in order to force the Mexican government to fulfill its debts.

At that time, although Britain and Spain will withdraw soon after they get the debts, France will decide to continue to interfere in Mexico's internal affairs and maintain its occupation of Mexico for a long time for geostrategic considerations. Mexico thus entered the Second Empire period.

Napoleon III hopes to establish political influence on the American continent by directly controlling Mexico.

If we don't get some benefits from Mexico now, we won't get anything good when the three big creditors of Mexico come to collect debts.

"We are already thinking of a way to deal with the interest. Please give us some time." Hidalgo took out a handkerchief and wiped the scar on his forehead, explaining.

"You know, this is a period of economic crisis."

"I don't have time to listen to your excuses." Liang Yao's face sank and he said sternly. "You also know that this is a period of economic crisis. You are having a hard time in Mexico. Are we having an easier time in California?

In addition, I heard that you still repaid part of the interest of the British and French governments last year. As for the debt of California, you didn't even pay 1 cent of interest. Your country is too partial to one and the other."

"You know all this?" Hidalgo was surprised that Liang Yao knew that Mexico still repaid part of the debt interest of the British and French governments last year, and he accidentally let it slip.

Hidalgo suspected that someone in the senior Mexican government leaked this information to California.