Chapter 570

Where there are people, there will be politics. Once interests are involved, everything will become complicated.

Some people oppose "free trade," while others support it. Not everyone is a victim of "free trade." On the contrary, many industries in Britannia are also beneficiaries of free trade.

For example: the coal industry.

Since the beginning of the last century, Britannia has been the world's largest coal exporter. Today, nearly a third of Britain's coal production is exported.

Once the free trade system is withdrawn, the good days of the coal bosses will come to an end. With the tariff barrier, Britannia's coal will lose its cost advantage.

If the energy industry can't monopolize the market, their core competitiveness is cost. Without the cost advantage, it is almost inevitable that the market will be invaded.

Another example: the textile industry.

Although the textile industry has been severely impacted by the wave of industrialization, Britannia is still the world's number one textile exporter.

Because of the economic development and the expansion of the market, even if the share of British textiles in the international market has shrunk, the total amount of textile exports has not declined much.

The statistics were all fake. Only making money was real. Regardless of the future market prospects, at least it is still making money.

Once the free trade system is withdrawn, these export-oriented enterprises will not have a good life.

Driven by interests, Britannia's business community has been divided. Both sides have their own interests. The bosses of the consortiums that control the industry and commerce behind the scenes also have a headache.

Who to support and who to oppose is never something that can be taken for granted. In essence, consortiums are a collection of interests of a group of capital and do not have a strong binding force.

The strength of a consortium is when everyone's interests are aligned. Now that there is a disagreement among the members, the power of the consortium has actually been weakened to the extreme.

If the interests of some of the members are seriously damaged, the consortium may split in minutes. In this context, the only thing the bosses can do is to reconcile the contradictions of all parties as much as possible.

With the internal division of capital, the issue of whether to withdraw from the free trade system naturally cannot be settled immediately.

Without trade barriers to protect the market, the Government of London's stimulating economic policies are equivalent to useless.

No matter how stimulating the policies are, a bad industry will always be a bad industry. If the products do not have market competitiveness, it is useless to give more preferential policies.

If the economic problem cannot be solved, political reform will be even more difficult. In addition to the industry dispute bill related to the economy, most of the reform proposals submitted by the Campbell Government were rejected by the House of Lords.

For example: reducing the power of the House of Lords, supporting Ireland's autonomy, giving higher autonomy to the colonies …

With so many moving reform proposals, the Campbell Government's days quickly became difficult.

In order to protect their own interests, the conservatives were forced to unite together, and with the parliament as their base, they began the 'war of words' with the reformist party.

…

Downing Street, the Prime Minister's official residence.

Looking into the distance through the window, Prime Minister Campbell let out a deep sigh. His mood at the moment was similar to the weather in London, both gray and gloomy.

As a symbol, London has been shrouded by fog since the beginning. had been shrouded by fog since the industrial began.

Especially in winter, visibility was less than 50 meters, which was a common thing. If the fog lamp had not been invented, it would have been impossible to drive in London in winter.

Campbell couldn't care less about the weather. Ever since the reform began, he had not had a good night's sleep. Every day, countless troubles came to his door.

The conservatives and the reformists were arguing, and the conflict between the two sides was almost open. The battle spread from the House of Lords to the entire society.

Radio and newspapers were the main battlefield of the debate.

"Both sides have their reasons, and both sides have their reasons."

As the debate unfolded, not to mention the ordinary people, even the intellectuals and middle-class elites were dumbfounded.

In fact, even Campbell himself was a little confused. Although he was the one who proposed the reform, Campbell was not sure if the reform would succeed after listening to the opposition's reasons.

Putting aside political reform, the most important thing now was to reform the economy and reverse the deteriorating economic situation in the country.

Only when the economic reform succeeded and established enough prestige, could political reform be further promoted.

After releasing his emotions, Campbell turned around and asked, "Who has the upper hand now?"

Unlike other countries, there was not much of a difference in strength between the reformists and conservatives in Britannia.

Then, a strange scene appeared. In the process of the debate, no one was able to overwhelm the other.

Today, the reformists had the upper hand. Tomorrow, the conservatives had the upper hand. No one knew what the final result would be.

The situation was so confusing that the speculators in the government didn't dare to take a side. Without the help of the bureaucrats, how could the reform continue?

Minister of the Interior Azevedo: "There is no result yet. The diehards are too strong. It will be difficult to determine the winner in a short period of time.

But the agricultural guild that we roped in is already interested. Withdrawing from the free trade system is also in their interest. "

Compared to the industrial and commercial industry, Britannia's farmers were the real tragedy. Due to geological conditions, there was not much land suitable for agriculture in the British Isles. The cost of agricultural production was also relatively high.

In the face of the impact of foreign agricultural products, the British agriculture could be said to be "only able to resist, but not fight back".

However, they could not cause a ruckus because the food production of Britain was simply not enough to meet their needs.

Since it was imported food, the cheaper it was, the better. Since all sectors of society stood together, the interests of the farmers would naturally be sacrificed.

It was not only the ordinary farmers who suffered losses, but also the farmers and the aristocrats who owned land.

They had the right to speak in politics, but compared to the industrial and commercial industry, their power was obviously much weaker.

In order to change this passive situation, these people formed the agricultural guild. They united to fight for their own interests in politics.

From the selling price of agricultural products in the market, it could be seen that the agricultural guild did not achieve the goal that everyone expected.

It was not that the agricultural guild did not work hard. The main reason was that the politicians were too shameless. They said one thing before going on stage, and did another thing after going on stage.

They invested many times, but all ended in failure. So much so that everyone lost confidence.

If they were not afraid of being cheated, these guys would have participated long ago. Abolishing the free trade system and implementing tariff barriers would be a great benefit to agriculture.

Prime Minister Campbell nodded and sighed: "It better be so! Otherwise, if this stalemate continues, it will hurt the country too much. "

The matter of the agricultural guild was not mentioned. Obviously, Campbell did not intend to fulfill his promise.

This was something that could not be helped. Britannia's food production was limited and could not meet its own needs. Imports were inevitable.

Protecting agriculture meant that the price of agricultural products would rise. This was bound to increase the survival pressure of the working class, and the labor costs of enterprises would also rise.

The capitalists were not vegetarians. Every increase in labor costs was fought for by the working class with their lives.

If it was not good, there would be a nationwide strike. Just thinking about this terrible consequence was enough to make any politician afraid.

…

Foreign Minister Adam Wengard: "Everyone, don't just focus on the domestic troubles. Recently, there have been a lot of incidents internationally.

The civil war in Venezuela has been endless. The faction that we support lost in the war, and the expansion of the empire was blocked.

Not long ago, Washington and the Government of Vienna reached an agreement and obtained the right to dig the Panama Canal, ending the icy diplomacy between the two countries since the Civil War.

Recently, there was another incident in the Far East. The conflict between Russia and Japan has intensified, and there is even the possibility of war breaking out.

… "

As a global empire, it was necessary to pay attention to the changes in the international situation. Of course, Britannia did not only pay attention, but also actively participated in it.

Adam Wengard said so many international incidents, all of which were directly related to Britannia, and even planned by them.

For example, the most inconspicuous civil war in Venezuela was one of the moves of the Government of the United Kingdom to expand in the Americas.

However, they started the beginning and could not determine the end. No one would have thought that an ordinary civil war would go on for several years because of the involvement of international forces.

Now it was coming to an end. The tragedy was that the side supported by the Government of the United Kingdom lost in the civil war.

This was something that could not be helped. Britannia had a bad reputation and did not pay attention to their table manners.

Because of the late rise, Shinra did not have time to expand its power in Venezuela, and naturally there was no hatred.

The main purpose of participating in the Venezuelan civil war was to cause trouble for Britannia. They had no intention of invading Venezuela.

On one side was the British who invaded their motherland, and on the other side was Shinra who specifically caused trouble for the British. The knowledgeable people in Venezuela knew who to support even with their eyes closed.

In an ordinary proxy war, the big boss mainly issued loans and sold arms. Naturally, the winner would be the one with the most support.

Today's Venezuela was not the oil country in the future. Except for the slightly more fertile land, there was basically nothing. It was not worth mentioning at all.

These small setbacks could not shake Britannia's position as the hegemon. The failure of the proxy war only proved that the supported agent was not good, but it did not mean that the British Empire was not strong.

In contrast, the Washington government's proximity to Vienna was the real cause for alarm.

The core of international politics was about benefits. It was normal for someone to change his boss to another company. As long as the Government of Vienna was willing to pay, it was not impossible to win over the United States.

It was not like similar operations had not happened before. Many of Shinra's current underlings were poached from under them.

It was fine if a small country was poached, but if their only big ally was also poached, the Government of London would be in trouble.

Prime Minister Campbell said, "Let's take one step at a time with the problem in Venezuela. If there is a chance, we will fight back. If there is no chance, we will temporarily give up.

On the Washington government's side, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs still needs to pay more attention to not have problems at the critical moment.

Emperor Franz seemed gentle and elegant, but in fact, he was an out-and-out hegemon. It was impossible for him to tolerate an existence that could threaten Shinra.

From their occupation of Central America to choke the neck of the Americans, it could be seen that the Government of Vienna would not allow the birth of a big country in the Americas.

With this fundamental contradiction, under normal circumstances, the Washington government would not side with them.

However, everything could go wrong. If the Government of Vienna allowed the Americans to annex Canada in order to win hegemony, the Washington government might really be tempted.

As for the conflict between Japan and Russia, it is part of our plan. Let's deepen the hatred between them!

The bait has been set. With the greed of the Hairy Bear, as long as the Siberian Railway is open, they are bound to invade east.

Now there is a conflict with the Japanese. It seems that the Russians are really impatient. They are not willing to wait for such a short time. "

As the ancestor of digging pits and burying people, when it came to stirring up trouble, Britannia claimed to be second best. No other country dared to claim to be the first.

The Siberian Railway had not yet opened, but the conflict between Japan and Russia had already been provoked. With the Hairy Bear's style of not wanting to suffer losses, it would be a problem if it didn't find trouble with the Japanese.

…

The Government of the United Kingdom was preparing, and the Government of Vienna was also not idle. Everyone was preparing for the next game.

It had to be admitted that the Russians were bold. They didn't even hide the construction progress of the Siberian Railway from the outside world.

With the selfless contribution of a group of free labor, the construction progress of the Siberian Railway was much faster than the outside world expected.

Perhaps it was because of the American railway technical team, or perhaps it was because the French workers didn't feel distressed when they died. In short, the construction of the Siberian Railway was progressing very smoothly.

In the words of the French writer Romain Rolland, "Every tie of the Siberian Railway is paved with the flesh and blood of French workers."

Franz agreed with this statement.

According to the intelligence from the Tsarist government, in the past few years, more than 250,000 French workers have sacrificed their lives for the construction of the Siberian Railway.

Whether they died of cold, disease, starvation, exhaustion, or accidents on the construction site, this question was no longer important.

Anyway, the French would blame this on the Russians.

Based on the current situation, the French workers who entered the Russian Empire most likely wouldn't be able to return.

There was no other way. The Russian Empire was so big, and there were many infrastructure projects. The Tsarist government needed this kind of free, affordable labor force.

The French's grudge was nothing. Even if France were to one day turn over, it would be impossible for them to go through Shinra to retaliate.

…

Palace of Vienna

"The construction speed of the Siberian Railway is beyond our expectations. It is much faster than the Central Asian Railway.

According to the Russians, the Siberian Railway will be opened in 1905. At that time, the biggest obstacle to the Russians' eastward expansion will be swept away.

Once the railway is opened, the Empire of the Far East and the Japanese will not be a match for the Russians. Especially since the two countries had a war a few years ago, it will be difficult for them to unite.

In order to limit the development of the Russians, I am going to strengthen … "

Before Frederick The Great finished, Franz interrupted, "The Siberian Railway is different from the Central Asian Railway.

The Central Asian Railway that we helped build is a double-track railway, while the Siberian Railway that the Americans helped design is a single-track railway.

Even if the railway is opened, how many trains do you think the Siberian Railway can send every day?

With such a small capacity, it is not a problem to supply daily needs. Once a war breaks out, the Russians will immediately feel the logistical pressure.

What's more, don't you think it's strange for the Americans to help the government build the railway?

The Siberian Railway doesn't make money. It would be God's blessing if the revenue could cover the daily maintenance expenses.

I don't think anyone would be so generous except for the British who want to divert the trouble to someone else.

The stage is set, I don't believe the British will not be prepared. Next, we just need to add fuel to the fire in the dark. The Government of the United Kingdom will take care of the rest. "