Chapter 331 Exchange of Interests
After the end of the Balkan War, the world seemed to have fallen into a long period of silence.
The arms race between the two major military groups is still going on. From the simplest naval arms race before, it has now developed into an arms race between the army, navy and even the air force.
If the airships and aircraft dispatched by Italy in the previous Italo-Turkish War can represent the importance that European powers attach to current aviation equipment.
Then since the success of the Australasia circumnavigation plan, aviation equipment represented by airships that can travel around the world has become an important weapon that is no less than the army and navy, and has been highly valued by countries around the world.
The first country to achieve results in airships was Germany, which owned the Zeppelin Airship Company. From the end of September to October, Germany publicly announced the establishment of an air force, which will be equipped with at least 30 large airships, 100 small airships and dozens of aircraft of various models in the next five years.
Although the number seems small, Germany is the first country to publicly declare that it will establish an air force mainly composed of airships and aircraft.
After Germany announced the establishment of an air force, the British naturally did not lag behind. A few days later, they also announced that the UK would establish an air force and equip more than 50 large airships and 100 small airships.
Due to the pride of being the world's number one power, the British naturally determined the number of airships in their air force to be far greater than the number of Germans to ensure that they could have certain advantages in the new branch of the military.
With the example of Germany and Britain, in just one month, the major European powers announced the establishment of air forces one after another. Even Italy, which is expected to have the smallest air force, will be equipped with ten large airships and dozens of small airships.
It is not surprising that these countries attach so much importance to airships. It is really the performance of airships that has surprised and feared many European countries.
The previously recognized longest range of airships is only a few hundred kilometers. In addition, the flying speed of airships is not fast, so the threat is not very big.
But now, the global airships in Australasia have not only increased their speed a lot, but can even travel around the world with several stops.
This also means that if there is no air defense means at present, no region in the world is safe. Even the capitals of top powers such as Britain and France may be bombed by the enemy.
Before you have advanced defense weapons, it is very necessary to equip a large number of airships.
This is not only to ensure that you have a certain threat capability to the enemy, but also to ensure that there are certain countermeasures against unknown air threats.
The importance of airships in these European countries can be briefly described in one sentence, that is: you can ignore airships, but you can't live without airships.
Although European countries have attached great importance to the research and development of airships, it is obviously unlikely to have an airship that can sail around the world in a short time.
Therefore, Australasia's AU-3 airship has become the only way for European countries to obtain airships that can sail around the world in a short time.
Although Australasia has previously claimed that it will not sell airships to the military industry and will not allow foreign airship companies to resell airships.
But there is a saying that nothing is absolute. All European powers believe that as long as there is enough interest, let alone buying airships, the technology to buy airships does not seem to be difficult.
From mid-October 1912, European powers successively contacted the aviation laboratory of Australasia and asked whether they could buy airships and airship technology.
After receiving the requests from these countries, Director Theodore did not dare to act on his own, so he hurried to Sydney Palace to consult Arthur.
At this time, Arthur was enjoying a carefree life in the palace because he had just visited the Melbourne Shipyard and the Auckland Shipyard.
After hearing Director Theodore's inquiry and the requests of European powers to buy airships and airship technology, Arthur couldn't help laughing and said: "In theory, our airships, whether for civilian or military use, have irreplaceable value. But if European countries are willing to spend on technology with the same strategic value, it is not impossible to buy and exchange airship technology."
After all, airships cannot have the same advantages as airplanes in the air. Even if Australasia has not fallen behind in the research of airships, Arthur has to admit the fact that the most advanced airships at present will only be live targets in front of the most advanced aircraft.
Since he already knew the obvious gap, for Arthur, the importance of airships was far less important than that of airplanes.
Since European countries wanted airships and airship technology, it was not impossible to give them. The most critical question was, what kind of technology could these European countries give in exchange for Australasia's airship technology?
Among these European countries, Arthur attached the most importance to the British Empire.
After all, it was the world's number one power at present, and Arthur was very envious of the various technologies of the British Empire in the navy, and he wanted to have them.
In addition, almost all European powers had advantages, and their technology also made Arthur envious, and it was also the foundation that Australasia urgently needed.
Although Arthur had not originally thought of using airships to make a lot of money from European powers, since these European powers had already delivered them to his mouth, it would be unreasonable not to eat the meat.
Under Arthur's instruction, Director Theodore had a long negotiation with Europe in order to exchange for advanced technology and technical experts from European powers.
Thanks to the importance that Britain and Germany attached to airships, European powers had to equip airships to give themselves air superiority and air counterattack capabilities.
The negotiations between the two sides lasted for a long time. After Germany initially equipped airships and announced the upcoming airship parade, the British immediately became restless and expressed their willingness to exchange airships and airship technology with more technical and technical support.
First of all, in the UK, according to Arthur's instructions, Director Theodore requested many experts in naval gun design, as well as experts in the design of warship power systems, etc.
With the development of super dreadnoughts in the future, the caliber of guns will rise to an exaggerated 15 inches, which is about 381 mm.
You should know that the caliber of guns on dreadnoughts currently equipped by other powers is about 305 mm.
Although the British currently only control the technology of 343mm artillery, it can be seen from the fact that they hurriedly changed the original 343mm main gun technology to 381mm main gun after the outbreak of World War I, and achieved complete success, that the British technology in naval guns has been quite successful, and it is definitely worth Arthur's attention.
Thanks to the good relationship with the British, and after Arthur's guarantee that the relevant AU-3 airship technology would not be sold to the Germans, the British government happily agreed to Arthur's request and expressed its willingness to send 300 experts to Australasia, 100 each for naval guns, power systems and warship design.
These 300 people are really sent. The British government has made a very generous promise that they will be sent to Australasia within one and a half months, accompanied by their families, and they will live in Australasia permanently.
Thanks to the generous attitude of the British, Director Theodore also expressed his willingness to sell 50 airships to the UK at a price lower than the market price, that is, at a price of 70,000 pounds, and directly hand over the AU-3 airship technology to the UK.
Arthur could make a profit of about 1.5 million pounds from these 50 airships. Adding the 300 British experts, this exchange was definitely not a loss for Arthur.
As for the promise to the British not to cooperate with Germany, even if the British did not say this, Arthur's cooperation with Germany would basically be impossible to achieve.
Although Germany's airship technology at this time was not as good as Australasia, it was definitely the best in the field of rigid airships besides Australasia.
Moreover, after obtaining the AU-2 airship given by Arthur before, Germany never stopped its research on rigid airships and also strongly supported the Zeppelin Airship Company.
This time, most European countries contacted Australasia to purchase technology, except Germany, which only wanted to buy a few airships and did not mention the technology of airships.
If nothing unexpected happens, the Germans should be about to master the airship that can sail around the world. After all, the so-called round-the-world voyage is actually the journey of multiple long-distance flights.
According to the longest distance that the AU-3 airship traveled around the world, it was only more than 8,000 kilometers from Los Angeles to London and Sydney to Hawaii.
If the development follows the historical trajectory, the world's first airship that sailed around the world should be manufactured by Zeppelin.
Now with the strong support of the German government, it is not impossible for Zeppelin to develop an airship that can sail around the world earlier.
In addition to Britain and Germany, under Arthur's instruction, Director Theodor also reached cooperation with other European powers.
Including France, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Italy, Australasia has obtained a large number of technical experts and personnel from these countries, as well as many advanced technologies in various aspects.
Naval guns, artillery, warship power systems, engine technology, medical technology, industrial equipment, industrial technology, etc., plus thousands of technical experts, Arthur believes that within a few years, Australasia's technology will usher in considerable progress, and it will not be far away to truly reach the level and power of the great powers.
Since cooperation has been reached with these European powers, the manufacturing of airships by the Aviation Laboratory can also be accelerated.
After sharing the technology with these countries, I believe that the airship companies and airship technologies of various countries will advance rapidly.
Perhaps after a few years, airships that can sail around the world like AU-3 will no longer be valuable, and the profits of the airship market will be greatly reduced.
After all, now, as the most novel means of transportation, coupled with the faster speed and more comfortable travel method of airships, as well as the characteristics of scarcity, the current prices of airships and airship tickets are very high. Any airship company, as long as it has an airship that can sail around the world, can immediately make a lot of money, and the stock market will double several times or even more than ten times.
Such a crazy scene is slightly better than the previous rubber market. If the Aviation Laboratory had not been suppressing the speed of airship construction, I am afraid that the current airship market would be like the previous rubber market, and airship companies would be everywhere and eventually face a stock crisis.
If the aviation laboratory starts the production of airships, it will only take half a year at the current production speed to complete the orders from these major powers.
With other orders from foreign civilians, the airship market can be maintained for at least several years, but the proportion of airship companies in Australasia will only become smaller and smaller.
After all, it is to make quick money, and Arthur did not think about working hard in this regard. It is already good to have such a profit, and Arthur is also very satisfied.
Although the order of 30 airships from Germany was lost, 50 from Britain, 30 from France, 20 from Russia, 15 from Austria-Hungary, 15 from Italy, and 40 from the United States still brought orders for 170 airships to Australasia.
And except for Britain, the airships of other countries are all at the original price, which is 80,000 pounds.
According to this calculation, these 170 airships can bring Arthur 6.3 million pounds, or 12.6 million Australian dollars, which is a good extra income.
Even if this money is invested in the navy, it can almost build three super dreadnoughts, which is definitely not a small amount.
Although Arthur did not intend to invest the money in the navy, no matter where it is invested, the money can play a significant role.
Among all the airship orders, the names of Americans appear a little abrupt.
In fact, when the European powers first contacted Australasia, the Americans were actually unaware.
But Arthur thought, since the Europeans were cheated anyway, how could the United States, as a world-famous upstart, be an exception?
Therefore, under Arthur's instruction, the aviation laboratory released the news that European powers requested to purchase airship technology, and it soon attracted the attention of the US military and the US government.
As early as when the Dawn airship landed in the United States, the generals of the US military had already noticed the strategic significance of airships.
When the US military learned that European powers were buying airship technology, how could it be silent? It immediately asked the government to follow suit and take advantage of this trend to equip the US government with at least the same level of airships as the European powers to protect the US sky.
In order to persuade the US Congress, the military almost broke its tongue. It not only repeatedly stated the strategic significance of airships that can sail around the world, but also that they can reach any territory of the United States at any time, posing a fatal threat to Americans and the US military.
At the same time, the US military also publicly stated that if the US military cannot be equipped with advanced weapons such as airships, then the US military strength will be significantly different from that of European powers.
Although the United States is not currently thinking about participating in the disputes in Europe, this does not mean that the United States has no ambition to be the world hegemon.
All the changes in the US policies represent that the country has great ambitions. Such remarks by the US military naturally attracted the attention of the government, and the airship purchase plan was carried out smoothly.
Of course, the current technological level of the United States is obviously behind that of the European powers, and Arthur does not pay much attention to their technological technology.
Compared with the technological level of the United States, the total industrial scale and economic level of the United States are still important guarantees for the United States to obtain the status of a great power.
As for the current military technology and military level of the United States, it can only be described in four words, that is, it is difficult to say.
Since the Americans have money, Arthur naturally couldn't miss this opportunity. After a period of discussion with the US government, it was finally decided that the United States would purchase 40 airships at the original price and AU-3's airship technology at 20 million Australian dollars.
Of course, in addition to this, Arthur also discussed with the US government, using the excuse of lack of funds for national development to borrow 500 million marks from the US government and private individuals, and agreed to repay it in 15 years, with a total repayment of 650 million marks including principal and interest.
As for why the German currency unit was used for borrowing from the United States, it was because Arthur specifically stated that most of the borrowed funds would be used in Germany to purchase a large amount of industrial equipment and technology from Germany, so the Americans could just prepare German marks.
Of course, since German marks were used when borrowing, German marks must be repaid when repaying.
As for the interest of 150 million marks, if the European situation really developed according to the original history, then Arthur could not care about the interest at all.
4,600 words, only one update today. (I went out today, no choice)
Starting tomorrow, 10,000 a day, otherwise the manuscript fee will not be kept