Venezuela initially allowed the United States to expand its military presence, but it soon became a standard routine. The different branches of the military competed for military funds because to the north of the United States lay British Canada, and if they couldn't handle it, the Venezuelan crisis would be a disgrace. Furthermore, the last time the White House was burnt down, to the south, there was Mexico, which changed leaders as frequently as Sheffield changed his underwear.
On the mainland, the United States faced little pressure, so the Navy naturally believed that the Army was unnecessary, and they didn't need to expand the military. Even Cuba had no relation to the Army until the eve of a potential conflict when they realized that 30,000 troops might not cut it against over 200,000 Spanish troops on the whole island. They couldn't rely solely on elite forces for a land-based battle, could they?
Wasn't this evolution related to Roosevelt in front of Sheffield at this moment? This man was the Deputy Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Navy position was often hit or miss.
It wasn't that the United Companies had grown powerful enough to pull half of the United States Army; it was that in front of the Navy's elite, the Army was really being unfairly treated. All the military funds were being used by these elite Navy men to build warships.
Of course, we can't forget the United States Marine Corps, which was in an even worse situation as third-rate players. But it didn't matter; once the Air Force came into play, they would become fourth-rate players. There's no such thing as the worst; there's only worse, and the tough times were yet to come.
As for logistics, the federal government naturally didn't need a private enterprise to worry about that. In this era, injectable fluids hadn't appeared yet, and from the key impressions, American casualties weren't significant. So, there was no need for poisoned and contaminated gauze or intravenous fluids; stockpiling them would only result in losses. All of this prevented black capitalists from thriving.
Regarding the supplies for the expeditionary forces, apart from firearms and ammunition, the only thing related to the United Companies might be provisions. The United Companies naturally had a presence in that area, with some people calling it the canned provisions trust, others calling it the beef trust, and even the flour trust. However, they were of no use at the moment.
The Civil War was currently the United States' most strenuous war, leading to the stockpiling of provisions in military warehouses, with dried beef stored for thirty years. The federal government believed it could still make use of this, and in fact, during the Pacific War, the American forces, battered by the Japanese, relied on these provisions, which were older than their grandfathers, to fend off the Japanese combined fleet.
It's evident that when a nation starts acting like a rogue, there's no room for black-hearted capitalists like Sheffield to operate. Now he could only take a loss and make noise, allowing Coca-Cola's Chandler to voluntarily offer to provide free drinks to American soldiers on the battlefield so they could taste the flavors of home anywhere they went.
Assisting Theodore Roosevelt in raising a passable private armed force didn't require Sheffield's personal involvement. If necessary, he could release a batch of criminals from private prisons to earn merits. However, the most hardened criminals might not be willing to leave. In their own prison, a group of prisoners enjoyed relatively good treatment and even supported themselves. Prison was the best job for these prisoners.
Of course, not everyone would understand this act of assistance. When Gael, who soon learned of this, arrived at Oak Tree Manor, he was very puzzled and asked, "Why are we helping a Yankee?"
"After all, we're all in the same country. Moreover, those of us who've put in so much effort to expand overseas have done so to share the risks, grow our overseas markets, and prevent being harvested again. I've always had a question in my mind: today, the North is strong economically while the South is weak. If one day we successfully restore the political influence we had before the Civil War, will the Yankees try to harvest us again? We have to be cautious and prevent them from acting recklessly," Sheffield said as he wiped down a shotgun, not looking at Gael, and spoke slowly. "The current situation was established after the Civil War. If one day we compete to that extent again and I win, will they obediently accept it?"
Gael stood still, pondering Sheffield's speculation carefully. If he said that everyone at the top of the United States' pyramid, with homes and businesses, wouldn't let the Civil War happen again, but the problem was that the Civil War had already happened once, and the result was that plantation owners like them were harvested. With precedent in place, could they make hasty judgments?
Sheffield had more on his mind than Gael realized. He remembered that during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency, although measures were taken against various trusts on the surface, in reality, these large companies didn't suffer much. However, the small and medium-sized enterprises and banks in the Far West were in chaos under Theodore Roosevelt's strong-arm tactics. Regarding both giant corporations and small to medium-sized enterprises, Theodore Roosevelt, who hailed from New York, had his preferences, and he clearly showed favoritism toward businesses in the northeastern states.
"We're still far from that point," Sheffield said to Gael, managing to squeeze out a faint smile. "So, we, as plantation owners, need to pursue internationalization and share the risks, just as we did when we used to run plantations. We need to cultivate in areas that haven't caught the attention of northeastern capital, stand together with as many states as possible, and there's still a long way to go to regain our political influence."
Establishing a connection with Theodore Roosevelt was just one of the preparations, and expanding overseas to diversify risks was another. However, when the time came to show their cards, they would still rely on necessary armed forces. Fortunately, the United States had never paid much attention to the feelings of the Army. This time, the Spanish-American War only entailed a temporary mobilization of the Army, and once the war ended, the Army would return to its original state.
Although the United States was a transcontinental country, Sheffield believed that, domestically, it was the Army that posed a greater threat. What if, at some point, the contradictions became irreconcilable? What if the northeastern capital refused to accept this?
It would be great if they could force these opponents to bow down. However, if they thought that the densely populated states in the Northeast could still win in a reshuffle, it would also be normal. From the worst perspective, who said a second Civil War couldn't erupt?
Sheffield was currently hitching a ride on the winds of history, but when he would become the driver and when the winds of history would cease to be of use, he couldn't predict that himself.
For now, this question required a step-by-step approach. After all, avoiding irreconcilable conflicts was impossible. He had to seize the fruits of victory in the Spanish-American War. He might share some with northern companies, but certainly not all of it.
During his time at Oak Tree Manor, Sheffield had established a good personal relationship with Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt was a very proud person, and Sheffield had already seen this. Issuing orders to the Asian Fleet ahead of time was proof of this. After all, there weren't many people in the entire United States who had a deep understanding of Spain's military strength in Asia.
Coincidentally, Sheffield was one of them, and Roosevelt hadn't even thought that he would have a like-minded individual who could make more precise estimations about the Asian situation and who knew about the available resources in the Philippines.
Both of them were confident in the United States' victory, even discussing the post-war status of the Philippines. It was all just bragging about loans. On this matter, Sheffield believed that directly annexing the Philippines would be more harmful than beneficial. "The preliminary estimate of the Philippine population is around eight million, and Mr. Roosevelt should know that such estimates generally underestimate the actual numbers. This is one-tenth of the United States' citizens. The Far West can't even accommodate more than two hundred thousand Chinese, so can we really bring in one-tenth of our population from abroad?"
As one of the few people in the United States who spoke the truth, Sheffield could easily say that others were talking nonsense. Moreover, this was a piece of cold knowledge that many people lacked. It made Roosevelt think that this young tycoon was indeed very capable, and it wasn't all based on family support. Young people with a long-term vision were actually quite rare, and Roosevelt believed Sheffield was one of them.
If he knew that Sheffield's vision extended to preparing for a second Civil War, he would be even more amazed, perhaps even frightened.
For Sheffield, the Spanish-American War was just a backdrop. Who said that by raising private armed forces from various companies, he wasn't preparing for a day of irreconcilable conflicts? He could appear to fight for his country while also displaying some power to deter others. What a great battlefield, where the weaker the enemy, the better.
The news of the Spanish fleet approaching the Atlantic Ocean continued to startle the major cities on the East Coast three times a day. The battle had first erupted in distant Asia, and Spain's colonial power in Asia was mainly centered in Cuba. Overall, Spain's military strength couldn't compare to the Americas, and its Philippine fleet wasn't as strong as the Japanese combined fleet, nor could it compete with the already-destroyed Beiyang Fleet in Asia.
To be honest, excluding the interference of the great powers, the Philippine fleet couldn't claim a dominant position in Asia. What's more, the enemy was coming from the Americas. The Spanish Philippine fleet had only two armored cruisers and four unarmored cruisers, with another unarmored cruiser undergoing repairs in the Manila dockyard.
In the deep of night, led by the cruiser Olympia, the United States Asian Fleet quietly approached the Spanish fleet's headquarters in Manila Bay. The distance between the two fleets was only about 400 meters. Under the command of George Dewey, in the early hours of the morning, the main guns of the cruiser Olympia roared, heralding the beginning of this battle.
The Olympia, an armored cruiser, had a displacement of nearly 6,000 tons, which was more than half larger than the flagship of the Spanish fleet in the harbor, which had a displacement of about 3,000 tons.
From the very beginning, this was a one-sided battle. The U.S. Navy was in the most favorable position, adjusting their positions right under the noses of the Spanish fleet at a leisurely pace, reloading their cannons, and then turning the harbor into a sea of fire. Amid the thunderous roar of the huge cannons, one Spanish warship after another turned into stepping stones for victory, becoming the most brilliant fireworks. As they say, art is explosive.
In the telegraph sent back to the United States, George Dewey proudly reported the losses, "The entire Spanish fleet has been annihilated, and the mighty Federal Navy has eight sailors wounded."
The news of victory came, and the entire United States was immersed in celebration. "Look at what's left of the once-global empire now!" Sheffield looked at his equally jubilant companions, leaning back with a grin. He had accurately assessed Spain's actual strength, ranking it as third in Asia, behind Japan and Qing Dynasty China.
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