458 Trade with Italy in the economy
It was not yet the end of October when MacArthur's good news came.
First, Mai Dashuai has already explained to the relevant departments of the United States and sold 100 P51 Mustang fighters to Haitang Kingdom. This is known as the best army fighter in World War II, Li Guang has been looking forward to it for a long time, and now he has finally got his wish. Of course, the money still has to be paid, and the six million dollars that swish are gone.
Second, Mai Dashuai informed Li Guang that he could now send pilots to Australia to familiarize himself with the US Navy's carrier-based aircraft Hellcat F6F and Corsair F4U. These two fighters, which are the dishes in the bowl of the US Navy, can be obtained by Mai Dashuai, but it is difficult to convince some people to sell these two fighters to Haitangguo. However, Mai Dashuai said that if he participates in the war in the future, these fighters will be handed over to the pilots of the Naval Resistance Army.
Article 3. Marshal Mak asked the famous Seven-Ship Fleet of the Naval Resistance Army to help him deliver supplies. Remember, this is a gang for the US Army, not the Navy. The seven fast merchant ships of the Maritime Resistance Army were even famous during the war and should be proud. Anyway, transporting supplies is also to make money, and Li Guang is naturally willing to subsidize military expenses.
Although, MacArthur has not fulfilled other conditions. However, it has only been more than half a month that he has been able to do this step, which shows that Mai Dashuai's ability to move, and also shows that Mai Dashuai is sincere in cooperating with the Naval Resistance Army.
Therefore, Li Guang was not hypocritical, and immediately sent 100 pilots to Australia to familiarize himself with the new fighters. In the past four or three years, the aviation strength of the Maritime Resistance Force has made great progress, and although it has not yet reached the three-fold manpower allocation of the US military that one squad participates in war, one squad prepares, and one squad trains, it is not impossible to transfer 100 pilots, and these 100 pilots are at least half of the elite pilots with combat experience, and even the non-elite pilots have more than 500 hours of flying experience, and the overall quality is so high that even countries like the United States, Britain, Germany, and the Soviet Union have to envy it. Of course. Behind such a team of pilots is a large amount of financial support. One statistic is extremely astonishing, in the past four or three years, the number of scrapped aircraft engines has reached more than 300 just for training. As for the gasoline consumed, it is measured in 10,000 tons.
Not only that, Li Guang also sent 100 staff officers of the navy, army, and air force to Australia. Now that they are ready to cooperate, the staff systems of the two armies still need to be tempered into one. In addition, the US military has quite a lot of advanced combat experience. In particular, the strong organizational and planning capabilities of the US military are very worthy of learning from the naval resistance forces.
War is also a matter of learning, and we must not rest on our laurels, especially since the US military has also summed up lessons and lessons from life and materials, and this should not be underestimated.
A few years. The staff department established by Li Guang has already reached a considerable level, and the young staff officers sent this time. All of them have theoretical experience. Officers of professional knowledge and real combat experience. Being able to transfer so many staff officers without affecting the battle is enough for Li Guang to be proud.
The Seven Ships Fleet, with an order, immediately set off, not only to help Mai Dashuai transport supplies but also to transport Mustang fighters for the Maritime Resistance Army. Good things have to be hurried, of course.
--------
In fact, no matter how proud Li Guang is of the improvement of the combat effectiveness of the Naval Resistance Army, he is happy to get the new fighters. The most important issue on his mind is still money - .
If it is said, military spending. Medical expenses and even investment in wind tunnel projects, the finances of the Haitang Kingdom can barely support it due to the explosive growth of agricultural income. But there is one of the biggest plans that the Haitang Kingdom cannot support financially no matter what.
There is a huge business opportunity in front of Haitang, which requires a huge amount of money - trade with Italy.
In Li Guang's development plan, the double thousand plan of 1,000 schools and 1,000 factories was to train talents for the Haitang Kingdom, and the industrial infrastructure was to rob Japan and Germany after the war.
But if there is an opportunity to bring the industrial schedule two years ahead of schedule at a low cost, it is definitely not to be missed.
There are two main reasons that determine that Haitang cannot miss the current opportunity.
First, Italy was defeated and surrendered, the domestic economy was in shambles, and famine was everywhere. As for its industry, it is basically in a semi-standstill, and the equipment and technology are cheap and in a mess.
Second, people, talents. Haitang has a double thousand plan, as well as a medical and health birth plan, but the implementation of any plan requires the support of people and talents. And there are people in Italy who still have the talents that the Haitang Kingdom desperately needs. The Italian economy collapsed, leaving countless workers and technicians unemployed. Labor in Italy is much cheaper than in the United States. The average American worker is paid about fifteen cents an hour, or thirty-five dollars a month. And this salary scale in Italy can fully recruit engineers, professors, and doctors. And there are not many such talents in Haitang Kingdom, and even teachers can't get together. Even after the war, the Haitang Kingdom grabbed a lot of materials and equipment, but few people could operate it, and it was difficult to transform it into productivity. If the equipment is thrown away for a few years, it will become scrap metal, and it is purely a waste of work, how could Li Guang do such a stupid thing.
It is estimated that half of Haitang's grain exports to Italy will likely be exported to Italy next year. At least $200 million in foreign exchange.
Of course, 200 million US dollars is a huge number, but Haitang is almost a blank sheet of paper industrial base, and the equipment and technology required are simply incalculable. According to incomplete government estimates, at least a billion dollars will be needed to build a relatively complete heavy industry system.
Moreover, these billion dollars cannot buy expensive American goods. It is necessary to buy Italian products that can barely be fed in the midst of economic difficulties. According to estimates, in order to build a heavy industry of the same scale, it will take at least $4 billion to buy American products, and even after the war, the prices of American products will drop somewhat, even if it is $3 billion.
More importantly, the two hundred million US dollars in foreign exchange estimated by Haitang are useful, and whether it is military spending, scientific research programs, or people's livelihood expenditures, they need to be taken out of it. There are only a few tens of millions of dollars left on the balance.
In other words, only tens of millions of dollars can be used to buy Italian equipment and hire Italian technical talents, which is simply a drop in the bucket, where is enough.
The most important target country for Premier Yuan's visit is Italy. In Italy, Premier Yuan was very glamorous as the prime minister of the victorious country.
Don't look at the fact that the Haitang Kingdom did not contribute much in the European battlefield, but as long as it stood in the circle of the allies, it was naturally strong, and Italy, which had just thrown itself into the arms of the allies anyway, did not dare to slack off at this time.
It is necessary to introduce the cattle x of Italy, which was originally surrendered, and the king and Field Marshal Badogglio took control of the political situation and the army, and also captured the former Nazi Prime Minister Mussolini. Miraculously, Mussolini was rescued by a small German special forces and took control of a piece of land and a part of the army in northern Italy.
In Italy, Premier Yuan not only held talks with the new Italian Prime Minister Field Marshal Badogglio, but also received a meeting with the Italian King Vittorio. The warm hospitality of Emanuele III.
Trade negotiations were easy, Italy was in dire need of food, and Haitang had a lot of food. The purchase of Italian industrial equipment by Haitang can promote the Italian economy and reduce unemployment. The two sides naturally hit it off. As for the price, the Italian economy is so sluggish, and the Haitang Kingdom must have a lot of profits.
In terms of talent recruitment, the Italian government has also expressed its support, especially for the medical and health birth program, and promised to organize 1,000 doctors and nurses for the Haitang Kingdom alone.
In the end, after several rounds of negotiations between Foreign Minister Yan Huiqing and the Italian side, Italy granted Haitang a three-year tariff preference. Italy is also very poor, and giving three years of preferential tariffs is, to put it bluntly, a huge benefit.
On October 26, Premier Yuan pledged that Italy's status as an ally after the war was unquestionable, and that the Haitang Kingdom would stand on the side of justice and safeguard Italy's interests. After the meeting, the two sides issued a joint announcement recognizing each other's sovereignty and establishing formal diplomatic relations.
Isn't it for this sentence that the Italian side is so enthusiastic? Although Italy is not good at fighting wars, it has a long-term vision, not only for the present but also for the post-war period.
One is to avoid being held accountable by the Axis powers after the war, and to become a member of the Allies in the name of it. Second, the grain of Haitang is really not sold, and Italy is eager to see through it. The new Prime Minister Marshal Badoglio's hair is about to fall out, and if there is no food in the defeated Italy, let alone that he is a marshal and prime minister, he may not be able to control the army, and a civil war may break out at any time.
Premier Yuan resolved relations with Italy at the national level. However, the problem of capital is impossible to rely on private capital in Haitang. There is still much work to be done, so Premier Yuan stepped on the plane again and headed for the next country to visit. (To be continued......)