I Became a Plutocrat in World War I: Starting with Saving France Chapter 891: This Is What Happens When You Don’t Listen to S

In response to the catastrophic defeat of the Anglo-Arican Allies at Salbruecken, the United States reacted most strongly.

The New York Tis, known for its serious, neutral, and detailed war news coverage, this ti exclaid in fierce language:

(Note: "Neutral" refers to reporting without bias between opposing or supporting the war.)

"Yesterday, the Arican Expeditionary Force suffered the greatest casualty in its history, with more than 30,000 officers and soldiers forever remaining on that land."

"We can’t even retrieve their bodies, and so we don’t even know if they have perished."

"Indeed, casualties are inevitable in war. But note, this was the first failure for the Arican Expeditionary Force and also the biggest!"

"Moreover, one very clear point: without Shire dispatching aerial support, our losses would have been even greater!"

"Here I express my heartfelt thanks to Shire; he is indeed a military figure embodying the spirit of France, so perfect that one can hardly believe his existence."

...

The Los Angeles Tis, representing the voice of the West Coast of the United States, consistently adhered to its anti-war principles and at this ti unabashedly posed soul-searching questions:

"We all know Shire has continuously been victorious; he has undoubtedly beco the dominant force in this war."

"Now, once again, facts prove he is correct, as he has warned us more than once that Salbruecken could very well be a trap."

"If we had to participate in the war, then what led the Arican Expeditionary Force to leave Shire’s command system?"

"What led to our current failure?"

"What caused us to lose more than 30,000 soldiers, bravely fighting far from ho in France?"

...

Even the Washington Post, which had always supported the war and President Wilson, had to admit:

"This is a tragedy, an outco no one wished for."

"Had we heeded Shire’s advice earlier, perhaps it could have been avoided."

"We can only hope that among these more than 30,000 soldiers, many are captured rather than dead!"

...

The President’s office in the White House.

The Washington Post’s bland report infuriated President Wilson, especially since it was under the control of the Public Intelligence Committee, yet it stood opposed to the President.

He summoned the committee’s head, Kriel, and slapped the pile of newspapers stacked like a small mountain in front of him:

"Look at this, it’s almost entirely negative news."

"They even relate this failure to my reelection, saying I only feigned collaboration with Shire to deceive voters, imdiately afterwards going against public opinion to the embrace of England."

"Can’t you do sothing? Shouldn’t you do sothing?"

Kriel answered: "We are working on it, Mr. President..."

"But I don’t see anything." President Wilson interrupted him, shaking the newspaper: "Tell where, where are your efforts?"

"We..." Kriel replied nervously: "We must proceed slowly; now is a ti of public rage. We can only go with the flow of public opinion; otherwise, we’d be abandoned by the people."

Wilson fell silent.

Having been President for so many years, he knew Kriel was right; this matter could not be rushed. It had to be "guided" gradually.

"Besides," Kriel gathered the courage to ask, "there’s one thing I don’t quite understand, Mr. President. Why aren’t our troops continuing to stay alongside Shire when it benefits us, doesn’t it?"

President Wilson sighed deeply, shaking his head gently.

Kriel, being a journalist, knew little about military matters. He only knew that winning battles was beneficial, making his job of "dia control" easier, but didn’t know that this was a political necessity.

...

British dia discussions focused less on the defeat itself, as it had beco a common occurrence for them. More infuriating than losing a battle was Haig:

"Why is Haig still in the position of expeditionary force commander? Are there no other generals in England besides him?"

"He keeps failing. If such a general can be considered a ’military genius,’ then who isn’t?"

"All I see is incompetence and a disregard for life; he fights using his rigidity, stubbornness, and soldiers’ blood."

(Note: The British Minister of Military Supplies comnted on Haig, saying he "fights with a general’s mind, but with soldiers’ blood," which denies Haig having the mind of a general.)

...

In Strasbourg, Haig sat silently in his office, not knowing how to handle this ss in front of him.

What angered him even more was that Colonial Army soldiers were even celebrating; he could clearly see the African Legion’s soldiers dancing in the rain, shouting strange sounds as they danced.

Haig’s negative emotions uncontrollably surged within him like a tide.

Frustration, disappointnt, inferiority, self-denial... he began to feel he was unfit to be a general.

How ridiculous.

He initially thought it was just a simple victory, so he sent the ho army to seize the fruits of victory, only to find it was a trap.

The Colonial Army, by sheer luck, escaped this calamity because of the commander’s foolishness.

The ho army suffered heavy casualties because of the commander’s foolishness!

"General." The voice of the staff officer broke Haig’s train of thought.

"What?" Haig looked up.

"Parliant hopes you can provide a detailed report on the Salbruecken battle." The staff officer handed over a telegram.

"A detailed report?" Haig snorted, his tone scornful: "Can they even understand it?"

"They..." The staff officer hesitated for a mont: "They want this report not to understand but to decide whether to dismiss you."

"Dismiss ?" Haig squinted his eyes.

"Yes." The staff officer swallowed, answering softly: "Parliant believes, considering Shire and Pershing had given multiple warnings, you still made no preparations. It shows this isn’t an army issue, but a command issue."

Haig gritted his teeth and suddenly stood up with a "thud," angrily ripping the telegram into pieces and throwing it into the air: "Report, this is my report."

These foolish people, they understand nothing, yet they think I wasn’t prepared?

Can’t they see that the Germans managed to win by learning Shire’s tactics and equipnt!

...

France had the calst reaction to this battle.

The streets of Paris seed as though nothing happened; people continued with their lives, occasionally chatting with acquaintances:

"Have you heard? The Anglo-Arican Allies suffered a devastating defeat at Salbruecken, with over 200,000 casualties."

"Yes, I heard they lost most of their chanized equipnt."

"Not most, nearly all. I heard only about thirty tanks returned safely."

"This is hardly news, considering Shire had warned them multiple tis; they just wouldn’t believe it."

...

People laughed with pride, their laughter filled with ridicule, as if to say, those who refuse to heed Shire’s words et such an end.