Chapter 256 Italy accepts “refugees”

"Dong dong dong..." There was a knock on the door.

"Please come in!" A voice came from the study.

Tom walked into the room with two telegrams. Ernst was processing documents in East Africa. As the crown prince of East Africa, he naturally could not let his old father suffer and be burdened, so many affairs were completely handled by Ernst before letting Constan Ding directly implemented it, so that Ernst could discuss some undecided matters with Constantine.

"Your Highness, we have just received telegrams from the Hamburg and Trieste branches. Currently, all idle ships under the Hechingen Ocean Fleet have been vacated. However, I am afraid that such a small number of ships cannot complete the tasks assigned by you."

"I know this too. How many ships have they prepared?"

"There are sixty-four ships in total, and the rest have to take care of other businesses, such as the recent export of grain and commodities to Marseille, so this call of ships has actually affected the company's overall operation."

"Well, you should first contact our old friends, those Dutch shipowners, and the immigrants from the North German region. Let them be temporarily responsible. They are also familiar with the route. The Austrian and Italian immigrants will contact the other people in Trieste. They should be able to share some of the fleet. After the opening of the Suez Canal, it will not be difficult for these Mediterranean ships to go to East Africa. As long as the price is negotiated, it should be no problem. As for our cargo transportation, we can find the transportation part in Marseille. Italians! If that’s not enough, think of other countries, including Greece and Spain!”

If there is a shortage of ships, it is still possible if it is the Far East. There are a lot of so-called maritime powers in Europe around the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, especially Italy and Greece. The shipping prices are cheap and the quantities are sufficient.

Before the Suez Canal was opened, the countries engaged in ocean-going trade were mainly concentrated on the Atlantic coast, mainly Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and France. Ernst chose to cooperate with the Dutch. Among these countries, only the Dutch had the least political attributes, had enough money, and had good affairs. There are few, and there are trade activities as far away as Japan and North Korea, which is consistent with Ernst’s immigration route.

After the opening of the Suez Canal, Ernst had more choices. Austro-Hungarian merchant ships and warships could use the Suez Canal to directly enter the Indian Ocean.

As far as Ernst knew, Franz smuggled the army weapons to Rome on hired Italian ships.

As for why Ernst knew it, it was because of curiosity. Ernst also wanted to know how the Austro-Hungarian Empire transported the weapons and equipment of the entire army to Rome.

After all, Rome was on the west coast of Italy and was surrounded by the current Kingdom of Italy. The Austro-Hungarian Empire must have its own channels if it wanted to transport weapons.

As the initiator of this matter, Ernst went directly to ask Franz. Franz did not hide anything. The solution was very simple and unpretentious. He just found an Italian merchant ship to negotiate the price and left the rest to the Italians themselves. Straighten up.

Ernst said he had learned it, and also analyzed East Africa to avoid such loopholes. However, East Africa in a "closed country" state does not seem to have this problem. The closed country is a one-way valve, which only flows in but not out. Although there are two Free trade ports exist, but they are a place for ships from various countries to stop and to prevent false accusations. The British at sea often make troubles under the banner of free trade, so Mombasa and Dar es Salaam are left. Freeport.

Now that the Suez Canal is open, basically all European ships are queuing up in the Red Sea. In the eyes of Europeans, the East African coast, which "lacks markets and resources," has declined. Only East Africans and Arabs are still wandering in this sea.

…

Under the nose of the Kingdom of Italy, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had all its troops and weapons and equipment ready to support the Papal State, just waiting for Italy to take the bait.

So starting in August, ships in Hechingen began to be emptied out in preparation for the "possible" mass arrival of Italian immigrants, or war refugees.

In fact, in June, the Hechingen fleet had already quietly prepared in the German region. As France declared war, some residents on the German-French border, and even in Alsace and Lorraine in France, took a ride on East African immigrants to East Africa. migration.

As the former homeland of the HRE, most of the residents of Alsace and Lorraine are essentially Germans under French rule, speaking High German (actually speaking a South German dialect). Coincidentally, the same is true for the Hechingen royal family, like Prussia and the Uttar Pradesh states in the North German Confederation belong to Low German.

At the same time, South Germany, Alsace, Lorraine, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire are still Catholic areas, so the cultural differences between North and South Germany are still quite large. This is why South Germany naturally tends to Austria (Austria's German evolved from the Bavarian dialect) s reason.

In the past three years from the East African Colonies to the East African Kingdom, the original surplus population in South Germany has been almost absorbed by East Africa. With this war, the population of Baden and Württemberg in the south may experience a negative growth. The specific situation in Bavaria It’s hard to say, but it’s probably about the same.

South German immigrants and Austro-Hungarian immigrants dominate the pure German population, and the Hechingen royal family itself comes from the South German region, so the overall cultural attributes of East Africa are more South German.

That's fine. The half-dead Austro-Hungarian Empire has limited ability to intervene overseas and has no willingness to do so. Prussia is too strong, so it is more reassuring to choose Austria-Hungary for cooperation.

Apart from the Mediterranean Sea, East Africa is only separated from the Austro-Hungarian Empire by Egypt, which is nearly three million square kilometers. Therefore, in theory, the Austro-Hungarian Empire can take care of its little brother in East Africa, not too far or too close, and the location is just right.

And Ernst had already prepared a location for Italian immigrants. A large amount of land in Zambia needed to be filled with people, so there was no need to be too picky about the place and the new town was built directly where the indigenous people lived.

Where settlements are formed, the environment will not be too bad, and local "labor" can be fully utilized to develop new land.

Italian immigrants will be scattered in various provinces of Zambia together with Far Eastern immigrants and German immigrants, and at the same time, some residents will be moved from the east to guide their agricultural production and labor.

East Africa is a typical tropical plateau agriculture. Its experience and climate are different from those of the Far East and Europe. In the early days of agricultural development in East Africa, on the one hand, it absorbed the experience of indigenous agriculture, and on the other hand, it sought guidance from "professionals" from South America and Mexico. It took three years of exploration to develop Today's East African model, so these new immigrants also need help and guidance from the old immigrants.

The climate conditions in Zambia are the same as those in the East African Plateau, including the precipitation and latitude (although Zambia is inland), so there is no problem in developing according to the East African Plateau model.

…

"Tom, there's one more thing. Things are a bit cleaner over there in Marseille. We are only responsible for the input of raw materials and production of goods, and the rest can be left to the Medina family. In non-German areas, our purpose is to make money together. , don’t interfere directly in politics, just let our allies do this.”

"Yes, Your Highness, I will check carefully and there will be absolutely no mistakes."

For the friendly forces of the Hechingen royal family such as the Medina family, they naturally need support. This Franco-Prussian War is an opportunity. Ernst knew that France was going to lose, but not completely. At least the French people did not surrender, and the Medina family With the help of this war, he can accumulate his reputation in the south of France. Anyway, Prussia can only fight as far as Paris. Count Medina can express his "patriotic" feelings unscrupulously in the rear and win the favor of the French people.