Chapter 999: The Style of the Great Powers
Chapter 979 – The Style of the Great Powers
As the sun set, a massive fleet slowly sailed towards New Frankfurt Harbor, quickly causing a stir amongst the workers on the docks.
As one of the most important military ports of the Holy Roman Empire in the Southern Ocean region, it was no longer normal to have a fleet out. Only this time was different, the fleet entering the harbor flew the wrong flag.
A youth pointed forward with trembling hands and exclaimed, “What’s going on here? Which son of a bitch was so careless as to get the military flag wrong!”
New Frankfurt Harbor was one of the stations of the Austrian Nanyang Fleet, which was considered a military heavyweight. Even if there are occasionally foreign warships passing by and needing supplies, they also send small boats to send them over, and have never docked.
This is also a tacit agreement between the colonial empires. For the safety of the harbor, unless it is to accept the invitation, or warships in the industry on the way to damage must be repaired, under normal circumstances is not allowed to enter the warships of other countries.
Especially after Japan’s successful sneak attack on the Philippines, the major colonial empires were even more vigilant. Such a huge fleet, let alone docking, even if you want to get supplies, then you must stay a few miles away.
The middle-aged foreman next to him sneered, “Don’t talk nonsense, who would put up the wrong military flag. Just look at the shape of the warships, it’s obviously not ours.
That is the flag of the Spanish, they are fighting the Japanese, I heard that they suffered a big loss some days ago, it looks like this fleet should be the reinforcements they sent over.
I just don’t know what’s going on, but they’ve come to us.”
After a pause, the middle-aged man seemed to have thought of something, and immediately reprimanded after reacting, “Quickly give work, don’t want to give me lazy, is it your turn to worry about the affairs of the big shots!
Do you still want your money? I’m telling you, if you don’t finish today’s work, no one will be able to go home.”
Suddenly a small man clasped his hands on his stomach and showed a painful expression, quickly attracting the attention of the middle-aged foreman.
“Little monkey, what are you kid up to again?”
It was obvious that the middle-aged foreman was still very worried. Only if the worry was about Little Monkey’s body or today’s job, then no one would know.
“Chief, I have a stomachache. Can you give me some money first so that I can go to the hospital.”
As he spoke, the young man of the little monkey had squatted down, as if he was in unbearable pain.
The middle-aged foreman frowned, sickness comes like a mountain, especially for those who are engaged in heavy physical labor on the docks, but when they fall down, there are not many who can get up.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t be cured, but they didn’t have the money to do so. Although the income of the dock workers was relatively generous, after deducting the expenses of the family, there was still very little left.
If you don’t seek medical attention, you will die, and if you are admitted to the hospital, I don’t know if you will be able to save your life, but your family will definitely be lost.
“OK! But you kid don’t go to the hospital, that’s not where we people should go, go to find old Liu head to open a pair of medicine on the line.”
Poor people have poor people’s way of living, in addition to the expensive hospitals, there are also stray barefoot doctors.
How is the medical skill, let’s not talk about it, but it is better than the cheap price.
Generally speaking, these barefoot bone-setter’s medicinal herbs are out to pick by themselves, only the medicine that is not available on the island will be purchased, the cost is much lower than the hospital.
However, every penny counts, and there really aren’t many barefoot doctors in the Nanyang area who are good at medicine. If they were really capable, they would have long been incorporated by the hospital.
It’s all private hospitals, everything is geared towards money. As long as they can earn money, capitalists do not care what Chinese and Western medicine.
In the interests of the drive, the earliest combined Chinese and Western medicine hospital, so quietly appeared.
The little monkey youth couldn’t stop nodding his head, indicating that he already knew. After receiving the money from the middle-aged foreman, he left trembling.
Everyone sweeps the snow in front of their own door, in this era of precariousness, unless it is a close friend or relative, otherwise people will not mind their own business.
The little monkey was the one who joined later, and everyone was neither close nor close to the family, and could not even be counted as a fellow villager. Apart from sighing a few words under their breath, the rest of them went back to work.
After getting rid of the crowd’s line of sight, the originally dying Little Monkey instantly regained his vigor and ran to the telegraph company as fast as he could.
……
In the early hours of the morning, the Emperor’s Palace was still brightly lit. Emperor Meiji, who should have been resting, was also awakened by a sudden telegram and hurriedly convened the Imperial Council.
“The enemy is much faster than we expected and has already arrived in Sulawesi and is at this moment anchored in New Frankfurt Harbor, just a step away from the Philippines.
Seeing that the enemy is about to launch an attack, the British have not yet gotten the warships they promised, what to do next, we must come up with a plan.”
Emperor Meiji said without question.
The situation was so bad that it was completely out of his expectation. According to international custom, the Holy Roman Empire, as a neutral country, could not provide help to Spain during the war.
Generally speaking, for the sake of the country’s reputation, even if it is to provide support to a belligerent country, it is done secretly, and such blatant support like that of the Holy Roman Empire is something that rarely happens in the European world.
How could it be that the customary practice suddenly failed. As if the Holy Roman Empire didn’t care about international reputation this time, it not only allowed Spanish warships to pass through the Suez Canal, but also provided ports of call to the Spanish navy.
If nothing else, it would not be a surprise to see the Spanish warships being repaired and maintained next.
It may seem that these supports are insignificant, but in reality, these are factors that directly affect the fighting power of the navy.
In the original space and time, the Russian Pacific fleet is because there is no such logistical support, ten points of the combat power even five points have not been played out, only to be the Japanese simply killed. Otherwise, who won and who lost is still an unknown.
Admiral Ito Yuken questioned, “What is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for? Didn’t the Austrians say they were neutral, why are they suddenly supporting Spain again?
Why didn’t we receive any information before? This is dereliction of duty on your part. Do you realize how much damage this kind of accident will bring to the Empire?”
“Ito-kun, calm down first. No one wants to see something like this happen. Also we at the Foreign Ministry aren’t idle.
It is a well-known fact that the Vienna government declared neutrality long ago. What has happened is mainly because we ignored a secret treaty from forty years ago.
Before the Austrians went to sea, there were agreements to share ports with several colonial empires, including Spain.
It was thanks to this treaty that the Austrians were able to get through the difficulties of supply in the early days of colonization and started the second colonial empire in the world.
According to the treaty, the contracting parties are obliged to provide each other with logistical support, port calls, within the limits of their capacity, when their own interests are not jeopardized.”
Saionji Gongwang explained helplessly.
It really wasn’t their responsibility, forty years ago was still the Shogunate era, they were all still little kids, who would care about a treaty that didn’t have half a penny to do with them!
Especially this treaty, which still existed in the form of a secret treaty. If he hadn’t gone to negotiate with the Minister of the Holy Roman Empire, he wouldn’t even know that a treaty existed.
Yohan Ito asked angrily, “So what if there is a secret treaty? Did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not ask the Austrians for an explanation for this violation of international practice?”
Saionji Gongwang replied bitterly, “The explanation naturally arrived. I met with the Holy Roman Empire Minister as soon as I received the Spanish Navy’s entry into New Frankfurt Harbor.
The other party also gave a reasonable explanation, only this explanation, I think you will not like it.”
After exchanging eye contact and seeing that the crowd was determined to know, Saionji Gongwang slowly said, “Minister Antonio expressed his regret for this incident and made a promise on behalf of the government of Vienna that he would be willing to bear all the consequences that would result from it.
He also said that if we must pursue the matter, we can use this as a reason to declare war on them, and the Holy Roman Empire will take the initiative to assume the moral responsibility for this war.”
It was fine if it wasn’t explained, but the crowd couldn’t help themselves with this explanation. Even Emperor Meiji, who had always valued the majesty of a monarch, was furious at the moment.
A glib willingness to take responsibility appeared to be taking responsibility for the matter, but in reality it was playing helpless.
“Declaring war”?
If Japan had that kind of strength, Emperor Meiji wouldn’t mind having a good fight with the Holy Roman Empire to let them know that the Great Japanese Empire wasn’t to be messed with either!
Unfortunately, reality was cruel. The Holy Roman Empire, which was founded less than two months ago, is now the hegemon of half the world, and a country like Japan can be slapped to death with a slap down.
Weak countries have no diplomacy, which is reflected here. Even if people have admitted to violating international practice, the Japanese government now does not have the guts to run for accountability.
Even the Vienna government proved its own credibility to the outside world once again because of this incident. In order to a forty-year-old secret contract, can violate international practice to offend the dead ……
Well, these days the weight of the Japanese is still a little light, and there is not much persuasive power in spreading the word. If it had been the British, it would probably have worked even better.
At the end of the day is accustomed to big waves, see the meeting situation out of control, reacted to the Emperor Meiji immediately reprimanded: “all give me shut up! If you want to scold at home, you can do it yourself, do not be wild here.
I also know that the Holy Roman Empire has acted very badly this time, but what can be done about it? It’s the most powerful country in the world and has the capital to dominate.
If you have the ability to do so, just keep this account for now and wait for a chance in the future to get it back from them and wash away the shame this time.”
Toward the end of his words, Emperor Meiji also ran out of steam. There was no way, the difference in strength between the two sides was really too great.
The Holy Roman Empire’s power in the Southern Ocean region alone had the ability to destroy the Japanese Empire. When it comes to the combined power of the two countries, the difference is at least a double-digit multiple.
(End of chapter)