tc.thebearandthedragon-第159部分

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　not　by　air。　For　this　reason；　the　B…1s　and　other　heavy…strike　aircraft　were　sent　to　Andersen　Air　Force　Base　on　Guam；　where　there　were　some　bomb　stores　to　be　used；　even　though　they　were　a　long　way　from　the　supposed　targets。
　The　air　forces　of　the　two　sides　established　an　immediate　and　friendly　rapport；　and　in　hours…as　soon　as　the　American　pilots　had　gotten　a　little　mandated　crew　rest…they　were　planning　and　flying　mission's　together　with　relative　ease。
　
　The　Quarter　Horse　went　first。　Under　the　watchful　eyes　of　Lieutenant　Colonel　Angelo　Giusti；　the　M1A2　main　battle　tanks　and　M3　Bradley　cavalry　scout　vehicles　rolled　onto　the　flatcars　of　Deutsche　Rail；　acpanied　by　the　fuel　and　other　support　trucks。　Troops　went　into　coaches　at　the　head　end　of　the　train　〃consists〃　and　were　soon　heading　east　to　Berlin；　where　they'd　change　over　to　the　Russian…gauge　cars　for　the　further　trip　east。　Oddly；　there　were　no　TV　cameramen　around　at　the　moment；　Giusti　saw。　That　couldn't　last；　but　it　was　one　less　distraction　for　the　unit　that　was　the　eyes　of　First　Tanks。　The　division's　helicopter　brigade　was　sitting　at　its　own　base；　awaiting　the　availability　of　Air　Force　transports　to　ferry　them　east。　Some　genius　had　decided　against　having　the　aircraft　fly　themselves；　which；　Giusti　thought；　they　were　perfectly　able　to　do；　but　General　Diggs　had　told　him　not　to　worry　about　it。　Giusti　would　worry　about　it；　but　not　out　loud。　He　settled　into　a　fortable　seat　in　the　lead　passenger　coach；　along　with　his　staff；　and　went　over　maps　just　printed　up　by　the　division's　cartography　unit；　part　of　the　intelligence　shop。　The　maps　showed　the　terrain　they　might　be　fighting　for。　Mostly　they　predicted　where　the　Chinese　would　be　going；　and　that　wasn't　overly　demanding。
　
　So；　what　are　we　going　to　do？〃　Bob　Holtzman　asked。　〃We're　beginning　to　deploy　forces　to　support　our　allies；〃　Ryan　answered。　〃We　hope　that　the　PRC　will　see　this　and　reconsider　the　activities　that　now　appear　to　be　under　way。〃
　〃Have　we　been　in　contact　with　Beijing？〃
　〃Yes。〃　Ryan　nodded　soberly。　〃The　DCM　of　our　embassy　in　Beijing；　William　Kilmer；　delivered　a　note　from　us　to　the　Chinese　government；　and　we　are　now　awaiting　a　formal　reply。〃
　〃Are　you　telling　us　that　you　think　there　will　be　a　shooting　war　between　Russia　and　China？〃
　〃Bob；　our　government　is　working　very　hard　to　forestall　that　possibility；　and　we　call　on　the　Chinese　government　to　think　very　hard　about　its　position　and　its　actions。　War　is　no　longer　a　policy　option　in　this　world。　I　suppose　it　once　was；　but　no　longer。　War　only　brings　death　and　ruin　to　people。　The　world　has　turned　a　corner　on　this　thing。　The　lives　of　people…including　the　lives　of　soldiers…are　too　precious　to　be　thrown　away。　Bob；　the　reason　we　have　governments　is　to　serve　the　needs　and　the　interests　of　people；　not　the　ambitions　of　rulers。　I　hope　the　leadership　of　the　PRC　will　see　that。〃　Ryan　paused。　〃A　couple　of　days　ago；　I　was　at　Auschwitz。　Bob；　that　was　the　sort　of　experience　to　get　you　thinking。
　〃You　could　feel　the　horror　there。　You　could　hear　the　screams；　smell　the　death　smell；　you　could　see　the　lines　of　people　being　led　off　under　guns　to　where　they　were　murdered。　Bob；　all　of　a　sudden　it　wasn't　just　black…and…white　TV　anymore。
　〃It　came　to　me　then　that　there　is　no　excuse　at　all　for　the　government　of　a　country；　any　country；　to　engage　in　killing　for　profit。　Ordinary　criminals　rob　liquor　stores　to　get　money。　Countries　rob　countries　to　get　oil　or　gold　or　territory。　Hitler　invaded　Poland　for　Lebensraum；　for　room　for　Germany　to　expand…but；　damn　it；　there　were　already　people　living　there；　and　what　he　tried　to　do　was　to　steal。　That's　all。　Not　statecraft；　not　vision。　Hitler　was　a　thief　before　he　was　a　murderer。　Well；　the　United　States　of　America　will　not　stand　by　and　watch　that　happen　again。〃　Ryan　paused　and　took　a　sip　of　water。
　〃One　of　the　things　you　learn　in　life　is　that　there's　only　one　thing　really　worth　having；　and　that's　love。　Well；　by　the　same　token　there's　only　one　thing　worth　fighting　for；　and　that　is　justice。　Bob；　that's　what　America　fights　for；　and　if　China　launches　a　war　of　aggression…a　war　of　robbery…America　will　stand　by　her　ally　and　stop　it　from　happening。〃
　〃Many　say　that　your　policy　toward　China　has　helped　to　bring　this　situation　about；　that　your　diplomatic　recognition　of　Taiwan…〃　Ryan　cut　him　off　angrily。
　〃Bob；　I　will　not　have　any　of　that！　The　Republic　of　China's　government　is　a　freely　elected　one。　America　supports　democratic　governments。　Why？　Because　we　stand　for　freedom　and　self…determination。　Neither　I　nor　America　had　anything　to　do　with　the　cold…blooded　murders　we　saw　on　TV；　the　death　of　the　Papal　Nuncio；　Cardinal　DiMilo；　and　the　killing　of　the　Chinese　minister　Yu　Fa　An。　We　had　nothing　to　do　with　that。　The　revulsion　of　the　entire　civilized　world　came　about　because　of　the　PRC's　actions。　Even　then；　China　could　have　straightened　it　out　by　investigating　and　punishing　the　killers；　but　they　chose　not　to；　and　the　world　reacted…to　what　they　did　all　by　themselves。〃
　〃But　what　is　this　all　about？　Why　are　they　massing　troops　on　the　Russian　border？〃
　〃It　appears　that　they　want　what　the　Russians　have；　the　new　oil　and　gold　discoveries。　Just　as　Iraq　once　invaded　Kuwait。　It　was　for　oil；　for　money；　really。　It　was　an　armed　robbery；　just　like　a　street　thug　does；　mugging　an　old　lady　for　her　Social　Security　check；　but　somehow；　for　some　reason；　we　sanctity　it　when　it　happens　at　the　nation…state　level。　Well；　no　more；　Bob。　The　world　will　no　longer　tolerate　such　things。　And　America　will　not　stand　by　and　watch　this　happen　to　our　ally。　Cicero　once　said　that　Rome　grew　great　not　through　conquest；　but　rather　through　defending　her　allies。　A　nation　acquires　respect　from　acting　for　things；　not　against　things。　You　measure　people　not　by　what　they　are　against；　but　by　what　they　are　for。　America　stands　for　democracy；　for　the　self…determination　of　people。　We　stand　for　freedom。　We　stand　for　justice。　We've　told　the　People's　Republic　of　China　that　if　they　launch　a　war　of　aggression；　then　America　will　stand　with　Russia　and　against　the　aggressor。　We　believe　in　a　peaceful　world　order　in　which　nations　pete　on　the　economic　battlefield；　not　with　tanks　and　guns。　There's　been　enough　killing。　It's　time　for　that　to　stop；　and　America　will　be　there　to　make　it　stop。〃
　〃The　world's　policeman？〃　Holtzman　asked。　Immediately；　the　President　shook　his　head。
　〃Not　that；　but　we　will　defend　our　allies；　and　the　Russian　Federation　is　an　ally。　We　stood　with　the　Russian　people　to　stop　Hitler。　We　stand　with　them　again；〃　Ryan　said。
　〃And　again　we　send　our　young　people　off　to　war？〃
　〃There　need　be　no　war；　Bob。　There　is　no　war　today。　Neither　America　nor　Russia　will　start　one。　That　question　is　in　the　hands　of　others。　It　isn't　hard；　it　isn't　demanding；　for　a　nation…state　to　stand　its　military　down。　It's　a　rare　professional　soldier　who　relishes　conflict。　Certainly　no　one　who's　seen　a　battlefield　will　voluntarily　rush　to　see　another。　But　I'll　tell　you　this：　If　the　PRC　launches　a　war　of　aggression；　and　if　because　of　them　American　lives　are　placed　at　risk；　then　those　who　make　the　decision　to　set　loose　those　dogs　are　putting　their　own　lives　at　risk。〃
　〃The　Ryan　Doctrine？〃　Holtzman　asked。
　〃Call　it　anything　you　want。　If　it's　acceptable　to　kill　some　infantry　private　for　doing　what　his　government　tells　him；　then　it's　also　acceptable　to　kill　the　people　who　tell　the　government　what　to　do；　the　ones　who　send　that　poor；　dumb　private　out　in　harm's　way。〃
　Oh；　shit；　Arnie　van　Damm　thought；　hovering　in　the　doorway　of　the　Oval　Office。　Jack；　did　you　have　to　say　that？
　〃Thank　you　for　your　time；　Mr。　President；〃　Holtzman　said。　〃When　will　you　address　the　nation？〃
　〃Tomorrow。　God　willing；　it'll　be　to　say　that　the　PRC　has　backed　off。　I'll　be　calling　Premier　Xu　soon　to　make　a　personal　appeal　to　him。〃
　〃Good　luck。〃
　
　〃We　are　ready；〃　Marshal　Luo　told　the　others。　〃The　operation　mences　early　tomorrow　morning。〃
　〃What　have　the　Americans　done？〃
　〃They've　sent　some　aircraft　forward；　but　aircraft　do　not　concern　me；〃　the　Defense　Minister　replied。　〃They　can　sting；　as　a　mosquito　does；　but　they　cannot　do　real　harm　to　a　man。　We　will　make　twenty　kilometers　the　first　day；　and　then　fifty　per　day　thereafter…maybe　more；　depending　on　how　the　Russians　fight。　The　Russian　Air　Force　is　not　even　a　paper　tiger。　We　can　destroy　it；　or　at　least　push　it　back　out　of　our　way。　The　Russians　are　starting　to　move　mechanized　troops　east　on　their　railroad；　but　we　will　pound　on　their　marshaling　facility　at　Chita　with　our　air　assets。　We　can　dam　them　up　and　stop　them　to　protect　our　left　flank　until　we　move　troops　in　to　wall　that　off　pletely。〃
　〃You　are　confident；　Marshal？〃　Zhang　asked…rhetorically；　of　course。
　〃We'll　have　their　new　gold　mine　in　eight　days；　and　then　it's　ten　more　to　the　oil；〃　the　marshal　predicted；　as　though　describing　how　long　it　would　take　to　build　a　house。
　〃Then　you　are　ready？〃
　〃Fully；〃　Luo　insisted。
　〃Expect　a　call　from　President　Ryan　later　today；〃　Foreign　Minister　Shen　warned　the　premier。
　〃What　will　he　say？〃　Xu　asked。
　〃He　will　give　you　a　personal　plea　to　stop　the　war　from　beginning。〃
　〃If　he　does；　what　ought　I　to　say？〃
　〃Have　your　secretary　say　you　are　out　meeting　the　people；〃　Zhang　advised。　〃Don't　talk　to　the　fool。〃
　Minister　Shen　wasn't　fully　behind　his　country's　policy；　but　nodded　anyway。　It　seemed　the　best　way　to　avoid　a　personal　confrontation；　which　Xu　would　not　handle　well。　His　ministry　was　still　trying　to　get　a　feel　for　how　to　handle　the　American　President。　He　was　so　unlike　other　governmental　chiefs　that　they　still　had　difficulty　understanding　how　to　speak　with　him。
　〃What　of　our　answer　to　their　note？〃　Fang　asked。　。
　〃We　have　not　given　them　a　formal　answer；〃　Shen　told　him。
　〃It　concerns　me　that　they　should　not　be　able　to　call　us　liars；〃　Fang　said。　〃That　would　be　unfortunate；　I　think。〃
　〃You　worry　too　much；　Fang；〃　Zhang　mented；　with　a　cruel　smile。
　〃No；　in　that　he　is　correct；〃　Shen　said；　rising　to　his　colleague's　defense。　〃Nations　must　be　able　to　trust　the　words　of　one　another；　else　no　intercourse　at　all　is　possible。　rades；　we　must　remember　that　there　will　be　an　'after　the　war；'　in　which　we　must　be　able　to　reestablish　normal　relations　with　the　nations　of　the　world。　If　they　regard　us　as　outlaw；　that　will　be　difficul