Chapter 1091: Campbell’s Reforms

  Chapter 1070 – Campbell’s Reforms

The international situation is surging, but Franz is nestled in his home, as if he is unaware of it.

Do not know is obviously impossible, the British want to pull together so many countries, there will always be a few two and a half.

In international politics, one way to the black is always a minority, the two ends of the snake is the normal operation.

It’s not like Britannia and Shinra are fighting on one side or the other, most countries won’t tie themselves to one until the situation is clear.

Shen Luo can rely on the advantage of land power, hostage continental countries on board; the British also rely on the advantage of sea power, in the world to pull allies.

Stopping is impossible, wallflowers will only fall with the wind, and can only fall with the wind, this is the way for small countries to survive.

It was not that the government of Vienna could not make a move, the main problem was the limited investment of power, and could not compete with the British overseas.

The British have been operating overseas for hundreds of years, Shinra has entered the Age of Sail in less than forty years, and its influence overseas lags far behind that of the British.

Besides, little brothers were not easy to collect. Overseas countries are not ironclad, the neighboring countries have deep hatred between the same few, pulling together this family will inevitably have to offend that family.

It is easy to pull people on board, but the trouble is that while pulling people on board, they are also involved in regional conflicts and disputes.

Excessive involvement in regional conflicts, in addition to being able to pull hatred, does not make any sense to the Divine Law.

Don’t pull any alliance gratitude. In international politics, the only benefits that are real are the ones you get in your hands, and “gratitude” is the least valuable.

In this context, rather than taking the initiative and asking for trouble, it would be better to watch the British perform first, and then follow the backlash.

Anyone who follows the British will be funding their enemies, and Shinra will not be short of allies anyway.

Calm days always pass by in a flash. Along with the development of the times, the conflict between Shinra and Britain became more and more acute.

Without realizing it, the term “trade friction” suddenly caught fire and became the media’s favorite for a while.

With the dividends brought by the second industrial revolution, coupled with the cost advantage of industrial raw materials, the industrial and commercial products of Shinra increasingly dominated in international competition.

In the increasingly brutal market competition, the former factory of the world, there are now a number of industries have fallen into a difficult situation.

The “free trade” that Britain was once proud of has now become a complete joke under the impact of the industrial and commercial products of Shen Luo.

It was no surprise that the Conservative Party, which favored free trade, lost the 1902 election. The Liberal candidate, Henry Campbell-Bannerman, succeeded in Downing Street.

Campbell, as the victor, didn’t get to rejoice for a few days before he was stunned by the mess in his hands.

Britain was still the world’s hegemon, only a hegemon that was riddled with holes and leaking all over the place.

Frankly, the previous government of Robert Cecil did a pretty good job, too, with remarkable results in both the political and diplomatic arenas.

For example: ate the French Central and Southern Peninsula, expanding Britain’s colonial territory; the success of the Scourge of the East strategy, the Russians were introduced to the Far East, the Russian-Australian alliance cracks; the establishment of the Anglo-Japanese alliance, repairing the relationship with the Americas, and a number of countries to establish a strategic partnership ……

No amount of diplomatic success could hide the economic difficulties Britain was experiencing. The Second Industrial Revolution had begun to take effect, and Britain, which had not kept up with the times, was now paying the price.

Not only has the overseas market been squeezed by Shenla’s commodities, even the local market has been impacted, and even Britain’s fist textile industry has not been able to survive.

There was no way around it, who made the London government choose to pull the United States together?

Sensing the danger of the Union States, could not help but lean toward Shinra. Then, with the support of Shinra, the Union State also set off an industrial revolution.

Like the vast majority of countries, the beginning of the industrial revolution in the Union State was also the textile industry. Raw material origin of their own play child weaving, which let the textile industry to establish the country of Britain how embarrassed?

It is important to know that the textile industry is Britain’s first major industrial chain, more than one-third of the British people, can be related to this industrial chain.

As the world’s largest cotton producer, the Union State development of the textile industry has an unparalleled advantage in the cost that is easy to beat the British textile enterprises.

Once the textile industry problems, Britain’s economy will collapse in minutes, the British naturally can not sit still.

Because of the United States of America’s sake, resulting in the Union State to fall to the God Luo, by the public that this is Robert Cecil’s government’s biggest diplomatic blunder, but also the Conservative Party election loss of one of the important factors.

When he was in opposition, Campbell didn’t spare any time to bash the government with this issue, and now that he’s replaced himself in power, he realizes that it’s not the case at all.

It may seem like pulling the United States together was a diplomatic blunder, but in reality the British government simply had no choice. With or without this file, the Union State will develop its own cotton textile industry, which is determined by interests.

As early as ten years ago, the Union State had planned to develop its own cotton textile industry, only to be forced to choose to abandon it under the pressure of Britain.

In recent years, with the strong rise of the Holy Roman Empire, Britain’s hegemony was shaky, and the suppressed Union State once again had the ambition to develop the textile industry.

Unlike in the past, with the Holy Roman Empire in the middle of the mess, Britain has not blocked the ability of the Union State to develop the textile industry.

At this point, the gap between the two sides has been born. No matter how much importance is attached to the relationship between the two countries, it is not possible to resist the conflict of interests.

Vienna government can help the Union State to develop the textile industry, the London government is never able to do, or the domestic interest groups must be a coup d’état.

Pull together a core conflict of interest in the country as an ally, it is far better to pull on a relatively small conflict of interest, the strength of the country to do not cost-effective.

After all, the next and the Holy Roman Empire to fight for supremacy, may also have to fight a war, allies do not give strength can not be.

“The mouth cannon is fun for a while, but the crematorium afterward.”

Now Campbell, there are a few points of this feeling. The front sprayed cool, to their own after the throne, actually have to continue the predecessor’s foreign policy.

If it is only diplomatic trouble, Campbell Prime Minister can cope with it. Politicians, thick skin is only standard. “Say one thing, do another”, completely routine operation.

The most worrying thing for Campbell is the steady decline of the domestic economy, as well as the increasing social conflicts.

Of course, these problems Campbell is not completely unprepared. As the leader of the reformists, Campbell as early as a few years ago to put forward the views of reform.

This world is never easy to shout slogans, want to do practical things difficult.

“Reform”, never a smooth sailing, since ancient times of reform are few successes, the vast majority of the tragedy ended.

On the throne, Campbell really appreciate the difficult situation. The reality of everything told him, not the previous government did not want to reform, completely touching the interests of too large, do not dare to easily start.

………

Trade Minister Lloyd George: “This is the first half of the import and export trade report that we have tallied up, and it’s very bad.

Compared to the same period last year, the total exports in the first half of this year fell by 0.46% year-on-year compared to the same period last year, the total imports rose by 2.67% year-on-year, and the trade deficit grew by 3 percentage points.

This is already our third consecutive year of export trade contraction, and the tenth year of trade deficit growth. To be precise, the Empire’s trade deficit has been increasing all the time since the end of the Continental War.

As a result of the contraction of exports and the trade deficit, the international position of the pound sterling, too, has taken a hit.

Especially in the European world, countries have adopted the divine shield and gold for trade settlement, and the pound has been marginalized.

The root cause of all this is mainly the domestic industrial and commercial products, which have lost their competitiveness in the international market.

Machinery manufacturing, electric power equipment, internal combustion engine automobile industry and so on, a series of new industries, almost can not find the shadow of the empire goods.

Even our homeland is now filled with Shinra manufacturing. If this continues, sooner or later the Empire’s economy will run into problems.”

Trade deficits were nothing new, from the time Fao had completed its industrialization, Britain had gradually been in a deficit position in international trade.

With the first-hand advantage it had in the First Industrial Revolution, this deficit did not bring disaster to the British, but instead pushed the pound internationally.

Only the good times did not last long, along with the growing trade deficit, the problem slowly appeared. The deficit was too large and led directly to an outflow of wealth.

After all, not all countries are willing to accept the pound settlement, want to rely on the printing of tickets to harvest the world, Britain has not had that strength.

Accompanied by the rise of the Holy Roman Empire, S.H.I.E.L.D. began to seize the market of the pound, this situation became more and more obvious.

Everyone is not a fool, looking at Britain’s trade deficit is getting bigger and bigger, no one is willing to hold pounds on a large scale, to pay for the British consumption.

As time goes by, more and more European countries, are no longer willing to accept the pound settlement.

The pound’s share of the international currency market is reduced, to calm the trade deficit, it can only take real money to fill the pit.

Although there are colonies can be plundered, but the gold and silver outflow, has become a problem for the British government.

To change all this is very simple, either to steal back the lost market, or to engage in new products to open up new markets.

Unfortunately, this time the competitor is the Holy Roman Empire, force deterrence does not have any effect, relying on normal commercial means of competition simply can not steal back the market.

Developing new products is even more unrealistic, British companies are so awesome, there will be no export trade volume shrinkage.

Labor Minister Burns: “Affected by the economic downturn, domestic labor conflicts, employment issues, and has become acute.

According to data from our survey, our unemployment rate rose another 0.3 percentage points in the first half of this year. It may seem insignificant, but this has risen for five consecutive years.

Not to mention the labor conflicts, just take a look at the strikes and processions outside to get a clear picture. So far this year, there has been a clear indication of an increase.

In London, for example, in the first half of the year, there were 16 strikes of more than 1 000 people, and there are demonstrations almost every month.

If I were not sure that this is London, I would have wondered if I had mistakenly entered Paris. This frequency of strike marches is simply beyond ……”

It was clear that Burns really wanted to solve the problem. As the first working class representative in the cabinet, even if only for the sake of his political career, Burns had to deliver.

Before he took office, he thought it was enough to legislate to protect the interests of labor and prohibit capitalists from acting recklessly.

After learning first-hand, Burns doubted his own eyes for a while.

The problem in Britain was no longer just a matter of capitalists acting arbitrarily, but also a challenge to the survival of business.

Emerging industries have been impacted to pieces, and traditional industries are facing a series of problems such as brutal competition in the market, meager profits, and overcapacity.

The choice of the British capitalists in the original time and space was to compress their production capacity and play with themselves in the colonies behind closed doors. Anyway, the colonial market in Britain is big enough for them to retire.

As for updating machinery and equipment, increasing investment in research and development, and facing up to international competition. Just shout a few exciting slogans, if you take it seriously then you lose.

Capital is the most realistic, can lie without risk of making money, why risk to participate in international competition?

Data will not lie, no matter which country, radical, heavy R & D enterprises are the fastest death, on the contrary, is not enterprising conservative enterprises longer life.

Perhaps conservative companies will be eliminated by the market one day in the future, but before they are eliminated by the market, capitalists have already made enough money from them.

In contrast, a company that continues to invest in R&D is happy when it succeeds, but if it has problems in the middle of the process, it will lose all of its money.

Capital hates risk, and steady money is the greatest happiness. Capitalists who are willing to gamble their own money to win a better tomorrow for the enterprise are always in the minority.

Herbert Henry Asquith, Chancellor of the Exchequer: “These are problems that have been around for a long time. In order to address the economic problems in the country, the previous government twice reduced tax rates for industrial and commercial enterprises.

They were even prepared to launch an export subsidy program to increase the competitiveness of businesses in the marketplace, if it hadn’t been rejected by Parliament.

It is just that all these can only treat the symptoms, and if we want to really solve the problem, we still have to rely on the efforts of our enterprises themselves.

It has to be admitted that we have fallen behind in many areas. Shen Luo’s goods are all over the street, just take one and domestic production of similar goods to do a comparison, in the price-performance ratio of our enterprises really do not do well.

The trouble now is that domestic capitalists lack interest in technological innovation, especially in the field of machinery and equipment, and even more so in the spirit of innovation.

What the capitalists want is an end to free trade, a reintroduction of trade barriers, and tariffs to protect the market.

Of course, they don’t say it so directly. The name of the game is to use trade barriers to temporarily protect the domestic casualty market and buy time for enterprises to innovate in science and technology.

But we all know very well that with the enthusiasm of domestic enterprises to invest in scientific research, I’m afraid that this situation won’t change by the next century.”

Sensei’s policy boils down to interests. Because of the interests, the British government established the free trade system; equally because of the interests, the Brits’ government now has to consider ending free trade.

Even if Asquith was very disgusted by all of this and felt that these unthinking guys were the assholes of Britain, then their opinions had to be considered carefully.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Prime Minister Campbell waved his hand and said, ”These issues are the realities we will face in the days to come.

Britain has come to this point, is the result of these problems piled up, the reality tells us that Britain has reached the time to have to reform.

If we continue like this, not to mention competing with the Holy Roman Empire, just the social conflicts within the country, we can lose half of our lives.

Protecting the market can be considered, but how it should be protected, how far it should be protected, and what impact it will have, these must be carefully considered.

These issues are a matter of one hair affecting the whole body. Once we adopt trade barriers, other countries are bound to follow suit, and then our import and export trade will definitely be affected.

Domestic ……”

(End of chapter)