Chapter 270 Gold Rush
No one can resist the temptation of gold. Since Baron Fickney discovered the first gold mine, God seems to have opened the door, and large and small gold mines have been discovered one after another.
The scope is not limited to Guinea for a long time. Gold mines have been discovered in Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali and other regions.
Even the most conservative nobles in the German region couldn't bear it any longer, and they sent their family members to organize overseas expansion groups to compete for this fat cake.
Vienna Palace
Lopez, president of the German Regional Cultural Exchange Association, said: "Your Majesty, recently, many German nobles have expressed their goodwill to us, hoping to join this battle for gold mines. Do you want them to join in?"
The German Regional Cultural Exchange Conference was established by Franz after the Paris Conference. The main purpose was to continue to resist the banner of reunification.
There is a great market among the youth groups, literary and art circles, and education circles in Germany. Through the connection of this organization, the Vienna government holds a cultural exchange meeting in Germany every year.
Not only the New Holy Roman Empire, the German Federal Empire, and the Kingdom of Prussia participated, but also independent countries such as Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
The venue of the meeting also rotates in various states in the German region. The funds are nominally from private donations, but in fact, most of them are allocated by the Vienna government.
The nobles in the German region proposed by Lopez are naturally not nobles within the New Holy Roman Empire. Those families who are interested have already joined in, and more are in other regions.
"Anyone who agrees with German culture can join, whether it is a nobleman, a non-governmental organization or an individual, you can publicize this aspect.
The land we have expanded on the African continent is not just for the new Holy Roman Empire, but for the living space for the entire Germanic nation.
We welcome every compatriot to join and contribute to the construction of our second home.
The Vienna government is formulating a bill to encourage immigration, and all German immigrants will enjoy the best conditions. "
Franz is still worried that there are not enough immigrants, how could they be rejected?
In this era, the nobles went to pan for gold, but they did not just go into battle alone. Without organizing an armed team, even if they found a gold mine on the African continent, you would not be able to hold it.
The serfdom in Germany was abolished not long ago, and the influence of the nobles has not dissipated. It is much more efficient than government propaganda to have them organize armed immigrants.
As long as people are fooled, Franz is not afraid of them leaving. The big deal is to distribute land, which is not attractive to capitalists, and it is different for poor ordinary immigrants.
Is a farm still afraid of not being able to keep people? Anyway, there is not much else on the African continent, that is, there are many unowned land. Log and sell wood first, and then open up a farm plantation.
If you live in one, you will live in one. People who can't get enough to eat in their native land suddenly have a farm of their own. Are they afraid that they won't emigrate?
Although the conditions in the United States are better, it is also full of uncertainty. Many people who want to get a farm of their own may not be able to achieve it after working hard all their lives.
The African continent is much better, and Franz the Great has some land. The prerequisite is to overcome the local disease, and the personal risk factor is high.
In order to increase the number of immigrants, Franz had to mobilize everyone's patriotic enthusiasm. Rebuilding a second home is the slogan of the government's immigration propaganda.
...
Guinea
The Royal Bank has been settled on the African continent for more than a year. Since the colonial stronghold has stabilized, the Royal Bank has opened a branch here and is the first bank to enter the Austrian colony.
Now there's another business, giving out loans to underfunded mine owners. The development of gold mines also requires a lot of investment. Most of the gold diggers cannot come up with the funds, and the demand for loans has emerged.
While everyone ran to find gold, Franz didn't follow suit. He is very clear that people looking for gold mines may not be able to make money, but doing logistics services can definitely make money.
The newcomers who have just discovered gold mines are the most high-quality customers of the bank. They have gold mine rights as collateral, so they don't have to worry about their repayment ability.
...
The bank account manager Teddis said with a smile: "Your Excellency, this is already the most generous loan condition.
If you don't believe me, you can go out and ask, is there any financing channel with lower interest than Royal Bank in the New Brook area? "
Baron Fickney shrugged and said, "Mr Teddes, there is only one bank like Royal Bank in New Brook, where do you want me to find out?
If there are financing channels outside, it must be the usury of the underworld. It is impossible for you to learn from them, which will damage the glorious image of the great Franz! "
Baron Fickney also knew that he didn't have much room for bargaining. There was only one bank in the entire Austrian African colony, and it was impossible for him to go back to the mainland to raise funds.
When it comes to developing gold mines, time is life. The earlier you develop, the earlier you can dig out gold and make profits earlier.
He didn't forget that he still had a lot of debt in his homeland, and the collateral was a family fief. Although the income from the land was not high, he didn't want to become a prodigal in the eyes of people and lose his ancestral property.
Tedis said without changing his face: "Your Excellency, Baron, you are so humorous. Does the reputation of Royal Bank need to be doubted?
you should know, silver
The cost of operating in the African continent is much higher than that in the local area. Now New Brook is in shambles, and we basically have no business.
The current interest is a little higher than the local one, mainly due to the amortization of operating costs. In the future, when the economy of New Brook becomes formal and our customer base grows, the interest will naturally come down. "
Baron Fickney said helplessly: "Mr. Teddis, the interest rate on your loan is not a little bit high. The monthly interest rate is 1.5%, which is three times higher than the domestic loan interest rate.
Even the riskiest business loan interest is just that. I took out part of the property rights of the gold mine as collateral, so you don't have to worry about breach of contract at all. "
Teddis shook his head and said: "Baron Fickney, the account can't be calculated like this. This is the African continent, and the risk will always exist.
The threat of indigenous tribes to gold mines, the threat of diseases from various countries, although your gold mine reserves are good, the development environment is not good, and accidents may occur at any time.
Once the worst happens, we lose everything.
Royal Bank is a humane bank. If force majeure causes you to fail to perform the contract, we will only collect the collateral and will not pursue your personal responsibility.
In fact, we have already shared the risk for you. At that time, the property rights of gold mines will be worthless.
Besides, if you encounter some troubles during the mining process, Royal Bank will also block the pressure from the outside world for you. If you give up this service, then the interest is not non-negotiable. "
The last one is what Baron Fickney is most tempted to do. Pulling the Royal Bank into the venue can block the peeping gaze of the hungry wolf.
As for whether it will be swallowed by Royal Bank, he is not worried at all. A mere gold mine is not worth it, and Royal Bank takes its credit.
After hesitating for a while, Baron Fickney said, "I can pay with gold, and I can always get a discount, right?"
Tedis replied with a smile: "Of course, we can settle at a 20% discount on the price of gold in the international market, which is already the biggest discount.
I can guarantee that the future gold price of New Brook will not exceed the 50% discount in the international gold market, which is a common situation in all gold producing areas. "
After pondering for a while, Baron Fickney, who felt that the price was not bad, did not hesitate any more, and directly picked up the pen and signed his name on the contract.
After the deal was completed, Teddes continued to sell: "Baron Fickney, I think you still need mining machinery, which is readily available in Newbrook.
We have cooperation with Austrian Machinery Group. If you haven't purchased it yet, you can check it out. The quality is definitely not worse than any similar products. "
Baron Fickney replied politely: "Thank you, the name of the Austrian Machinery Group, I have heard of it in China. As long as the price is right, I will be happy to cooperate with them."
The relationship between the Royal Bank and the Austrian Machinery Group, Baron Fickney has no interest in caring. How big people make money is not something he can consider.
However, now he does need mechanical equipment, and it is impossible to arrive within a few months of ordering from the country.
As long as the price is not too perverted, he will accept it. The profit of the gold mine is enough to wipe out all this investment, all he lacks is time.
...
The gold rush broke out after a large number of gold mines were discovered. After entering 1856, the local situation was not under the control of the Vienna government, and the British, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, and Americans all joined the gold rush.
Almost every day there are gold diggers from all over the world. In just one year, the population of Guinea's Golden Bay has increased by nearly 200,000.
This number is just the beginning. There are more people coming from all over the world, and conflicts between immigrants and even disputes between governments have also increased.
Especially in the Ghana region, the powers of the major powers are intricate and the most gold mines have been discovered, which has become the focus of the conflict between the powers of various countries.
Austria was the first to act, and undoubtedly had an advantage, at least in terms of immigration numbers.
At this time, the propaganda came into play. The German Federal Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia had too little right to speak in this round of competition. Most German immigrants gathered under the banner of the New Holy Roman Empire.
In addition to the local immigrants in the early stage, the total population of the New Holy Roman Empire's colonies in the Golden Gulf of Guinea exceeded 200,000 at this time, exceeding the sum of gold diggers from all countries.
There is nothing wrong with the saying that more people are more powerful. At least when looking for gold mines, they have an advantage and preemptively occupy a large number of gold mines.
In order to deal with the colonial disputes, Franz appointed the governor of the Gulf of Guinea, all gold prospectors from the German region were included in the reserve, and an infantry division was added to the garrison in the country.
It can be said that Franz can mobilize an army of 100,000 people with a single order, which is enough to sweep all the colonies of various countries in this region.
Austria has land advantages, Britain and France have maritime advantages, and although countries such as Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands are weak in strength, their share of interests is not large.
How to handle the relations between countries has become the top priority of all the countries involved. It is impossible to swallow alone, and no one has the ability to deal with so many enemies.
Moreover, the benefits of gold mines seem very attractive. Because of the mining technology, at most 180 tons of gold are mined in this area every year. After deducting the cost, the remaining profit is obviously not enough to pay for the war.