British writer

Inside the restaurant, the atmosphere was lively.

Drinking and drinking each other,

The scientists were all chatting eagerly, laughter and conversation intermingling.

Occasionally, someone wanted to come over and have a relationship with Lu Shi, but when they saw Dunan and Passi, they nodded to Lu Shi knowingly, and left after becoming familiar with them.

Patsy flattered, "Professor Lu is so popular, that's why I want to invite you."

He said it very sincerely, without seeming to be lying.

Lu Shi pondered,

a long time,

"If I remember correctly, the members of the IPU are all parliamentarians from various countries, right? And my country..."

The Qing government was a feudal monarchy, so where did the members come from?

Even if there were, it wouldn't be Lu Shi's turn.

Patsy was somewhat surprised.

"Professor Lu, have you heard of the IPU before?"

The first conference of the IPU was held in Paris on June 29, 1889. 96 members of parliament from 3 continents and 9 countries attended the meeting.

It is younger than the Red Cross.

Lu Shi did not dwell on the historical issue and changed the subject: "Mr. Passy, ​​you haven't answered my question yet."

Passi said "Ah..." and explained: "That's right, the IPU is indeed composed of parliamentary groups from various countries, but in addition to the General Assembly, the Council, the Executive Committee, and the Secretariat."

Lu Shi understood,

The other party wanted to let him into the secretariat.

Don’t think that the word “secretary” means someone serving tea and pouring water.

Just like in listed companies, the positions of "assistant to the president" and "secretary to the board of directors" are not really assistants or secretaries, but senior executives.

Lu Shi said in surprise: "Shouldn't the appointment of the Secretariat be decided by the Board of Directors?"

The implication is,

Can Patsy have the final say?

Percy was slightly embarrassed.

"Ah...um..."

He looked hesitant.

Du Nan, who was next to him, was very happy and complained: "Mr. Passy, ​​do you have the nerve to call this organization the 'Parliamentary Alliance for Arbitration and Peace'? In terms of job appointments, it is clearly you who have the final say~ This is very unparliamentary." 'Oh~"

Patsy blushed and became even more embarrassed.

Dunan continued to tease him,

"dictatorship."

Patsy argued: "What dictatorship? This is called taking advantage of others!"

This reaction made Dunan laugh again.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

People passing by looked sideways, curious to see what was going on at this table.

Patsy was helpless and stopped talking about personnel issues.

When he turned to Lu,

"Professor Lu, are you willing?"

Lu Shi knew that his current status was quite special.

Guests of the British royal family,

Advisor to the President of the United States,

An old friend of the Collège de France,

…

It was precisely because of this that Patsy took a liking to him.

Therefore, Lu Shi needs to be cautious and not easily support others.

He asked: “What is the main responsibility of the IPU?”

Passi explained: "The IPU aims to promote various matters that enhance international peace and cooperation in their countries through personal contacts between members of the parliamentary corps of various countries and joint actions."

This is quite convoluted.

Thanks to Lu Shi's experience, he was able to understand the other party's French English.

He touched his chin lightly,

"Peace……"

Patsy nodded,

"Just recently, didn't Great Britain end the Boer War? The IPU also played a role."

"puff!"

Lu Shi burst out laughing on the spot.

He quickly turned his head away, tried hard to hold it in, and said, "I'm sorry, I... I'm sorry."

Dunant on the side said: "Mr. Passy, ​​'Britain ended the Boer War because of the IPU.' Do you believe this?"

"well……"

Patsy sighed, really speechless.

Lu Shi glanced at this old man and said,

Previously, there was a rumor in Whitehall that Prime Minister Balfour had read "The Nature of Japanese Civilization" and decided to focus on East Asia, thereby temporarily shrinking the front in Africa.

This rumor is more credible than Patsy's words to put gold in his face.

As for whether the IPU has had any effect...

Lu Shi felt that it was probably not the case.

During the Boer War, the German General Staff sent military advisers to the Transvaal and Orange;

Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and other countries also sent military observers to South Africa.

Faced with the British army's large-scale rapid corps mobilization with the help of railways and the overwhelming advantage of large corps in frontal combat, the German General Staff deepened its trust in the "total war" doctrine.

Switzerland, on the other hand, has established its own unique national defense system based on the Boer idea of ​​"all people as soldiers".

Judging from these examples, the international community may hope that Great Britain can fight hard and fight for as long as possible.

On the one hand, they can steal and target others militarily;

On the one hand, it can create pressure from international public opinion and undermine the prestige of Britain.

Patsy obviously knew this too,

"well……"

He sighed again and murmured to himself: "For the sake of peace, you have to give it a try."

Lu Shi asked: "Mr. Passi, your original purpose of creating the couplet was for peace?"

Patsy shook his head, then nodded,

“There are many purposes, but peace is undoubtedly the most important and most coveted one.”

"Difficult!"×2

Du Nan and Lu Shi actually said the same thing.

The two looked at each other,

"You say it first."×2

Again in unison.

Lu Shi waved his hand in a "please" gesture.

Dunan no longer showed humility,

He stroked his beard and asked in a low and depressed voice: "Mr. Passy, ​​have you been on the battlefield?"

Percy shook his head.

"No, I've never been on the battlefield."

Dunant said: "That year, I was passing by Suferino and happened to encounter a battle between the French and Sardinian forces and the Austrians. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. I was deeply shocked when I saw the wounded soldiers being tossed to death without anyone taking care of them. . Therefore, I organized a civilian team to rescue the injured among nearly 40,000 corpses and provide basic medical care to the injured soldiers."

He did not say that these were all at his own expense.

Lu Shi opened his mouth, but in the end did not interrupt.

Dunan continued: "After that, I considered setting up a civilian neutral rescue organization so that when a war occurs, we can promptly rescue the wounded soldiers on the battlefield."

This is the Red Cross.

Patsy shook her head upon hearing this.

"Why not do it once and for all? Treating wounded soldiers is far better than not showing up."

Dunan spread his hands,

"You think I don't want to? You know, your country's great writer Hugo and even Emperor Napoleon III agreed with me. However, the war still cannot be stopped."

Patsy fell silent;

Most French people have read the "Letter to Captain Butler Regarding the British-French Allied Forces Expedition to China".

The citizens of Paris were outraged;

But what's the use?

Dunan's mouth became dry as he spoke, so he took a sip of water, then leaned against the back of the chair and closed his eyes to rest.

He seemed to think of those miserable scenes again, and his eyelids twitched.

When Patsy turned to Lu,

"Professor Lu, what's your reason?"

Lu Shi said: "Mr. Passi, you know that I am a scholar doing historical research. Do you know when will the situation of 'countries strengthening international peace and cooperation' usually appear?"

Patsy was puzzled;

"Does this also have a historical pattern?"

Lu Shi nodded,

"Of course. The idea and desire for peace are often strongest after war. In other words, it is war that prompts people to seek peace."

Patsy:? ? ?

Dunan:? ? ?

Both of them were confused.

They looked at each other,

Professor Lu’s point of view is too ridiculous!

Could it be said that human society will always be under the law of the jungle, where the strong can suppress and bully the weak at will, and strong countries can conquer and vassal weak countries at will?

Du Nan said: "Professor Lu, you...uh...do you know what you are talking about?"

Lu Shi had already expected this,

He gave an example: "From 1618 to 1648, the Thirty Years War occurred in Europe on an unprecedented scale, which led to the establishment of the Westphalian system that laid the foundation for current international relations. Of course, there was also 1815..."

1815 was the year of the Napoleonic Wars;

Later, the Vienna System was born, which promoted the formation and development of international law.

"Huh~"

Percy exhaled slowly,

"Perhaps history is so counterintuitive."

He asked Lu Shi again: "Professor Lu, what do you mean..."

Lu Shi shrugged,

"One day there will be a 'war to stop all wars.'"

This statement sounds like a compliment,

But for some reason, both Dunan and Passy broke out in cold sweat on their backs.

Beads of sweat clung to his skin, as if he had been through a storm.

War to stop all wars?

If we follow Lu Shi's idea of ​​using war to bring about peace, how big of a scale would it be?

How many casualties will there be?

OK!

Patsy asked: "Will that day come?"

Lu Shi glanced at him,

In fact, "the war to stop all wars" refers to World War I.

In the Battle of the Somme between France and Germany, both sides suffered 1.3 million casualties in just five months, a cost of war that no European power could bear.

No country could have imagined that wars in the 20th century would be so brutal.

Countries were frightened;

As a result, the League of Nations was born, trying to maintain a relatively stable and peaceful international order until World War II began.

War really gave birth to peace briefly,

The world is so absurd.

Lu Shi said: "Mr. Passi, are you asking me if that day will come? I can only say that just now, in the garden of the Grand Hotel, Emperor William of Germany asked me a question, 'Language has no dignity, no romance. rudeness, so why are there so few German speakers?'"

This is not an answer, but it is an answer.

Both Passy and Dunan felt that Lu Shi was like a magic stick, performing a great dance.

After all, no one can predict war.

However, they subconsciously believed in Lu Shi's words.

Anyone with a little sensitivity can detect it,

Today's continent is like a powder keg, with just a few sparks, it will explode violently.

As Patsy watched the landing,

The young Chinese professor in front of me is really unique.

He just wanted to hire Lu Shi before, but now he had the urge to "become a disciple".

He asked: "Professor Lu, what do you think?"

These words have no beginning or end,

Lu Shi was a little confused.

"Um...what do I think? What are you asking about?"

Patsy then said specifically: "Professor Lu, how do you think the IPU should be improved?"

Lu Shi's head was full of black lines,

￣□￣｜｜,

"Mr. Passy, ​​you are asking blind questions. I am not a politician."

As a result, Patsy didn't speak, but Dunan beside him spoke first.

"Professor Lu, you know much, much more than politicians! I still understand many of the views in "Yes! Prime Minister"...ah...for example, in the first stage of the fourth-level statecraft, we claim that nothing happened... …”

Lu Shi quickly interrupted: "Stop talking! The impact will be bad!"

The corner of Dunan's mouth curled up,

"See? I was right! You are more of a politician than a politician!"

This is not a good hat.

Lu Shi waved his hands repeatedly,

"The script of a political drama is essentially a script, not politics. Professor James of Cambridge University has written so many ghost stories, but he has never actually seen a ghost..."

Dunant and Patsy laughed.

After a while,

Patsy said: "Professor Lu, you have a lot of latitude and longitude, so let's just have a brief chat~"

As he said that, he started to let go.

He moved the chair directly to Lu Shi's side to prevent Lu Shi from leaving the table easily.

"Ah this..."

Lu Shi was speechless for a while.

He really had no choice but to say: "Frankly speaking, with the current situation of the IPU, it is difficult to achieve the goal you mentioned. Peace and cooperation... are as difficult as reaching heaven."

Patsy said: "Yes, you and Mr. Dunant have just spoken. But what's the reason?"

Lu Shi smiled bitterly,

"If you don't want to talk about anything else, let's just talk about Tsarist Russia. Do they have a parliament?"

Russia’s parliament has a relatively long history of development.

At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a State Council during the Tsarist rule, but its members were nobles and wealthy businessmen.

It was not until 1917 that Russia had truly universal elections.

Patsy was also scratching her head about this.

"So... yes?"

Lu Shi then said: "If you say they do, then why didn't the IPU convene them to attend the meeting?"

Patsy muttered under his breath: "But democracy..."

Lu Shi shook his head,

"It's useless to talk about it. The United States also has a parliament and Japan also has a parliament. Why aren't you invited by the IPU?"

Passi said: "Japan still has an emperor~ As for the United States... it's too far away."

Lu Shi couldn't help complaining: "Why didn't you say that Britain has a wise, mighty and noble King? As far as I know, the Parliamentary Union was jointly initiated by you and Mr. William Randall Creamer, a member of the British House of Commons. established."

Democracy and everything else are just a pretense.

Well written in history books,

At the beginning of the 20th century, capitalist countries transitioned to imperialism.

France and Great Britain agreed to establish a parliamentary union, which was nothing more than accumulating political capital in order to carve up the world and compete for global hegemony.

Patsy figured it out;

If the IPU really wants to play its part and play a role in maintaining world peace, it must bring Russia, Germany, the United States, Japan, and even the Qing Dynasty and Brazil into it.

The more people there are, the wider the scope of consensus will be.

Passy whispered: "Indeed, Britain and France alone cannot control so many powers, and the powers outside the IPU will undoubtedly pose a huge threat to the authority and execution of the IPU."

As he spoke, he took out a small notebook,

Rustling——

When recording, the paper rubs against the pen tip and makes a soft sound.

Lu Shi had one head and two heads.

Unexpectedly, the other party really regarded his words as recording a peerless magical skill like the "Sunflower Collection".

This old man doesn't know how to practice swinging a sword from the palace, does he?

Patsy asked again: "What else?"

It’s completely an attitude of asking for advice with an open mind.

Lu Shi whispered: "The IPU lacks coercive armed forces and can only adopt economic and diplomatic sanctions."

Dunan on the side agreed,

"I agree with this. Some things cannot be solved without force. But..."

Lu Shi said "hmm\

,""I understand. It is impossible for the current IPU to form its own army."

The words have been made very clear,

In the current environment, this path of the IPU will not work.

But Patsy was undeterred;

"Professor Luk said, 'The present IPU', then maybe it can be done in the future, right? After that 'war to stop all wars'."

Lu Shi: "..."

In fact, it would not be possible after World War I, it would have to be World War II.

But it was impossible for him to say this,

Otherwise, you will really become a master of dancing.

When Lu Shi didn't say anything, Patsy took it as his acquiescence. After jotting down a few more notes, he asked, "Is there any more?"

Lu Shi knew that the other party had become determined after eating the weight.

He said helplessly: "The IPU must set up enough affairs agencies. Otherwise, the response to the handling of international affairs will be slow and nothing will be done. We cannot just temporarily set up an investigation committee every time we need to deal with disputes. That would be How troublesome..."

Patsy recorded quietly,

After talking to Lu Shi, he realized that the IPU had such problems.

In other words, he had realized it before, but it was a vague feeling and had not been pointed out clearly one by one.

The three fell into silence,

"..."

"..."

"..."

Their table was in sharp contrast to the lively atmosphere in the restaurant.

Snapped--

Patsy closed the notebook,

But after thinking about it, he opened it again and made up a title——

"First Draft of the Charter of the IPU".

Then write two lines below:

——

Drafter: Lu Shi;

Recorder: Frederick Passy.

——

Lu Shi talked too much and just took a sip of water to moisten his throat.

When he saw these words, he immediately sprayed,

"Charter? Draftsman?"

Snapped--

Passi closed his notebook again and said, "I have no problem writing this. Professor Lu, you will be the future drafter of the IPU Charter. As a social activist, if this kind of international peace organization can really be established in the future, You are the worthy founder.”

Lu Shi: "I...you...I didn't..."

I can't even talk anymore.

Passi continued: "I firmly believe that such an organization will one day be established."

As he spoke, he patted Lu Shi on the shoulder,

"Professor Lu, I understand why you are unwilling to work in the IPU. Presumably, you think the IPU is too weak and powerless, and is just a plaything of the big powers, right?"

He sighed silently,

"I sometimes feel the same way. But, Professor Lu, you are still young and can see more, longer and farther. So you must keep hope."

Lu Shi: "..."

As a time traveler, how could we lose hope?

He just knows the course of history.

But Patsy didn't know what Lu Shi was thinking, and continued to talk to himself: "After returning from Stockholm, I will work hard to develop in this direction."

He raised his notebook,

"Professor Lu, next time I invite you, you must not shirk it."

Lu Shi's mentality collapsed.

"Mr. Passy, ​​are you... no... can you..."

Abba Abba,

Don't know what to say.

Patsy laughed and stretched.

"The world will definitely remember this day. On November 3, 1901, in Stockholm, a great idea was born. Don't you think so, founder Professor Lu?"