The five countries of Britain, France, Japan, Russia and the Netherlands jointly appealed to the United States, hoping that the United States could come forward and invite the international community to put pressure on the East China government, demanding that the East China government stop trampling on international norms, undermine international free trade, and destroy freedom of navigation. The reason why the United States proposed to attract the international community is that the East China government's business is destroying international free trade and also harming the interests of the United States. Moreover, the United States is currently the world's largest economy and a regional power, and should bear more international obligations. Therefore, it is natural that it should come forward to maintain the international free trade order and maintain freedom of navigation.

The joint appeal of the five countries also made many American politicians quite excited. After all, the United States is just a backward country among the great powers. Although its national strength is strong enough, its qualifications are not enough. In the eyes of old-fashioned powers like Britain and France, the United States is a nouveau riche and looks down on the United States at all. But now he is humbly asking for his own help. This feeling is of course very good. In addition, some American politicians are hostile to the East China government. They either hold a white supremacist concept, or believe that the East China government is the strategic rival of the future of the United States, or simply dislike the East China government. Therefore, many people advocate that the United States should help Britain and France and face the pressure on the East China government.

However, US President Roosevelt still maintained a clear mind and knew that the United States could play the role of a mediator. Even if it appropriately favors one side during the mediation process, it would not matter much, but it would never stand up and put pressure on the East China government. Because mediation can be said to be a neutral attitude, but the pressure will inevitably go completely to the opposite side of the East China government.

Although Roosevelt is very clear that although the US national strength is strong enough and plays an important role internationally, isolationism is still very prevalent in the United States, so it is not fully prepared to make enemies actively. Moreover, the East China government may become a powerful opponent of the United States in the future. However, at this stage, the East China government does not pose a threat to the United States, or it has a very small threat, but instead it has a large number of common interests with the United States. It is not in line with the current interests of the United States if it is rashly aggressingly to be an enemy of the East China government.

Since the East China government is not as closed and conservative as the Qing court, it has been facing the world with an open and arbitrary attitude since its establishment, and actively carried out economic and trade cooperation with countries around the world. Although countries have not had any special cases in the Qing court in the East China government, due to the well-management of the East China government, the East China government has a good governance, clear politics and clear social order, and the infrastructure is gradually improving. Therefore, it is indeed much more convenient to do business and engage in trade activities within the East China government than in the Qing court. The United States has also benefited a lot from it. Not only has a lot of economic and trade exchanges with the East China government, but also uses the East China government as a springboard to import goods into the inland areas of China.

Moreover, the East China government has already obtained the Northeast region and is preparing for development. There are a lot of business opportunities here. During the Poetsmouth negotiations, the East China government held a development exhibition in the Northeast region in the United States, attracting American businessmen to invest. There are indeed many American businessmen who are very interested in investment in the Northeast region. In this case, at least at present, the United States is not suitable to take the initiative to be enemies with the East China government, because Britain and France have not given enough bargaining chips for the United States. Of course, Britain and France are actually unlikely to give the United States any valuable bargaining chips. But with just a few high hats from Britain and France, it would be a good thing that would be like to fool the United States and the East China government to be enemies and take action for Britain and France.

Of course, there is another important reason why Roosevelt dared to easily rebel against the East China government now. The three counterattack measures formulated by the East China government seem fierce and extreme, but in fact, people have used them in history. During the Napoleonic War, Napoleon ordered a trade blockade against Britain. Although Napoleon did not have a navy that was strong enough to block the entire British Isles, it could at that time not have trade with Britain. This was actually an early maritime blockade; and in the American Civil War and the early stages of the Far East War, when Japan and Russia were fighting, all parties also had examples of sending fleets to intercept enemy merchant ships. Therefore, the East China government was just copying itself and was not a big deal. The reason why the international community responded strongly was mainly because only Britain and France used to block other countries and prohibit other countries. Now, some people dared to use this trick against Britain and France, which is really rare.

As for trampling on international norms, destroying free trade, and destroying freedom of navigation, it is just a matter of scenes. It is okay to say a few words of protest, but if you really put pressure on the East China government, it is estimated that no country will do it now, including the United States. Since the East China government has won the victory of the Battle of the Taiwan Strait, who will still be so ignorant and be so irritable to be offended by the East China government at this time.

The United States has always judged that after Britain and France joined the war, the war would be in a stalemate in which the East China government dominated the land and the expeditionary fleet dominated the sea. However, it did not expect that the expeditionary fleet would be defeated by the People's Army fleet and almost wiped out the entire army. Of course, no country would have expected this result. Although the detailed process of the Battle of the Taiwan Strait has not been announced now, and the United States did not know how the People's Army won this naval battle, the result was very clear. This shows that the United States, including the whole world, underestimated the strength of the People's Army Navy, and Roosevelt did not think that the US Navy would be stronger than the Far East Expeditionary Force.

However, Roosevelt also believed that the United States could not speak out at this time. After all, the counter-revolution of the East China government did harm the interests of the United States. If the United States did not respond at all, it would damage the United States' international image. Therefore, Roosevelt ordered the US Consul in Qingdao Robert Bacon to protest to the East China government. First, it was to show the attitude of the United States to the East China government, including the whole world; second, it was to test the reaction of the East China government.

Robert Bacon went to Qingdao after the end of the Puttsmouth negotiations. He had been an assistant to the Secretary of State. He was a diplomatic veteran in the United States. He had more than 20 years of friendship with Roosevelt and was deeply trusted by Roosevelt. Before entering politics, he was one of the directors of the Morgan Consortium, the largest financial empire in the United States. He had deep connections in both political and business circles in the United States. After the breakdown of the Puttsmouth negotiations, the United States judged that the war in the Far East would fall into a long-term situation of sea and land consent, and it was carried out on both military and diplomatic fronts at the same time, and the situation became further complicated. Therefore, the United States needed a capable person to sit in Qingdao, keep abreast of the development of the situation and make accurate judgments as the main basis for domestic adjustment of policies. So Roosevelt appointed Robert Bacon to take over as the Consul in Qingdao.

As a result, the United States' judgment was only half correct. The situation in the Far East was becoming more and more complicated, but the long-term situation of sea and land holdings did not appear. However, the front was shifted from military to diplomatic level, and Robert Bacon also had a place to use it.

After receiving Roosevelt's order, Robert Bacon immediately understood the president's intention, so he immediately met with Li Sanjie with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the East China Government, and on the next day he went to the Foreign Affairs Committee to hold formal talks with Li Sanjie.

After the two of them had a routine diplomatic etiquette, Wilkins said seriously: "Mr. Member, we believe that the countermeasures of your government to carry out against the five countries of Britain, France, Japan, Russia and the Netherlands are very inappropriate. Intercepting merchant ships is a serious act of undermining free trade; blocking the Japanese archipelago and banning merchant ships from other countries, destroying freedom of navigation; and attacking Java is even more trampling on international norms, further expanding the scale of the war, further complicating the situation in the Far East, and has no positive effect on restoring peace in the Far East, and seriously affecting the interests of the United States in Asia. Therefore, on behalf of the US government, I filed a solemn protest to your government, and I hope that your government can seriously consider it and make improvements." After that, he submitted the letter of protest to Li Sanjie.

After receiving the protest letter, Li Sanjie was not angry and said, "Mr. Consul, I have accepted the protests from your government and will respond to the Executive Yuan. So let's sit down and talk."

Robert Bacon nodded, sat down on the sofa, and said, "Mr. Member, our government is very concerned about the countermeasures carried out by your government. To be honest, we think your government's countermeasures are too radical."

Li Sanjie said: "Mr. Consul, we are forced to do this. In fact, we don't want to do so extremes. But in order to end the war as soon as possible, we have to do this. I hope that the Consul and the US government can understand that if the five countries in Britain, France, Japan, Russia and the Netherlands can negotiate peace with us as soon as possible, end the war and restore peace in the Far East, then these countermeasures can be stopped. If the US government hopes that the war will stop as soon as possible, I think we should do the work of Britain, France, Japan, Russia and the Netherlands."

Robert Bacon said: "Mr. Member, our US government has been working hard to restore peace in the Far East. At the beginning of the year, the Puttsmouth negotiations were held to mediate the government, Japan and Russia. Although the negotiations failed due to various reasons, the US government is still colluding with all parties and looking for every opportunity to restore peace in the Far East. However, just a few days ago, my government issued a suggestion to your government for mediation again at the request of Britain and France, but was rejected by your government."

Li Sanjie laughed and said, "Mr. Consul, we are very grateful for the efforts of the US government, but we did not refuse the US mediation. It was obviously the conditions we proposed were rejected by Britain and France."
Chapter completed!