America 1919

Chapter 766: 263, Tarot Society

In the United States, the military and the White House belong to two different camps, even though the appointment of the military is also determined by the President.

However, in reality, the appointment of military leaders is different from that of White House Cabinet members.

Albert Furr was appointed as the Secretary of the Internal Affairs Department just because he was a staunch ally of Harding, after Harding became the President of the United States.

But Harding absolutely could not appoint a leading military figure in the same way.

Because even if he were appointed, there would be no way to manage the entire military.

Therefore, whether Donnie approached Albert Furr or Coolidge, although he could establish a relationship with Navy Secretary Robert Coontz, he could not turn him into an ally of Donnie.

Many public accounts in later times will analyze that the Jewish People controlled American politics and finance, while the Anglo-Saxons controlled the American military.

Although such rumors are somewhat exaggerated, there is no smoke without fire!

Now, for Donnie to establish a formal interest relationship with the United States Navy, the best approach is still to find General Pan Xing.

Even though General Pan Xing is the Chief of Staff of the Army, his influence in the American Military Department is tremendous. If he supports Donnie, it would be crucial to the outcome of Donnie’s trip to Washington.

“I have already called Robert, and while he didn’t give a clear response to the possibility of working with you, I could tell he was quite interested in the matter. So, he’s invited you to his office tomorrow for a discussion!”

General Pan Xing gave Donnie some good news. As long as there’s a discussion, things are much easier to handle!

“However, you should also be prepared. I know Robert well, and even if he agrees to cooperate with you, he’s going to ask for a lot!”

General Pan Xing finally reminded Donnie.

Donnie smiled and said, “As long as there’s a discussion, I believe we can find common ground of interest!”

Seeing Donnie say this, General Pan Xing didn’t say much more.

Andrew Mellon and Coolidge, watching Donnie discuss the matters with General Pan Xing, felt quite impressed.

Everyone knows how proud and aloof General Pan Xing is, treating everyone with a business-only attitude, and it’s rare for anyone to receive help beyond official matters from him.

Let alone attend a private gathering like this one, which had never been heard of General Pan Xing doing before.

Even Harding’s card games stopped inviting General Pan Xing after several refusals.

Now, General Pan Xing was going all out to assist Donnie upon his request, making one wonder how they had formed such a deep connection.

If Donnie knew what they were thinking, he would surely tell them that everyone has their own interests to consider.

General Pan Xing was no exception. A fire had taken away his family, leaving him without much attachment. However, he cared greatly about his reputation.

Those who hold positions like his hope to be remembered in history.

And the biggest challenge General Pan Xing faced after becoming Chief of Staff of the Army was accommodating over a million demobilized American soldiers.

Donnie’s many industries were among the first to hire these veterans, and although compared to a million people, what Donnie could do was still too little, it was enough for General Pan Xing to appreciate Donnie.

Subsequently, the four of them discussed the matter of the Baku Oil Field.

At this point, Donnie raised his glass to thank Coolidge, saying, “John, thank you for your help previously. If it weren’t for your connections, maybe my people would still be bustling around in the Soviet Union now!”

Coolidge humbly said, “Donnie, you put me in an awkward position saying that. Honestly, I wasn’t much help in this matter, and it just caused you to waste quite a bit of money for nothing!”

The matter of the Baku Oil Field finally had a consensus, which, to Donnie’s surprise, was that the Soviet Union ultimately chose Sinclair Oil Corporation instead of Shell and Donnie’s Pandora Oil.

This information has not yet been made public, but those privy to the insider news were already aware of this development.

“Donnie, taking a loss once doesn’t matter. Didn’t I tell you before? The water is too deep in this affair; it’s not worth our involvement!”

Andrew Mellon said to Donnie with a smile.

Before this, Andrew Mellon had also been in touch with Donnie over the phone to discuss the Baku Oil Field. Andrew Mellon believed its geographical location and oil reserves were of such importance that it amounted to an unseen war.

Donnie’s influence was still limited to the United States and unlikely to compete with longstanding Oil Companies like Shell and Sinclair Oil in this affair.

Indeed, the Soviet Union considered this and still chose Sinclair Oil Corporation in the end, even though Donnie had offered better terms.

Donnie laughed and said, “Andrew, Pandora Oil has many issues with large-scale extraction. Have you considered another collaboration between us to jointly develop the Baku Oil Field?”

Andrew Mellon, Coolidge, and General Pan Xing all showed puzzled expressions. Hadn’t it just been said that the Soviet Union had agreed to let Sinclair Oil Company exploit the Baku Oil Field? Why was Donnie now talking about jointly developing it?