American comics: You're asked to fish, but you catch a Superman template?

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"Yes, the banks are closed for the holidays."

Xu Fu replied with a sigh.

"..."

Upon hearing Xu Fu's answer, Roosevelt fell silent, clearly understanding the reason behind it.

For the frightened public, the bank holiday did not alleviate their anxiety, so he decided to address the nation via radio.

In an earlier conversation with Xu Fu, Roosevelt clearly recognized the widespread use of radio, but he did not expect to use it so soon.

In order to make his voice heard by as many people as possible, Roosevelt urgently notified the three major national radio stations, including American Broadcasting Company, CBS, and CBS, that he needed to have this talk.

"Mr. President, they've arrived."

Inside the foreign reception room, just as Roosevelt and Xu Fu were talking, a White House staff member knocked on the door to remind them.

Immediately afterward, at Roosevelt's signal, a broadcasting company employee entered the reception room.

Among these people was a representative from CBS Radio, someone Xu Fu knew well, but due to their different location, he was Harry Butcher, the manager of CBS's Washington office. The Butcher.

Good evening, everyone. I'm sorry to bother you at this time.

Pushing his wheelchair, Roosevelt first apologized to the executives of the major radio stations who had rushed to the scene.

“No, this is what we must do, Mr. President.”

Chapter 873 A Very Suitable Name

Although Roosevelt's attitude was friendly, the radio station managers did not breathe a sigh of relief; they shook their heads in agreement.

Roosevelt nodded, pushed his wheelchair to the fireplace where the loudspeaker was mounted, and expressed his wish for the first broadcast: "I hope this speech will be friendly, without any official formalities, as if you were sitting in your own home, with both sides speaking at ease."

"In that case, let's call it 'The Conversation by the Fire.'"

Upon hearing Roosevelt's request, those present nodded to each other. Seeing the silence in the room, Xu Fu spoke up, offering his suggestion.

"A conversation by the campfire".

Upon hearing Xu Fu's suggestion, Roosevelt, sitting in his wheelchair, turned to look at the fireplace beside him and immediately nodded in agreement.

"A very suitable name."

...

And so, on the evening of Sunday, March 12, 1933...

Sixty million listeners waited impatiently in front of their radios. Roosevelt turned on the radio and began his first "campfire talk."

He sat on a sofa by the fireplace, smoking his pipe, and spoke into the microphone in a friendly and enthusiastic tone: “Friends, I want to tell you what we’ve done in the past few days, why we did it, and what we plan to do next.…”

Beside him, Xu Fu, carrying the latest electronic camera, clearly captured this scene.

Because the White House has strict restrictions on inviting guests, Xu Fu had to personally act as the cameraman to capture this historic moment.

Although television is not yet widespread, Xu Fu believes that in the near future, the public will be able to see Roosevelt's "fireside chats" on television, not just on the radio.

Given the varying levels of knowledge among radio listeners, Roosevelt attempted to explain the banking crisis using terminology and analogies that everyone could understand, while repeatedly urging listeners to put their savings back in banks: "I want to draw your attention to a simple fact: when you deposit money in a bank, the bank doesn't just lock it up and leave it there; it uses it for investment through various forms of credit. It uses it for investment through various forms of credit, such as buying bonds and making payments. In other words, the bank makes your money work, thus enabling the entire institution to turn around... I can assure you that it's better to keep your money in a renovated and reopened bank than in your mattress."

Ultimately, when we rebuild our financial system, there is one factor more important than currency, more valuable than gold: the confidence of the people, the collective elimination of fear...

On the radio, Roosevelt's voice was kind and calm, seemingly possessing a certain power to convey confidence to the listeners.

However, in front of the camera, Xu Fu clearly saw that this was a desperate move by the other party.

Even if the Emergency Banking Act were passed, it would take some time to take effect. Therefore, Roosevelt needed to prevent the situation from deteriorating further. If the exodus continued, it would lead to the financial collapse of the entire country. In that case, even if the law was passed, it would be of little use.

In terms of the outcome, Roosevelt's "campfire talk" was undoubtedly a success.

At least the people were more willing to believe Roosevelt than Hoover, whom they disliked.

The day after the "campfire talk" ended, there were far fewer people crowding the bank to escape. In fact, according to the Courier World, many people were queuing up to deposit large boxes and bags of gold and currency at the bank, just like the long lines of refugees a few days earlier.

In just three days, 574 banks opened in the United States, and within days, banks returned $3 million in gold and gold certificates. Within a week, 13500 banks resumed operations, and the gongs of the stock exchanges rang out again.

Of course, Xu Fu knew that all of this was just an illusion, or rather, a honeymoon period of public confidence in Roosevelt as the new president.

This was the trust that existed when Hoover first came to power, but the other side ultimately messed things up.

...

Did you put the money back in the bank?

Inside the Pulitzer Building, John turned to Jacob and asked hesitantly.

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“There are quite a lot of them. After all, I have so much money hidden at home, so I’m always a little worried. I’ve heard that there have been more burglaries using eucalyptus trees recently, and many people have had their valuables stolen.”

In the comics department, Jacob talked with John Jr. while examining the drawing in his hands.

"I'm still a little worried about what will happen if the bank collapses again."

When John Sr. was transferred to San Francisco to take over the new newspaper, John Jr. had a period of freedom.

However, the sudden financial disaster made him somewhat nostalgic for the days when old John was alive.

At least at that time, he didn't have to worry about these problems.

"Didn't President Roosevelt say that it's much safer to keep money in a bank than in a blanket?"

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"Who knows if he's lying? Hoover said before that the Great Depression would end soon."

John Jr. clearly had a bad experience with the president's assurances.

If it weren't for Mr. Xu Fu preserving the original "Messenger" newspaper and increasing its sales through "Superman," perhaps his family would be living in Hooverville today.

Even so, a trace of worry remained in John's heart.

Despite the new president, the Great Depression did not end; in fact, it worsened.

Major newspapers like Le Monde announced they would cease operations.

John Jr. even remembered how the head of Le Monde was smug about taking over The Courier, only to be consumed by Le Monde in his heart.

"If you're really unsure, maybe you can find out how I do it."

In the studio, listening to what John Jr. and Jacob were saying, Charles Adams couldn't help but chime in.

"any idea?"

Upon hearing this, John instinctively blurted out the question, but immediately regretted it as soon as he finished speaking.

Sure enough, upon hearing John's question, Charles Adams's lips curled into a sinister smile: "Prepare a coffin, put the money inside, and of course, most importantly, the owner of the coffin. My personal suggestion is a skull..." 9.

Chapter 874 Wandering

On the top floor of the Pulitzer Building, in a gilded circular office.

Xu Fu glanced at Charles Adams and the others, then looked down at the text in front of him.

In The Messenger World, the countdown to the sinking of the great ship continues, but most people, influenced by Roosevelt's "fireside chats," remain focused on the money in the bank.

The panic, though temptingly absent, has not completely disappeared.

Even an "eccentric" like Charles Adams, who is usually completely immersed in his own world, has come up with his own way of saving money, which shows how far-reaching the impact of this financial crisis is.

This is not a good thing for Xu Fu.

If the Great Depression helped in the collection of [faith], it was only when social unrest was kept under control to a certain extent.

If society as a whole collapses due to the financial crisis, then non-mainstream livelihoods, such as newspapers, will be the first to be hit.

Secondly, Xu Fu needs enough households to promote television in order to support the development of the industry.

That's why he offered Roosevelt's help and understanding for the "campfire talks".

This is inherently mutually beneficial.

Of course, the financial panic that gripped the United States was not entirely unhelpful.

At least in the stock market, the general downturn provided Xu Fu with a favorable opportunity to buy up the vast majority of oil stocks on the market at that time, squeezing them into the hands of Paul Getty.

Xu Fu's oil stocks now have considerable weight, but they are still far behind oil giants like ExxonMobil.

In particular, Coastal United Oil Company, owned by ExxonMobil, is Xu Fu's next acquisition target.

In fact, he had a prejudice against it.

If he remembers correctly, by next year, Roosevelt will have to examine the shareholdings of the most powerful families in the country, and Rockefeller, the largest shareholder of ExxonMobil, will have to disclose all his shares. If Rockefeller does not want to pay a high estate tax, he will likely sell some of his shares.

This was actually an opportunity for Xu Fu, as he could raise the issue of estate tax that he had previously raised during his meeting with Roosevelt.

The financial panic caused by the banks not only created a nationwide crisis, but also gave Roosevelt a headache for some time.

Therefore, he was quite interested in the inheritance tax that Xu Fu mentioned.

Democratic lawmakers are now trying to push through a similar censorship bill, which would likely have been finalized much earlier if not for the impact of domestic economic and livelihood issues.

In any case, the introduction of eucalyptus review is inevitable, and may even come sooner than previously thought.

Given Xu Fu's current position in the White House, understanding the success of French eucalyptus is not difficult.