Chapter 331: Advancing by Retreating
"Is there no other way?" Dominique's eyes were filled with a trace of helplessness.
"Unless you can think of one," Charles replied.
Charles had tried before, but this was a systemic issue, not something an individual could challenge. Unless, of course, he took the army and forcefully dissolved the parliament by controlling the government.
Steed had remained silent throughout. In his view, these discussions were unnecessary; Dominique was just making trouble. Merchants should focus on business matters. As for how many people had died on the Gallipoli battlefield, that was a matter for the government and the military to address.
Steed finished his last bite of cream cake, wiped his mouth with a napkin, discarded it on the table, and signaled to the waiter to clear away the food.
"Regarding the issue of changing military uniforms," Steed said, "we will strive for the parliament to pass it as soon as possible. I believe there is hope."
"Really?" Charles was somewhat surprised.
"Yes." Steed nodded approvingly. "Your speech and answers during the inquiry were excellent. I believe you at least convinced the 'Workers' International French Branch.'"
"'Workers' International French Branch'?" Charles had never heard of this name before.
"Yes." Steed explained, "It's a political party. While its influence in parliament is not great, it is neither left-wing nor right-wing."
"Then what is it?" Charles had already guessed. As the name suggested, this was likely a workers' party.
Indeed, Steed answered, "They are a workers' alliance, Colonel. The main body of this party consists of workers. They emphasize protecting labor rights, advocating for pragmatic economic policies, and externally, they defend France's independence, opposing foreign capital encroaching on France."
Steed then asked, "Do you remember the parliamentarian who asked the question? The one who said red would inspire soldiers to charge rather than surrender?"
Charles nodded.
"His name is Gaspard," Steed said. "He is the leader of the Workers' International Party. They usually don't concern themselves much with parliamentary matters, as they aren't directly related to them. But they seem to have shown support for you. Moreover, many left-wing capitalists don't care about the military uniform issue, so we are very likely to pass it!"
Charles had a vague impression. Gaspard was a middle-aged man with a chin beard. Although his words seemed ridiculous to Charles, he was the only one who hadn’t tried to trap him.
In fact, his question had reminded Charles: this wasn’t just about changing uniforms; it was about France’s tactical theory.
At that moment, the debate in parliament had shifted its focus to a tactical theory that was favorable to Charles.
Charles smiled lightly. Interesting. Was he secretly helping Charles with his question?
Steed continued, "I think the greater danger seems to be Wells' ambiguous stance..."
Charles hummed in acknowledgment.
Charles understood Wells. He wanted to side with Charles, but the impact on the shipbuilding industry was too significant. He didn’t dare offend the Schneider Group lightly.
Or perhaps Wells was deliberately doing this: staying neutral between Schneider and Charles to maintain good relations with both sides and extract benefits from both.
There are only eternal interests, not eternal friends, Charles reminded himself repeatedly.
Even though Wells had been a comrade-in-arms with Tigani, Wells was ultimately a businessman, and he had to consider his own shipyards.
To change this situation, perhaps there was only one solution: to own his own steel mills.
At this point, Charles realized how important steel was. It wasn’t just a "money" issue, but a matter of influence and the power of discourse.
Steed reminded him, "If possible, it’s best for you to confirm with Mr. Wells."
"No," Charles shook his head. "No need."
"Do you think Wells will support us?" Steed asked, confused.
Charles shook his head again. "He’s likely to abstain."
Steed agreed. That’s what he thought too. Abstention was a way to avoid offending anyone.
The problem, however, was that Wells' abstention could very well cause the proposal to fail.
"I actually hope the parliament rejects this proposal, rather than passing it," Charles said.
Steed looked at him, stunned.
Dominique, who had not cared about this matter at first, was now deep in thought. He seemed to be considering ways to introduce machine guns. Hearing Charles, he looked up in confusion.
Soon, Dominique suddenly understood. "Like the machine guns?"
At Dominique's reminder, Steed suddenly realized, "Advancing by retreating? Good idea, Colonel!"
Indeed, Charles was advancing by retreating.
Changing the military uniforms was not just Charles' personal initiative. It was the army's cry. Many soldiers fighting on the front lines had grown deeply frustrated with the red pants and red hats. Charles was merely voicing their concerns.
If the Chamber of Deputies passed Charles' proposal, it would alleviate pressure and give soldiers hope: "Just wait a little longer, the uniforms will likely be changed soon. The parliament has made the right decision."
Then the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies would engage in repeated back-and-forth negotiations. In the end, many innocent soldiers would have already died by the time the decision was made.
But if the parliament rejected it, the pressure would explode immediately. The parliament would face an impact from the people, which could be seen as Charles' warning.
Steed's eyes shone with excitement. It seemed that changing the military uniforms was inevitable, something no one could stop. Moreover, every soldier's uniform would need to be changed.
This was similar to helmets, perhaps even more costly than the helmets.
Now, perhaps it was time to acquire a few textile and garment factories in preparation?
...
Charles had kept a low profile regarding the change of military uniforms.
The military representative, The Meritorious Report, hadn’t mentioned a word about the uniforms. They had continued discussing the developments on the Gallipoli front.
Le Petit Journal casually mentioned Charles' speech in parliament.
Other newspapers had reported on it, but almost everyone's focus was on whether the tactical theory was correct:
"I believe the theory of offensive warfare is right. France has always fought according to this theory. If it were wrong, France likely would have ceased to exist long ago!"
"Wasn't Paris once captured under the theory of offensive warfare? Just recently, it almost fell again!"
"Then it should be the theory of defense. Pétain has repeatedly won victories with it on the front line."
"If we're talking about victories, who can match Charles?"
...
Charles was quite satisfied with this situation.
He was worried that the parliamentarians might realize how serious the issue of "changing uniforms" was.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that it was like a dam on the brink of collapsing. On the surface, it seemed like nothing. The soldiers had been wearing these uniforms for so many years without issue. What could possibly go wrong if they continued wearing them?
But these parliamentarians, who were far removed from the common people, couldn’t have imagined that such a trivial matter could spark a rebellion!