Chapter 910: Acceleration
Chapter 892 – Acceleration
United States of America, the United States of America, Texas a farm, at this moment is rising rolling smoke, dozens of miles away can be clearly visible.
Looking at the fire, as the owner of the farm O’Dell is mixed feelings.
After living for most of his life, this was the first time he had encountered a buyer who didn’t transport the grain after buying it, but directly burned it on the spot.
However, for the sake of Divine Shield, even if the buyer’s request was even more bizarre, O’Dell would not refuse.
At the end of the day, he still couldn’t help his curiosity, and O’Dell asked the doubt in his heart: ”Mr. Ulpert, our transaction is complete.
But such a good grain, to burn it like this, don’t you think it’s a pity?”
Urbert said with a helpless face, “There is no way, the French are sharpening their knives to invade my homeland.
As a merchant, I don’t have the ability to return to my country to fight in the war, but I still want to do what I can.
Not long ago news came from Europe that Austria had finally officially intervened. A proclamation was also issued ordering the French to stop their acts of war, or else they would call on all the countries of the world to impose a material embargo on France.
It was said that thirteen countries had already announced their participation, and that this was the only chance to avoid war.
As long as the French can’t buy enough strategic materials, they won’t be able to start a war of aggression, and my homeland will be safe from the threat of war.”
The proclamations were there, naturally, and in order to take the moral high ground, Franz could have issued a number of declarations in recent times to persuade the French to hang on.
The same words, falling on different ears, produced very different effects.
In the eyes of the European public, Franz was doing his best to avoid war; in the eyes of the French, this was Austria being afraid.
On the one hand, he was being diplomatically tough, and on the other, he was shouting the flag of peace, obviously not wanting to go to war.
There was absolutely no need for Franz to stand up and engage in meaningless yelling, except that he was afraid of France. Even the threats were weak material embargoes, and there was absolutely no dominance to fight.
Many French also suspected that as soon as their own hands, Austria would shrink back and could easily seize Central Europe.
Thirteen countries embargo, sounds scary, people who know the inside story know that this is a joke, just look at the countries involved.
Belgium, Germany, and Austria needless to say, that’s a must have, and then there’s Greece and Montenegro.
It’s easy to see by opening the map that these two small countries had to be in the Embargo League because their trade with the French had been cut off after the Austrian blockade of France.
The rest of Sardinia, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Papal States, Tuscany, Lucca, Modena, and Parma, all clearly French territory, actually declared their membership in the Embargo League.
Undoubtedly, these hobnobbing fellows were all announced by governments in exile on behalf of their own countries, and it is unlikely that the governments of the French-controlled states would have jumped against them at this time.
Plus an exile in the Austrian Mexican Empire, just to make up the thirteen countries embargo.
O’Dell lamented, “You are truly a patriotic businessman! But why burn it when you just don’t sell the grain to the French?”
It is popular these days that capital has no borders, and patriotic businessmen are definitely rare creatures; most businessmen have only interests in their eyes.
Urbert righteously replied, “If I don’t sell to the French, there are other people who will sell the grain to the French. As long as it is resold, the final flow of grain is beyond my control.
As far as I know, in order to put pressure on the French, the Austrian government is also sweeping the market.
As long as the French government does not give in, the grain in their hands, will not flow into France, and a continued rise in grain prices in the short term is inevitable.
As you know I am a businessman, and businessmen cannot resist the temptation of profit.
In case the price of food keeps rising in the middle of the day, I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to hold my own in the face of profit.
To avoid the worst, it’s better to burn it.”
……
Perhaps by accidental coincidence, the two men’s conversation coincided with an encounter with a reporter from the San Fran daily newspaper, who recorded it all with his pen.
After the newspaper published the news, it soon caused a sensation in the Union State. The patriotic merchant preferred to burn his grain rather than sell it to the French, and it was only natural that such a touching story should be widely publicized.
Soon news of merchants burning grain appeared frequently everywhere, some were patriotic merchants, some were simply out of righteous indignation, in any case, everyone did not want the French to buy grain.
Bullish reasons appeared. Grain is a necessity, in front of the Austrian rush, followed by righteous merchants burning grain, the circulation of grain on the market is reduced, the price is bound to rise ah!
With the capitalists’ push, everyone thought that the price of grain was going to skyrocket, and even ordinary citizens began to hoard grain.
Then, the grain trading prices in the Union State began to skyrocket, with a tendency to catch up with Europe.
Especially in the futures market, the price of grain trading after a few months directly increased by more than double.
A similar scene was not only staged in the Union State, but other American countries were not left behind.
Only the script was changed, the bullish are not necessarily all grain, other industrial raw materials did not fall.
……
The French are not the only ones affected by rising prices, the whole world is suffering along with them.
There was no way around it, the capitalists were too powerful. Austria is just the beginning, the rest is all up to them.
As the newspapers said: “At the emperor’s command, Europe trembles and the world changes.
Smoke rises from the farms, changing the colors of heaven and earth; mountains of flame rise from the coal mines, turning day and night upside down!
Poor people, still running for three meals a day and worrying about keeping warm ……”
The irony of the news, whether it was Franz, or Napoleon IV, who was sprayed, is a question worth exploring.
But Franz, who was in a good frame of mind, simply acquiesced that it was satirizing Napoleon IV, and quietly and unobtrusively sent someone to change the Emperor to the French Emperor.
The latter act of burning supplies was also interpreted as a means of popular opposition to the hegemony of France, which was unfortunately taken advantage of by unscrupulous capitalists and ended up hurting the world by mistake.
Foreign Minister Weissenberg: “Your Majesty, these are diplomatic notes from various countries who want us to exercise restraint and stop our current economic tactics.”
What’s coming is coming, no matter what, things are also made by Austria, there is nothing wrong with people protesting.
But are the Austrian government to blame for the rising prices?
The answer is: no!
No matter how rich the Austrian government is, there is no way it can buy up all the supplies in the world. In fact, the Austrian government only buys a small portion of the goods that are really bought by the Austrian government.
Although the burning operation was first planned by the Austrian government, it was only for show, and only a few thousand tons of grain were burned before and after.
The supplies bought with real money were burned in a single fire, Franz was not so brain-dead.
The burning of supplies was only to create an excuse for the capital market, so that everyone would believe that there was going to be a shortage of supplies on the market, pushing prices up.
It’s only natural to limit exports when there aren’t enough to go around in your own country. France, not being a member of the free trade system, must be the number one unlucky one.
As for certain small countries that were mistakenly injured, Franz could only say regret. After all, there is no perfect tactic in this world, it is inevitable that someone’s interests will be damaged.
Franz asked with concern: “The price of goods on the international market, how much higher than a year ago?”
Weissenberg: “Overall prices have been jacked up by 31.4%, coal prices have risen by 94.1%, food prices have risen by 144.1%, and steel prices have risen by 79.7% ……”
After hesitating for a few moments of effort, Franz slowly said, “Prices are about right, start shipping! If we keep dragging it on like this, everyone is going to be sitting on their asses.”
Although economic tactics were good, the problem was that the anger of the people was hard to resist. It was fine to make a profit, but if they kept playing around, the governments would definitely intervene.
As a matter of fact, the governments were able to drag out the protests until now, and the capitalists had made a strong effort.
Prices are determined by market supply and demand, no one and money, Austrian sweep pushed up prices, capitalists are the biggest beneficiaries.
In order to profiteer, I do not know how many capitalists, under the guise of resistance to the hegemony of France burning supplies, for the price rise to push up.
Prime Minister Karl objected, “Your Majesty, if we start shipping now, these supplies will flow into the hands of the French ……”
In a sense, the Austrian government’s shipment of goods now increases the French potential for war, and is also considered a form of “financing the enemy”.
If Franz hadn’t said it, if anyone else had suggested selling the supplies hoarded overseas, Chancellor Karl would have greeted his entire family.
Franz shook his head: “can not be delayed, prices have risen to a high level, further delay these materials will be smashed in our hands.
It was originally bought at a high price, if we don’t take advantage of the opportunity not to sell it out now, it will be difficult to sell it later.
As for your worry about the enemy, completely superfluous. Even if we do not sell, the French will be able to buy.
Don’t forget that the capitalist world is now overcapacity, not undercapacity.
The supplies we are hoarding represent at most one or two percent of the total market.
All the French had to do was to delay the start of the war a little later, and all the problems were solved.
The present international situation is not suitable for us to take the lead in provoking a war. The political requirement is that it must be the French who fire the first shot, and we can only be passive in responding to the war.
By selling off the supplies now, we are selling the governments a face, and we can also take advantage of the opportunity to make a profit, and by the way, we can pit the French, why not?”
This is a fact, whether the French government wants to accept it or not, the prices have gone up anyway, and to buy you have to accept high prices.
After contemplating for a few moments of effort, Prime Minister Karl nodded, “If that’s the case, then we’d better stimulate the French and provoke a war before shipping out.”
To do it, we have to do it, the highest point of the price is definitely after the war breaks out. The French were slow to start the war, the biggest problem was that they did not have enough strategic materials in their hands.
Once the war continued, it wouldn’t take half a year for them to be in trouble.
The French were not stupid and naturally considered the consequences of the war continuing. After all, the enemy this time, in addition to Bide, there is a giant Austria.
A war between great powers is not something that can be ended in a single battle, and there is still a chance for a comeback after a defeat. As long as the enemy refused to compromise, the war would continue.
Supplies bought, is not the same as immediately can be used, but also transported back to the country for processing, which requires a few months, or even longer time cycle.
(End of chapter)