Hectic days went by. The President was very disappointed that not one of the nations he had asked for help had come forward. They had all made excuses why they couldn't send troops. The President called The Commander Of The Joint Chiefs to his office. "General!" The President snapped, "Do we not have extensive military bases in England and Germany?"
"Yes sir, Mr. President!"
"Good!" The President continued. "Close them. Send whatever material we can use from them to South Korea. Send their dependants home on the planes returning empty for more supplies."
The General looked shocked. "Will The Senate stand for that, Mr. President?" he asked.
"Right now," The President answered, "I'm Lord God, Almighty. The Senate's not going to question anything I do. The public would tear them to pieces if they went back to their districts. This needs to be done, but dammit, we' re not going to do it alone. The rest of the world is going to help."
The General nodded. "Yes sir!" he snapped. "And if the English and the Germans get more cooperative?"
"If they should suddenly honor our request for help," The President answered, "you could slow down the shut downs and let it be known they'll be restocked as soon as we're done in Korea."
The General nodded. "How are you going to deal with the French, the Italians, and Russians?" he asked.
The President smiled. "In a few minutes," The President answered, "the head of The Food And Drug Administration will be coming in. He'll help me with the French and the Italians."
The General smiled and departed. A few minutes later the head of The Food And Drug Administration entered.
"Sit down, Frank!" The President insisted. "Have you taken care of that little problem in Wyoming?"
"Yes, sir, Mr. President!" his guest answered. "Twenty-five-thousand cattle have been slaughtered and cremated. It's hell to believe that genetically engineered grain could have caused that fiasco! But the meat was so toxic it would have killed thousands if they'd eaten it! But we've got it under control. All the genetically engineered grain has been destroyed, and next year's crops will be thoroughly checked for any stray seeds that got away. But the experts assure us that if a few plants survive and fertilize other plants the contributions of their jeans will be so slight that it won't matter."
The President tapped his pencil on the desk. "The same experts," he complained, "told us the grain was perfectly safe! But that's not the main reason I called you here. It seems we have chemical pollutants in the French wine coming into The United States, and also in Italian olive oil, and, olives. I want you to get ahold of your counterparts in those governments, and tell them that in three days' time you will be ordering that all these products be banned from The United States, for the next three months, maybe longer, if need be."
"Mr. President!" the chairman snapped, "That's utter blackmail, sir! The holiday season is coming up. If the French can't sell their wines in The United States during the holiday season....SIR! The country's whole economy may collapse!"
The President just stared at him with a blank expression. "Do you wish me to tell you the infected brands of wine?" he snapped, "and, the olive oil? I don't particularly like your agency trying to keep things from me, sir. I know full well the amount of pollutants is miniscule in all cases, and harmless. And I agree it does no real harm letting the products be sold in The United States. But we SHOULD have BEEN ADVISED SIR! And in the future we WILL be advised. Do I make myself clear? It is just a fortunate circumstance that these contaminations have occured at this time, and I can use them for a little gentle persuasion. Now, go do your job, mister!"
The chairman rose. "Yes sir, Mr. President!" he snapped. "Shall I prepare a press release for three days from now?"
The President shook his head. "No," he answered, "won't need it! After the French and Italians cooperate we'll just let their products into the country."
The chairman nodded and left. The President buzzed his secretary. "Korsinov out there?" he asked.
"Yes Mr. President!" his secretary answered.
"Get him in here!" The President ordered.
The handsome Russian Ambassador came in. "Mr. President," he began, "I bring my country's deepest regrets that we cannot help you in this situation. But my countrymen are insistant that we stay out of the matter."
"Not acceptable, Uri!" The President answered. "We need your air bases in Southern Asia for air operations, and your harbors for amphibious operations. We also need ten of your destroyers. They're equal to ours. Hell, you stole enough of our technology. We'll put them on the seaward side of our task forces where they won't see much

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