Rise of Australia

Chapter 339 The British Delegation Arrives

On February 1913, 2, the Australasian Military Service Act was officially enacted.

The Military Service Law stipulates that all male legal citizens who are 18 years old and younger than 30 years old must participate in militarized training twice a year, except for students, medical workers, scientific research workers, educators and other important fields.

Theoretically speaking, the annual militarized training is basically carried out in July and October, each lasting half a month.

During the two weeks of militarized training, everything from queue training to marksmanship training was involved.

Although it will not be possible to train a trained person into a qualified soldier in a short period of time, at least compared to civilians without any training, these people who have participated in militarized training can quickly become a qualified soldier .

For the current Australasia, Arthur will not mobilize millions of troops with great fanfare.

Not only would this be detrimental to the country's development potential, but a large army would also be a burden on the government's finances.

But there is no way, allowing oneself to have sufficient reserves is also a hole card and means to ensure national security.

In an era when other powers have hundreds of thousands of standing troops and millions of reserve troops, if the number of troops in Australasia is too small, how can the security of Australasia be guaranteed.

Even if the security of the homeland can be guaranteed, all colonies and territories outside the homeland, as well as Australasia's external influence and status, also need sufficient military strength to maintain.

Although in Arthur's estimation, Australasia has successfully achieved the status of a great power in terms of industry, economy and military.

But even among the great powers, there is a huge gap between them.The great power status that Australasia has achieved is just like the low powers like Italy, which can only be regarded as the goalkeeper of the great powers.

It seems to be a great power, but compared with the top powers such as Britain, France and Germany, neither Australasia can compare.

The enactment of the military service law met with little opposition in Australasia.

In fact, this is normal. After all, anyone who participates in militarized training can get a salary equivalent to the per capita annual income level at that time.

And they don't have to worry about losing their jobs because of participating in militarized training.

If there are companies that fire employees because of such an excuse, then don't worry, the Australasian government and royal family will find justice for the employees.

In fact, from the militarized training time in Australasia, it can be seen that the government has already expected such things.

In most parts of Australasia, January to June is the busy period for farming and planting of wheat and other food crops.

July to October is the growth stage of wheat and also the slack period.For farmers and herders in Australasia, there was plenty of spare time during this period for militarized training.

From November to December is the harvesting stage of wheat, and it has entered the busy farming stage during this period.

Therefore, the Ministry of National Defense deliberately puts the annual militarized training time in July and October, which are relatively close.

From August to September, it happened to be the sheep shedding and shearing stage, which also made Australasia's militarized training time almost perfectly miss the busy farming time and herding time.

As for the financial burden brought by the annual militarized training to the Ministry of Defense, Minister Raul gave a rough figure of about 600 million Australian dollars after calculation.

Among them, there are about 18 million Australasian male citizens who are 30 years old and younger than 100 years old.

Excluding students and some important positions, about 80 people participate in militarized training every year.

A total of two militarized trainings means that these 80 people have to be paid a month's salary, about 4.2 Australian dollars per person, a total of 331 million Australian dollars.

Although 80 people have participated in the training, this does not mean that the government will provide weapons to all of these 80 people.

In fact, the training can also be carried out completely separately. The 80 people only need to provide about 10 to 20 rifles, so that everyone can consume dozens of bullets to find the feel during the militarized training period.

All kinds of expenses add up, and Minister Raul gave an approximate figure, which is about 600 million Australian dollars.

This amount of funding is not too high for the Ministry of Defense and is affordable.

Of course, Arthur represents the royal family and cannot do nothing, so he directly stated that the royal family will bear all the salaries of the military training personnel.

Calculated in this way, in a short period of time, the annual militarized training will probably cost more than 300 million Australian dollars to the royal family, and about 300 million Australian dollars to the government.

For the Ministry of Defense, this year's newly increased military budget does not stop there.

The first is Arthur's report on plans to expand the number of colonial divisions.Arthur required to have 1915 colonial divisions before 15, and to have a certain combat capability.

And 1915 is only two years away from now, which also means that the expansion of the Colonial Division is imminent, and the time left for Minister Raul to formulate an expansion plan is basically running out.

Fortunately, although the number of soldiers in a colonial division is as high as 2, all the soldiers and most of the low-level officers in it are all composed of local aborigines.

This also means that as long as there are enough natives, 15 colonial divisions can be expanded in a short period of time to complete the tasks assigned by Arthur.

30 aborigines are not too big a problem for the current Australasia. There are millions of aboriginals without nationality in the country. These people are potential sources of aboriginal soldiers.

On February 1913, 2, the Ministry of National Defense's military expansion announcement was officially released.

It's a pity that this military expansion announcement is destined to disappoint many people, because it is just an announcement about expanding the number of colonial divisions.

According to the plan given by the Ministry of Defense, Australasia will expand 6 colonial divisions this year and 5 colonial divisions next year.

With these 11 newly expanded colonial divisions, plus the four previously owned, Australasia would officially have up to 15 colonial divisions with nearly 30 native soldiers.

The good news is that Australasia has two Colonial Garrison Regiments in addition to the original four Colonial Divisions.

These two garrison regiments can fully undertake the defense work of several colonies after the colonial division is allocated.

In the expansion plan of the Ministry of Defense, the officers above the company level in the colony were all served by Australasians.

As for the officers below the company, the policy of some Australasians and some trained Aboriginal officers is adopted.

In this way, the number of Australasian officers needed will decrease linearly. After all, there are not many officers in the upper middle class.

According to the current training progress of the two major military academies, within two years, there will be no problem in manning the 15 colonial divisions with Australasian officers.

As for the training of Aboriginal officers, the Melbourne Military Academy is also sufficient.After all, what the colonial division said sounded good, but it was actually Arthur's cannon fodder for future European wars.

The combat effectiveness of these people is actually not important, they can use weapons, and they only need to obey orders enough.

Of course, in order to make these natives obedient, some necessary measures must also be taken.For example, control their families and tribes, and distinguish their treatment from ordinary aborigines, making them naturally opposed to ordinary aborigines, etc.

Anyway, as long as their families and tribes are in the hands of Australasia, and a certain supervisory team is equipped, Arthur believes that these aborigines will be obedient.

The successive promulgation of the military service law and the military expansion plan also made the Ministry of Defense in February the busiest cabinet department in Australasia.

Different from the previous army expansion, this time the army expansion is because of the selection of indigenous soldiers, so it is necessary to go to their location or gathering place, select family members, at least those with family and relatives, and enter the colonial division in preparation.

Arthur would not be at ease with an aborigine without family and family.Only by pinching their weakness in their own hands can the absolute loyalty of these aborigines to Australasia be ensured.

When the Ministry of Defense was busy selecting indigenous soldiers, the Australasian government also welcomed an extremely important guest, the British visiting team.

Sydney Harbour, October 1913, 2.

As soon as the fleet flying the flag of the British Empire arrived in Sydney Harbor, it was welcomed by the crowd and procession on the harbor.

The Prime Minister of Kent stepped forward with a smile, and shook hands with the representative of the British visiting team, the British Foreign Secretary Gray.

"Minister Gray, welcome to Australasia!"

"Prime Minister Kent, long time no see." Gray also said with a smile.

In fact, most of Arthur's confidantes are the subordinates of the old Duke Arthur, that is, the British who followed Arthur to Australasia at that time.

As for Prime Minister Kent, he met Gray as early as when he was in England, and the two can be regarded as friends.

"Prime Minister Kent, when will I be able to see His Majesty Arthur?" After the two teams got to know each other, Gray looked expectantly at Kent and asked impatiently.

Germany's current pressure on Britain and France is already so severe that the proud British have to find additional allies.

"Minister Gray, according to His Majesty's arrangement, His Majesty will summon you tomorrow if you wish." Prime Minister Kent said with a smile.

"Of course, Prime Minister Kent. Let's make it tomorrow. I haven't seen His Majesty Arthur for a long time since the last farewell in England." British Foreign Secretary Gray nodded repeatedly, and did not agree with the arrangement of Prime Minister Kent. any objection.

In fact, British Foreign Secretary Gray's attitude in Australasia is much better than in other small and medium-sized European countries.

Even in Italy, which is also an expensive power, Gray may not have such a good attitude.

This is actually quite normal, after all, the monarch of Australasia is Arthur, a ruler who was born in the British royal family.

Disrespecting Arthur is actually equivalent to disrespecting the British royal family and disrespecting the late Queen Victoria.

Not to mention a foreign minister, Gray, even the previous British King Edward VII, who obviously had a bad relationship with Arthur, had to pretend to have a good uncle-nephew relationship with Arthur.

Especially under the premise that Arthur has a considerable status in the hearts of the British, if he does not give Arthur face, it is equivalent to making a joke about his political career.

Whether it is Australasia's important geographical location and good strength, or the close relationship between Arthur and the British royal family, it all determines Gray's respectful attitude in Australasia.

Prime Minister Kent prepared the most luxurious hotel in Sydney for the British visiting team, Gray's Room, and even claimed that it would cost hundreds of Australian dollars to live there for a day.

It also represents an Australasian who worked hard for two years without eating, drinking or spending anything, and the money he earned could only live in Gray's room for two days.

Of course, the Victoria Royal Hotel where Gray lives is not something ordinary people can live in.

As the most luxurious and well-equipped hotel in Sydney and even Australasia, the Royal Victoria Hotel is only open to important figures at home and abroad. Even capitalists with millions of dollars are not allowed to stay.

The Victoria Royal Hotel was built a few years ago. The main purpose of its construction is to provide accommodation for the most expensive foreign guests.

Generally, it is a member of the royal family who is relatively close, and can obtain the qualification to live and work in Sydney.

Foreign royal families with relatively distant relations and blood ties, top foreign politicians and officials, top capitalists, etc., may also be eligible to live in this hotel.

Of course, in theory, scientific researchers who have made outstanding contributions in a certain area can also be qualified to live in this hotel.

But generally speaking, such talents will receive a very high standard of reception when they arrive in Australasia.

Especially after confirming the citizenship of Australasia and working for Arthur, he will get a villa and a car, as well as a higher salary, and the Victoria Royal Hotel does not seem to be too important.

In fact, from the name of the Victoria Royal Hotel, we can roughly analyze the person behind the scenes of this hotel.

This is exactly one of the industries of the Royal Consortium. Currently, in Australasia, Europe and the United States, the Royal Consortium has built more than a dozen hotels. These hotels can be roughly divided into three categories. Large hotels, one category is the Victoria Hotel for mid-end customers, and the last is the manor hotel for low-end customers.

Take the top Victoria Royal Hotel as an example, any guest who lives in the hotel can get a driver who is on call at any time.

The food in the hotel is provided free of charge, and a limited amount of royal private wine from Duke Arthur's winery will also be provided.

You know, it has been nearly ten years since the Duke Arthur Winery was built. After ten years of development, the red wine produced by the winery will occupy a large share in the European red wine market, and its reputation has already begun .

After all, this is the private tribute red wine of the Australasian royal family, and it is a treasure enjoyed by the royal family in Australasia.

It’s okay if it’s a low-end wine, but the highest-end royal family’s private supply, apart from being presented by the Australasian royal family, there are very few such red wines on the market.

The price of such a bottle of red wine is generally hundreds or even thousands of Australian dollars, and it is one of the first choices of many capitalists for hospitality and banquets.

Victoria Royal Hotel will supply royal private offerings to customers in limited quantities from time to time.

Although it costs money, after all, it is a good thing that has a price but no market, and many people are willing to pay a high price to taste it.

(End of this chapter)