Beiyang reactionaries

"You just saw that many industries in the Westernization Movement and the Beiyang Army lost money, but you didn't see the importance and necessity of many other industries. For example, the military factories established at that time, such as Jiangnan Manufacturing Factory, Hanyang Armory Factory and our Sichuan Arsenal, this is the beginning of our country's military weapon production towards independence. There is also Hanyeping Company, which has been losing money since its establishment. But their establishment is not necessary. And such a company, do they need the state? Investment. With such a large investment and such a return on profit, will the private sector invest?"

Duan Xun asked Lu Zuofu with a smile. Seeing that Lu Zuofu listened very carefully, he continued: "I admit that these government-run factories have serious problems in management and supervision. But sometimes these large factories of heavy industry just leave No investment from the country. Now the steel output of the United States is tens of millions of tons, while our country is only tens of thousands of tons. After entering an industrial society, the strength of a country is closely related to its steel output. If a country wants to develop, it needs more Steel in many places requires the establishment of a larger steel company, which may be several times or dozens of times the size of Hanyeping Company. However, the establishment of a factory with an annual output of hundreds of thousands of tons or several million tons requires an investment of several thousand Tens of thousands, hundreds of millions or even more than a billion. Reporter Lu, tell me, who can invest in such an industry? In the end, the state needs to invest. So what we need is how to better manage these government-run enterprises, How to better supervise government-run enterprises instead of blindly rejecting government-run enterprises."

"Let's talk about education. You said that whether the Beijing government or the provincial governments have misappropriated education funds, I don't deny this. Because I am in Sichuan, and half of the annual fiscal revenue has to be invested in military expenses. Other provinces are only more serious than me, and there will be no lighter than me. But even so, the development of education will always be the state investment over private investment, and the national planned education development is always better than the disorderly development of the private sector. Lu Reporter, you can investigate some places with the best modern education development in China, almost all of them are in the northern region. In fact, it is where President Yuan (Yuan Shikai) stayed.”

"Why? Because President Yuan implemented the New Deal in the area under his rule, vigorously developing industry, commerce and education, especially the planned development of new schools. Therefore, various primary schools, middle schools, universities, and various companies have sprung up like mushrooms. .See? This is the strength of the government."

"Also, the entry of private capital into education is completely scattered and disorderly. Only the government's planned educational development can bring a unified standard and orderly development to education. The education we need now It’s a modernized, formalized development.”

Young people like Lu Zuofu always go to extremes when looking at problems.Of course, this is not a problem, because when you are young, everyone is like this.

"Reporter Lu, everything should be planned in light of the environment and the actual situation. You have to know that China is a country with thousands of years of history and thousands of years of officialdom. According to the current situation in China, it doesn't matter whether it is saving the country through industry. Well, whether it is education to save the country, without the support of the government, you are rootless. You are a reporter, and I heard that you have also invested in education. How much money does it cost to run a school, and how much private capital can be invested in it? Education, I think you know better than me."

"I just hired Luo Chengxiang, the number one scholar, to serve as the education commissioner of the Border Supervision Office of the four provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Tibet. Do you know what our plan is. Among the three provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, we will set up hundreds of units every year. New schools. Next year, at least [-] new primary schools and secondary schools will be established, as well as ten comprehensive universities including Southwest Associated University, two normal colleges, a nursing school, and a medical university in Kunming. Institutions of higher learning. Reporter Lu, let me ask you. Does private capital have such a plan, and does it have such strength.”

Lu Zuofu gave up his initial contempt and listened to Duan Xun very seriously.

Originally, Lu Zuofu thought that Duan Xun was from a "Qiu Ba" background, he had no culture, and he had no common language with him.But he didn't expect that what Duan Xun said was really different.There are many things I never thought about.

"Reporter Lu, let me ask you again. What is a businessman? A businessman is after profit. Recently, many people in Chongqing are building power plants in Chongqing and investing in water plants in Chongqing. Why, because of making money, because Chongqing is a big city, There are more rich people. But Sichuan has a population of more than 5000 million, the three provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou have a population of 8000 million, but Chongqing has a population of less than 100 million. In our southwest provinces, many people live in remote areas. In rural areas, you say whether they need electricity or running water. But tell me, will there be businessmen building power plants and water supply plants in such places?"

Duan Xun stared straight at Lu Zuofu and said, "Let's talk about the railway. Many people are willing to invest in the construction of Beichuan Railway, the first railway in Sichuan. Many Sichuan businessmen are willing to invest in the recently planned Chengdu-Chongqing Railway. But if I want to If we build roads in those impoverished villages in Sichuan, no one will invest. Why? It’s still a reason, not making money. In China, 90.00% of them are farmers, and most of them are rural areas. Are they not eligible? Enjoying hydropower, not entitled to better roads?"

"The general is saying that the government will do the projects that these businessmen don't do."

"Correct."

Duan Xun nodded vigorously, and then said: "This is the responsibility of the government. Local economic development, the government collects taxes. Then these taxes are used in infrastructure, such as railways, roads, power plants, water plants, not just in big cities , but also to be built in rural areas. There are also projects with long profit cycles, such as steel plants, military factories, etc., which can only be invested by the government. Of course, these industries with large investments and slow return efficiency need the government to be responsible. But Those industries with small investment and quick results, the government’s efficiency is too slow, so it is not suitable to get involved. The most suitable industry for this kind of industry is private capital. Reporter Lu, do you understand what I mean now?”

"The general means that government funds and private capital each have their own uses."

"Yes."

Lu Zuofu fell into deep thought while talking.Because he has always opposed the investment of government funds in business, believing that this not only suppresses normal business development, but also squeezes the development of private capital.

But listening to Duan Xun's words, it is also very reasonable.

"Reporter Lu, there is no contradiction between state funds and private capital. Especially for China now, there is no contradiction. The two need to play their respective roles and cooperate closely."

"General, I understand what you mean. I will go back and think about it, then summarize it and publish it in the 'Chuan Bao'."

Lu Zuofu thought that Duan Xun came to him today because he was too critical of government funds entering the commercial field in the newspaper, so he talked so much with him.Otherwise, how could Duan Xun, the overlord of the Southwest who supervised the frontier defense of the four provinces, talk about so many issues with himself, a reporter.

In fact, Lu Zuofu would not give in to Duan Xun's wishes, if what Duan Xun said was wrong, he would definitely not agree.But what Duan Xun said touched Lu Zuofu a lot, so he wanted to go back and think about it.

"Reporter Lu, you misunderstood me."

"What the general meant was..."

"Reporter Lu, China's current system determines that the development of the country, the development of the local economy, and government departments are linked together. Just like the development of our Sichuan, Reporter Lu should not deny that Sichuan's development depends on hundreds of millions of dollars. Eighty-ninety percent depends on my choice. You literati may not be satisfied with this system, but this is the reality. It is useless to talk about any issues out of reality.”

"Yes."

Lu Zuofu nodded.

Local development depends on the choices of these warlords.Some warlords value the development of military factories, some warlords value strength, and some warlords only want to make money. Anyway, each has its own purpose.And their different purposes also lead to different developments in the provinces they rule.

For example, Zhang Zuolin's Northeast China, Yan Xishan's Shanxi Province, Liu Xiang's Sichuan Province, and Li Zongren's Guangxi Province all had different development models.This is the current situation in China.

"Therefore, Reporter Lu. It is more beneficial for you to come to the government agency to plan these things than you call in the newspaper. I came to you in person today because I want to invite you to join my Sichuan-Yunnan-Guizhou-Tibet Provincial Frontier Supervision Office to come I work here. Help me plan the development of education and industry in the three provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou."

"The general wants me to join the general's staff?"

Only then did Lu Zuofu understand what Duan Xun meant.

Some surprises.

After all, although he is well-known in the newspaper industry, he is only a 24-year-old young man.It should be said that he is not qualified enough for someone like Duan Xun to come and recruit him in person.Although Lu Zuofu has the temperament of a literati and is somewhat noble, it would be a lie to say that he is not flattered at all.

"Yes. Reporter Lu, don't you have a lot of your own views on saving the country through education and industry? Isn't it better for you to come and implement it yourself than appealing to others? I will give you such a stage."

"This... this..., general, I have to think about it."

"Okay. Reporter Lu, I'm waiting for your reply."

147 Hunan War

With the arrival of Yang Yongtai, Duan Xun accelerated the reserve of talents.Yang Yongtai knows countless people in the political and cultural circles. Not to mention Beijing and Tianjin, the core areas of the Beiyang Army, Yang Yongtai can dig out many people even in Guangdong, the area ruled by the Kuomintang.

Since Yang Yongtai defected to Duan Xun, Duan Xun understood one of the contents of "Three Kingdoms".Why did Xun Yu bring a large number of people to Cao Cao at once after he defected to Cao Cao.This is the network.

One person can bring you a team.

This is the case with Yang Yongtai.

When Duan Xun kept poaching and reserving talents, the situation developed very fast.

The whole of China is now full of killing noises.

The Beiyang Army reorganized its troops in Zhili, and after entering 1918, the troops moved south one after another. On January 1918, 1, Cao Kun, the commander of the First Route, appointed Wu Peifu as the acting commander of the Third Division of the Army, and let him formally enter the army.

This is Wu Peifu and the others who have taken care of the Hubei Yasukuni Army, so they started to go to Yuezhou. On January 1918, 1, Wu Peifu arrived in Puqi with the third division.

Of course, Zhang Jingyao's troops were the fastest.

What about Zhang Jingyao?Anything is very positive.In the year of [-], when the Wuchang Uprising was suppressed, Zhang Jingyao took the lead and fought with a battalion, which was called lively.Leading troops to charge several times, the revolutionary army's position was smashed.But it is precisely because of this performance that he became the head of the regiment after the Revolution of [-].Later, when the second revolution broke out, Zhang Jingyao led troops from Hubei into Jiangxi, leading the way.Because of this performance, Zhang Jingyao was once again promoted to brigade commander and concurrently served as the commander of the Nanchang garrison.

If we talk about suppressing the Revolution of [-] and the Second Revolution, the generals of the Beiyang Army were all so brave.Then it was completely different during the National Defense War.How many generals of the Beiyang Army were cheating and playing tricks on the front line, but Zhang Jingyao was the only one who did his best.

As a result, not only did he lose one brigade of his seventh division in Luzhou, but the other brigade also stubbornly blocked Dai Kan's Qian army in Qijiang.Although the results in the War to Protect the Nation were not as good as Duan Xun and Cao Kun, they were indeed the most dedicated.

Everyone can see his hard work.So after the War to Protect the Nation, Duan Qirui let him continue to be in charge of the Seventh Division, and all the good weapons were handed over to the Seventh Division.Therefore, Zhang Jingyao's seventh division is now strong and strong.

Zhang Jingyao is still so brave in the outbreak of the Dharma Protection War.

How many troops are playing tricks on the front line, but Zhang Jingyao is completely different.His seventh division came to Yuezhou the fastest to help Wang Jinjing defend Yueyang.Similarly, when suppressing the Jinguo Army in Hubei, Zhang Jingyao's troops also worked very hard.

It may be because of Zhang Jingyao's hard work that everyone from Yuan Shikai to Duan Qirui liked Zhang Jingyao very much.Zhang Jingyao's army has poor military discipline and poor combat effectiveness, but he himself has been promoted step by step.

This time too.

Although Cao Kun had already led his troops south, he also let Wu Peifu attack Yuezhou.However, after Wu Peifu encircled and suppressed the Hubei Yasukuni Army, he reorganized his troops in Hubei for half a month.After that, I slowly came to Yuezhou.

But Zhang Jingyao couldn't wait to lead his troops south, and he had already arrived in Tongcheng.

Just when everyone was preparing to attack Yuezhou, Feng Yuxiang, the brigade commander of the [-]th Mixed Brigade in Jiujiang who was preparing to attack Yuezhou with Zhang Huaizhi, dared to stop the army and declared independence by telegraphing, denouncing the Civil War as the most unconscious and unconscious Reasonable war, call for an end to this war.

All of a sudden everyone was frying pan.