Afterwards, Fang Zida hurriedly found someone to check it out. A few days later, the central bank's subordinate institutions submitted the statistical results, and Fang Zida got angry as soon as he saw it.

Indeed, as Yang Du said, silver dollar minting started in the past few years from 247 million yuan in the first year to minting a total of 1.285 billion yuan this year, of which the largest silver dollar with the currency value accounted for 790 million yuan. According to the calculations of the central bank, such a huge amount of money should be able to meet commercial needs. However, the actual results are summarized. The silver dollar circulating in the market only accounts for about 40% of the total amount of money. Excluding some local rich people who have the hobby of hiding money, but more than 50% of the silver dollar has disappeared without a trace, which is shocking.

After reading the report, Fang Zida immediately found Zhou Yuanliang and asked the secret service to immediately verify the matter. He had to figure out the way of these silver dollars. Otherwise, the central bank would place a large number of silver dollars on the one hand, and the market would inexplicably disappear nearly half of the currency. Once there was a change, it would bring a major blow to the Chinese economy.

After receiving the order, Zhou Yuanliang immediately arranged elite soldiers and the central bank cooperated to conduct an actual investigation of the silver dollar incident. More than ten days later, Zhou Yuanliang hurried to Fang Zida's office to report.

“Have you left the country?”

"Yes, according to the survey, the exchange volume of silver dollars in Tianjin and Shanghai in the past two years was particularly large, but according to the statistical results, the amount of inflows into the two places and outflows was very different. For this reason, I specifically asked the customs office. It is said that foreigners often return home with silver dollars, which shows that these disappeared silver dollars must have left the country."

"Expatriates? Which countries are there?" Fang Zida asked with a frown.

"British, France, Germany, Tsarist Russia...but...the most are the Japanese..."

"Bang!" Fang Zida slapped the table, and the truth of the matter was revealed. He had already fully understood what was going on.

Since the Japanese currency crisis, Japan's domestic economy has been in a slump, which has led to the Japanese government forcibly implementing a policy of replacing old coins with new currencies and implementing foreign exchange controls. Although this decision temporarily stabilizes the poor economic situation in Japan, it is also a stupid idea to kill one thousand enemies and hurt 800 yourself.

In order to recover the domestic economy as soon as possible, the best way is to take advantage of the European war to export large quantities of products in exchange for funds. However, due to the implementation of foreign exchange controls, the yen has been converted from the original free exchange to the regional currency, which has led to the most inconvenience of entry and exit. Moreover, the severely damaged Japanese economy has relied heavily on the processing and re-export of foreign resources. In this way, the Japanese government is not optimistic if it wants to change the current situation under the new economic policy.

But the Japanese have always been good at thinking, or to be honest, they are full of bad waters, and they always think about taking shortcuts and being clever. Since they cannot change the economic situation in the short term by relying on domestic industry and commerce, they turned their attention to the Chinese market and had the idea of ​​the Chinese government's legal currency, silver dollars.

Smuggling a large amount of silver dollars and using the dual-track monetary policy implemented by Japan, a huge difference can be obtained in the international market by re-selling it. What's more, silver is not only a kind of currency, but also an indispensable main raw material for many industries. In this way, it can not only reverse the domestic economic situation in the simplest way, but also use it to attack opponents and disrupt the Chinese currency market. How could the Japanese let go of such a good thing?

After understanding the causes and consequences, Fang Zida couldn't help but blame himself. Logically, this kind of activity was not complicated, but he never expected that the Japanese would be so shameless.

Another important reason for this is that China's customs is not in the hands of the Chinese. Since 1854, the Consulate of the United Kingdom, France and the United States in Shanghai, in consulates in Shanghai, and Wu Jianzhang, decided that one of the tax departments of the three countries would assist the Qing government in collecting tariffs. Soon, the committee was expanded to customs, shipping and even postal services. In 1859, Li Taiguo, the British Taxation Department, was appointed as the General Taxation Department by the Qing local government, and became the actual supreme leader of China's customs. In 1861, this position was recognized by the central government of the Qing government. From 1865, the General Taxation Department was moved to Beijing, thus starting the situation where the General Taxation Department of the Chinese Customs was controlled by foreign personnel.

In fact, although foreign personnel in the General Taxation Department of Customs have great rights, most of these people have good professional ethics, and their work ability and efficiency are far higher than those of Chinese employees. This is also one of the main reasons why foreigners still keep the tax department after the establishment of the Republic of China government, but they still allow foreigners to maintain the tax department. Fang Zida also voted in favor. In his opinion, instead of blindly driving these personnel away and attracting a group of bureaucrats who only know corruption and bribery but do not understand customs operations, it is better to continue to let these people serve the government.

But then again, these foreigners are not Chinese after all. They are just like employees hired by a company. Although they do their best in their daily work, they also have various selfish intentions. Especially in terms of customs tariff restrictions, according to the agreement between the Qing Dynasty and other countries, China's tariffs have always maintained a very low fixed tax rate of 5%, which makes the tariffs that should have occupied a huge amount of national income only account for a very small part. Moreover, in the General Taxation Department, the supervisors are basically Westerners. In terms of emotionally formulating rules, they also tend to be Western countries, especially the United Kingdom, France and the United States, which has caused loopholes in customs and is also the main reason why the Japanese use these loopholes to smuggle silver dollars.

The Japanese did this, which made Fang Zida angry, but it was not so simple to cure this. As the chief finance minister and the president of the central bank, Fang Zida would never do anything like the Japanese to force foreign exchange controls and prohibit the circulation of silver dollars. If this is the case, it would have to make the national economy chaotic. Now, he has to start from two aspects: one is to formulate measures against the Japanese government's foreign exchange control measures through the Foreign Exchange Administration, adjust the exchange ratio of the Japanese yen and silver dollars, and try to increase the cost of the Japanese smuggling silver dollars as much as possible. Second, it is to find ways at the customs, increase anti-smuggling efforts, prohibit large-scale silver dollars from leaving the country, and formulate laws on the silver dollars carried by foreign expatriates, and fundamentally solve this problem.

It is not difficult to achieve the previous step. Fang Zida's rights can quickly plug this loophole, but it will be difficult to achieve the next step. The General Taxation Department is not something Fang Zida can manage. This must be negotiated with the current Director of the General Taxation Department, Sir Anglian, the British. Only after he agrees can he work together to deal with this issue.

Fang Zida and Anglian only met several times at the cocktail party and did not really deal with each other. Since replacing Pei Shikai as the acting Chief Taxation Department in 1911, they have been in charge of the Chief Taxation Department for seven years. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is the Supreme Emperor of China Customs. Even Fang Zida is not so easy to meet him.

Three days later, according to the agreement, Fang Zida came to the General Taxation Department not far from the Ministry of Finance, followed the uniformed personnel to the corridor, took the elevator to the top floor, and finally met the Supreme Emperor of Customs, Sir Anglian, in a luxurious office that occupied a whole floor.

Sir Anglian is a Scottish man, not tall and slightly fat, with a beautiful mustache, and looks like a businessman rather than a nobleman.

Seeing Fang Zi reaching, Sir Angelen stood up to greet him with a smile. After a few casual greetings, Sir Angelen invited Fang Zida to sit down in the living room and asked if he was drinking or tea.

Afterwards, when the servant got black tea, the host and the guest smoked cigars and told the weather was really...hahaha... and other nonsense, Fang Zida turned the topic to what he came today.

"Hiss Sir, I plan to cooperate with the General Taxation Department to carry out a comprehensive action on the anti-smuggling issue of customs. What do you think?"

"Anti-smuggling? Is this necessary?" Sir Anglian frowned slightly, shook his head and smiled, "Besides, this problem seems to be the business of our General Taxation Department. Even if we want to anti-smuggling, our General Taxation Department will come forward. Besides, I have not received the following report at all. Mr. Fang, have you crossed the line by doing this?"

"Your Excellency..." Fang Zida was frank and talked to Sir Angelen about the rapid development of China's industry and commerce in recent years, and the rapid increase in imports and exports, and the subsequent smuggling phenomenon will inevitably occur. In order to protect the interests of national tariffs and the interests of legitimate enterprises and combat smuggling, the Ministry of Finance decided to carry out an action on the current smuggling phenomenon, of course, this must be approved and assisted by the General Taxation Department. The Ministry of Finance guaranteed that this action will not affect the work of the General Taxation Department, and after this action, I believe that it will bring greater results to the work of the General Taxation Department. This is a win-win proposal, and I hope that Sir Angelen will agree.

As for the silver dollar issue, Fang Zida did not discuss it, mainly because he was worried that once the news was leaked from the other party, it would affect his next arrangement. In Fang Zida's view, this proposal is very beneficial to the Ministry of Finance and the General Taxation Department. To eliminate smuggling and increase tariffs, Sir Anglian can not only make achievements, but also bring him more financial benefits.

But he never expected that the arrogance of the British was unreasonable. After listening to Fang Zida's words, Sir Anglian refused his request without thinking and arrogantly replied that Fang Zida's work on customs was his responsibility. He did not need the Ministry of Finance or even the Chinese government to intervene. The Chinese government only needed to withdraw the tariff ratio from the General Taxation Department in accordance with the agreement. Not to mention that he had not received the following reports on smuggling, even if there was any smuggling, it was the job of the General Taxation Department and had nothing to do with Fang Zida.

He patiently spoke to Sir Anglian for a long time, but the guy opposite him was as determined as he had eaten Stainless, and only answered him with a scattered expression was "no". Finally, Fang Zida, who had a dark face, could only get up and say goodbye, and walked out of the General Taxation Department, which was decorated with luxurious decoration. Fang Zida sneered in his heart.
Chapter completed!