Chapter 489: Public Excitement (Part 1)

When Marshall's special plane arrived over New York under the protection of eight P-47s, the sun had risen so high that everything on the ground was reflected very clearly.

"Your Excellency General, we are over New York, and the enemy planes seem to have retreated." The pilot turned his head and reminded Marshall that he was initially trembling about this operation, but the big shot insisted on coming, and he couldn't refuse. Fortunately, the Japanese or Germans He still knew some sense of propriety - he retreated so quickly.

"Lower the height so I can see more clearly." Marshall said hoarsely, almost too tired to look like a human anymore.

The adjutant kindly advised him: "Sir, the situation is a little ugly. You have to hold on. The United States and the army cannot live without you now!"

Although he was mentally prepared, when Marshall looked at the city he was once very familiar with from the air, he stood up from his position in shock, slapped the plane window in a state of disbelief, and could hardly restrain himself in pain:

The towering Empire State Building collapsed;

The Chrysler Building that survived the disaster was crumbling, with clouds of black smoke rising upwards;

The most prosperous areas in New York, such as Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue, and Times Square, are full of rubble and devastation, as if they were the scene after an earthquake;

The symbol of American spirit - the Statue of Liberty was broken into several pieces and scattered on the ground;

Even the few bridges on the East River in New York can only see the remnants of reinforced concrete and empty piers - as if to remind people that there were two bridges known as world engineering miracles here;

There was chaos everywhere on Long Island and in the ports...

Is this still New York? Is this still the economic and cultural center that Americans are proud of?

He closed his eyes in pain, tears streaming down his face, and could not say a word.

When the plane landed at the airport, only some mid-level officials from the city government came to greet it. Neither the city defense commander nor the mayor came. People on the scene were panicked and on the verge of tears: the city defense commander suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was rescued in the hospital, while the New York mayor went to the front line. Commanding the rescue, everyone seemed to have a backbone when they saw Marshall appear.

A big shot of sufficient importance soon appeared. Thomas Dewey, the current governor of New York State and a Republican, rushed to the scene. After seeing Marshall, his face was very gloomy: "Your Excellency, Chief of General Staff, I just came from the disaster area. I only had a quick look at the scene. The situation was very bad. I need an explanation. More than 8 million people in New York need an explanation!”

"After witnessing the current situation, any excuses and explanations are pale. I feel very sad..." Marshall considered his words and thought about how to deal with these problems.

Everyone knows that Dewey is President Roosevelt's biggest and most powerful political rival. Rumors of his running for the next President of the United States have spread. After receiving news of the attack on New York City, he left the seat of the New York State Government. The city of Albany rushed over, faster than Marshall came from Washington, and had a more complete understanding of the overall attack.

Marshall is not a politician, but his political acumen is not bad. He knows clearly: Now is the time when New Yorkers are most excited. He must not try to shirk responsibility - that would add fuel to the fire, but he cannot take over everything. It was detrimental to winning over New York public opinion, which was detrimental to President Roosevelt's popularity. After Dewey arrived, a large group of reporters rushed over to hear the news, and any imprudent answers would be amplified without limit. When reporters saw that Marshall was at the scene, they immediately started a barrage of questions:

"Mr. Dewey, what are the casualties so far? What do you think of this attack?"

"General Marshall, do we have a plan for retaliation and have we begun to eliminate these invaders?"

Dewey was very angry, but still maintained enough restraint. He turned around and said: "The state government and the city government are currently devoting all their energy to rescue. We promise to do our best to save any person and not give up any chance. I hope The media can report more on the brutality of the enemy, the bravery of the National Guard and the New York police, and our efforts to overcome the difficulties caused by the attacks. At the same time, we call on all walks of life to provide adequate help to the people who were attacked. The specific number of casualties and property losses is still being calculated. , a press conference will be held later today to announce.”

"I heard that Army planes have been searching for invading enemies. Can we find the enemy and sink them?" After a reporter asked, everyone turned their attention to Marshall, hoping to get a positive answer.

Logically, this information should not be made known to reporters. If asked in the past, Marshall would definitely refuse it as "military secrets." But he knew that if there was no explanation now, he was afraid that the media would not be able to pass the test first, but he could not guarantee it. Said that the enemy could be found and struck sufficiently - before departure, Army Aviation Commander-in-Chief Arnold had hinted that the troops were insufficient and believed that it would be very difficult to counterattack. I hope he would not have too high expectations.

Marshall thought for a moment and used a clever sentence to prevaricate: "We have mobilized the largest available force at present, and follow-up aircraft are still coming in a steady stream."

Dewey frowned. He was a politician, so of course he could understand what this sentence meant. However, he did not intend to expose the other party's cover-up. He knew clearly that if the election was to be successful, it was best not to engage in conflicts with high-ranking military officials like Marshall. There is no benefit at all if there is a stalemate in the relationship. But not offending Marshall does not mean that he cannot offend Roosevelt - if he wants to win the trust of the people and establish an image, he must show his ideas in front of the media that are different from those of the current government. Today is an ideal occasion.

"After this incident, what considerations and arrangements does Washington have for homeland security?" Dewey said slowly, "New York is just the beginning. The enemy can bomb New York today, and tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, they can bomb Washington, Boston, Philadelphia... The United States has a long coastline. We cannot let our people live in fear and must establish an adequate and powerful defense system.”

Marshall didn't understand his subtext and nodded subconsciously: "Of course."

"I have to regretfully point out that the current war policy adopted by President Roosevelt is completely wrong." As soon as these words came out, all the reporters became excited - this was the first politician to publicly criticize the president with enough weight. , they immediately pricked up their ears to listen, fearing that the world would be in chaos.

Marshall frowned and felt deeply uncomfortable. He had unknowingly fallen into the mutual criticism of politicians and the opposition between the two parties.

"He transported a large amount of supplies to Britain and Russia, but neglected to protect his own people. Our biggest enemy is Japan first, and Germany secondly - it was the Japanese combined fleet that attacked us at Pearl Harbor, and they took away They destroyed our army in the Indian Ocean, and they destroyed the canal in Panama not long ago. Although the Germans have a huge army and occupy most of Europe, they actually do not pose a great threat to the United States. At this critical moment, we should first strengthen our own defense system instead of sending the anti-aircraft guns, warships, and aircraft we have worked so hard to produce to waste in vain. In a word, the policy of putting Europe first and then Asia is a huge mistake!"

Marshall couldn't stand it anymore and immediately retorted: "If we don't support Britain, Great Britain will be finished soon."

"The British have supported it for many years. The Germans now have no possibility of sending troops to land. Maybe Britain will encounter great difficulties, but first we ourselves will be finished... Have you considered the far-reaching impact of this incident on the United States? Consider it. Does it have an impact on the economy, morale, and society?” Dewey emphasized unceremoniously, “I believe that the vast majority of the people sympathize with and support the United Kingdom, but the military must first ensure the safety of its own people—they are the national defense force of the United States, not Mercenaries of Great Britain."

All the reporters present nodded, and even the city officials nodded secretly. Marshall could not continue. He did not believe that Dewey could not see or understand the necessity and significance of supporting Britain, but politicians could understand it. Ordinary people may not understand this, or even if they do understand it, they may not be able to understand it. It may not be a problem for ordinary people in the United States to pay more taxes and produce more supplies to supply the United Kingdom, but they must support others at the cost of their lives. The vast majority of Americans are not noble enough yet.

In order to cater to this concept, Dewey had to stand in their position and express his opinions empathetically. It is all about the votes - this is damn politics! Marshall sighed. He only hoped that this was just Dewey's remarks for the campaign and not his true thoughts. Otherwise, this war would be really troublesome.

However, Dewey did not pursue the attack fiercely. After fully expressing his views, he stopped his attacks and began to describe the rescue and follow-up defense strategies in an orderly manner. Finally, he said: "...The President has just issued an order declaring that the country has entered into a state of emergency. It is a state of emergency. We hope that the media will not add fuel to the flames when reporting and guide the people, businesses, and businessmen to understand and recognize the impact of this attack. We will definitely overcome all difficulties. "

After saying that, he pulled Marshall to the conference room. As he walked, he whispered to the latter and said sincerely: "Actually, New York's infrastructure and civilian casualties are secondary. I am more worried about the impact of the attack on the national economy. Let's not talk about other things. There will be disaster in the securities market and insurance market first!”

Marshall then suddenly thought: today is Saturday and tomorrow is Sunday, and the securities markets are closed for these two days (the United States has implemented the 40-hour work week law since 1940. Although the working hours have been adjusted since the war started, the securities market has been closed for two days. (The market is still closed on the weekend), there will definitely be panic selling when the securities market opens on Monday, May 3, and the disaster of the 1929 stock market crash may be repeated - whether it is a temporary market closure or an administrative order, it will all change. Without capital power, the later the market opens, the greater the backlog will be.