Chapter 158 Meeting with the Albanian Elite

"As long as the water in the swamp is drained and the trees are cut down, this land will be very fertile farmland thanks to the humus of grass and trees accumulated over the years," Degorios encouraged everyone.

At eight or nine o'clock in the morning, the sun shines through the gaps in the woods and hits the ground in bunches. Unknown birds in the forest chirp melodiously, and the cold wind blows, bringing bursts of chill.

Degorios looked at the busy people in front of him. This ordinary working life made the lieutenant's inner satisfaction overflow.

After the baptism of a war, the cruelty of the war left a deep mark in Lieutenant Degorios' heart. He felt inexplicably tired of his military career.

After hearing his colleagues in the army discussing organizing retired soldiers to reclaim wasteland, Degorios took the initiative to sign up.

Looking at the busy scene in front of him, Degorios thought about the idea of ​​the government to establish an agricultural cooperative that he had learned from the army - in order to adapt to the agricultural development under the new situation, establish a cooperative and independent relationship between small farms, produce and sell one-stop agricultural cooperatives, effectively utilize Greece's limited agricultural resources, and improve agricultural production efficiency.

After the idea of ​​making achievements in the army gradually disappeared, after a brief confusion, he felt that he had found a goal to strive for.

Shaking his head, throwing out the chaotic thoughts in his mind, gathering everyone together, and shouting, "Our 500-person agricultural cooperative is established today. Although we don't have to fight on the battlefield in the future, this is the new battlefield for our struggle in the future."

"Our group is the first batch of cooperative farms organized by the Logistics Department. This year, we can get 20,000 drachmas of material subsidies, but we will rely on ourselves in the future."

"Everyone works together, and the reclaimed land will be evenly distributed to members."

"Our 500 people will be organized into a corporate farm to maximize everyone's benefits and unite, We will buy seeds and farm tools together, harvest and sell them together. In order to make full use of the output of the land, we will also build a farm to raise some pigs and chickens."

"All these outputs, including grain, meat and eggs, will not only supply ourselves, but also be sold to the garrison troops in Vlora. If the output is enough, we can even sell them at the market ourselves."

The retired soldiers with Ancarles are mostly young people aged 18-22, who are at the age of vigor and vitality. The corporate agricultural production mentioned by the lieutenant makes everyone feel very novel - it is completely different from the traditional form of farmers cultivating a small piece of land or tenants renting the land of landlords.

After everyone's enthusiasm was mobilized, there was a busy scene in the swamp forest. The 500-person reclamation team divided the work and cooperated. It took only one month to clear about 50 hectares of trees and weeds, and at the same time pumped the silt water in the swamp into the stream.

Under the command of Lieutenant Degorios, everyone transported soil from the mound to fill the depressions on the ground.

On February 3, Ankares drove a gasoline tractor into the farm.

"Wow, what is this, a steam tractor? It doesn't seem like it. Steam tractors need to add coal when they are driving."

"I've never seen a machine before."

"Yes, yes, Ankares, what kind of machine is this and where did it come from?"

Everyone was attracted by the machine they had never seen before, and gathered around the tractor to discuss it enthusiastically.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Ankares showed off to everyone with a beaming face: "The tractor sponsored by the Logistics Department for our farm, how about it, it is much lighter than the steam tractor."

"What can this thing do?"

"It can do anything you can do, plowing, sowing, harvesting, threshing, as long as it is loaded with different farm tools, it can complete different farm work" Ankares showed off to everyone happily.

In fact, these are all repeated Lieutenant Degorios' words.

After Constantine heard from the ambassador in New York that American farmers used tractors for agricultural production, he bought one of the ten tractors from the American Hartboer Company.

These tractors use bedroom gasoline engines, traction lever output power, and pulley output power. They are habitually called 17-30 models.

"With the help of this tractor, our farming is much easier. This guy can cultivate half a hectare of land in an hour," said Lieutenant Degorios, who followed behind.

With the help of this tractor, the reclamation team can spend more energy on pig and chicken farming.

Moreover, the manure produced by pigs and chickens can also be used by the farm to fertilize the fields.

With the help of everyone, everyone rushed to install steel plows on the tractors, eager to see the performance of the tractors.

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According to the plan, the Greek government will end the military control in the Albanian region.

Officials sent by the government gradually took over the cities in Albania.

Because King George was old and weak and could not withstand the hardships of traveling on the sea, and Albania did not have a train, King George entrusted Constantine to visit Albania.

Therefore, on February 12, 1898, Constantine boarded the battleship Congo and headed for Durres, a port city in central Albania near the Adriatic coast.

After the Congo docked, two rows of neatly dressed officers were seen on the dock, waiting for battle.

After Metaxas saluted Constantine, he said loudly: "Your Highness is welcome to come for inspection."

"Long time no see, Metaxas" Constantine was also filled with joy when he saw his old acquaintance.

"How is your Second Division doing lately? Is there any news here?"

When I stay in Athens, the news about Albania is only second-hand news.

"After the army occupied Albania, it wiped out some bandit armed forces and now they have been sorted out."

After greetings, Constantine rode into Durrës together with the officers who came to greet him at the dock.

This city is more like a small town than a city, and prosperity has nothing to do with it: on both sides of the street, there are some low-rise buildings made of stone, which are mottled and dilapidated, and it is a dilapidated scene.

The streets were deserted, and the clatter of horse hooves was extremely loud.

While driving, a group of sheep came towards me and blocked the middle of the road. They screamed one after another, and the strong smell of sheep was suffocating.

Behind the sheep, a shepherd wearing a turban and a dark face held a whip in his hand and drove the sheep "crackling".

Seeing Constantine and his entourage dressed in bright clothes and riding tall horses, they looked flustered.

Constantine covered his mouth and nose with his left hand and spurred his horse to rush out of the sheep.

Metaxas followed closely behind and said: "Your Highness, after hearing the news that you are coming to Durrës for inspection, some Albanians came to visit you. Do you think you should receive them now?"

After paying his respects to the sheep, Constantine frowned and asked, "Where are they?"

Metaxas held the riding crop in his hand, pointed to the most conspicuous building on the street in the distance, and said: "There"

"Go and send people to bring them to the army camp," Constantine said to Metaxas.

After that, surrounded by officers, he headed to the military camp outside the city.

Since the space in the city was too small to accommodate the more than 10,000 troops of the First Division, they were stationed on a plain outside the city.

There are only two streets in Durrës, and you can get out of the town in a few minutes.

In front of the military academy, several Balbanian guests finally came to Constantine.

After the greetings, Metaxas introduced the identities of the visitors to Constantine one by one; Frioni, Toptani, Verlaci, Farona, Gemali, etc.

"Your Highness, some of these people are large landowners in Albania, and a few are Albanian nationalists," Metaxas whispered beside Constantine.

"Okay, let's talk about the formal meeting later. Gentlemen, since you have arrived at the camp of the Second Division, you might as well come with me to review the Second Division." Constantine said first without waiting for everyone to speak.

After several Albanians made eye contact with each other, they looked at Constantine who was already walking in front and could only follow helplessly.

On the school field, the blue and white cross flag of Greece fluttered in the wind.

Soldiers from a regiment of the Second Division lined up solemnly in full gear. They stood with their heads held high and their chests held high. They held their rifles in their hands and their sharp bayonets dazzled in the sunlight, causing eye pain.

Looking from a distance, it looks like a hail of guns and swords, which is shocking.

It is indeed a unit that has been baptized by war. During the review, the chilling air hit our faces, which made people shudder.

Constantine led several Albanian visitors who looked a little uneasy and inspected the elite second division of the Greek army.

"What are you doing here to visit?" After entering the meeting room of the camp, everyone sat down one after another, and Constantine asked first.

"Four people, such as Frioni, Toptani, Verrachi, and Farona, represent the big landowners in Albania. The land owned by these big families together accounts for half of Albania's current arable land." Mei Taxas quietly introduced to Constantine.

"As for Jermali, although this man has been holding an official position in the government of Constantinople and Sudan, he himself is a die-hard Albanian."

After hearing these words, Constantine already had some guesses about the purpose of the people in front of him.

Several people were silent for a few seconds before they woke up from the shock brought by the Greek Army.

Before anyone could say anything, Gemalli said first: "Your Highness, how does the Greek government plan to settle Albania?"

As a nationalist, Gemalli lamented Albania's ill-fated fate after hearing the news that Albania was occupied by Greece.

The territories where Albanians are now distributed, Albania and Kosovo, are in the hands of Greece and the Ottomans respectively, which is even more detrimental to Albania's fight for independence.

On the Albanian issue, the two countries will tacitly cooperate to suppress Albanian nationalists.

"Gemali has held an official position in Constantinople for a long time, but he is indeed an Albanian nationalist and has always appealed to the Ottoman Empire to allow Albania autonomy."

"He has been working for Albania's independence for a long time and is very famous in Albania," Metaxas whispered beside Constantine.

"Mr. Gemalli, isn't it obvious that Albania will be an administrative region of Greece in the future?" Constantine said matter-of-factly.

"But, Your Highness, Albania is an independent nation. I ask Your Highness to allow Albania to be autonomous. We can pay taxes to the Greek government, just like the Greeks." Although he knew that Constantine could not agree, as a Albanian, Jermali still wanted to give it a try.

“Albanian-language books and newspapers are allowed to be published and the Albanian language is used in education.”

Hearing about the payment of taxes once, several other Albanians, Frioni, Toptani, Verlaci, and Farona, glared at Jermali.

As we all know, the Greek tax system has been reformed and taxes are paid according to a proportional system. In this case, those Albanians who have been completely plundered by the Ottoman tax collectors do not have to pay anything at all, because they do not have much income at all.

Large landowners like them will become the main taxpayers.

Of course, the vast majority of Albanian people would cry with joy if they knew that the Greek government would collect taxes in this way.

For a long time, the tax collectors of the Ottoman Empire had squeezed the Albanian people to their bones.

After obtaining the right to tax, these tax collectors taxed heavily for their own benefit. However, only a small part was turned over to the Ottoman treasury, and most of it went into the pockets of the tax collectors themselves.

Jermali's suggestion was not discussed with a few people at all.

Several people were worried that Gemalli's other suggestions would offend Crown Prince Constantine.

"Mr. Gemalli, in my eyes, there are no Albanians, there are just Greeks who have converted to Christianity and Greeks who believe in Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity, that's all."

"If you all came to meet with this intention, I'm sorry. I think my meaning is already clear." Constantine leaned back on the high-backed chair and looked at these people coldly without speaking. .

Constantine's decisive refusal did not exceed Gemali's expectations.

Seeing that the atmosphere of the meeting was abnormal, Frioni quickly said: "Your Highness, our Frioni family does not have this idea. We are willing to be loyal to Greece, as long as you agree to contract Albania's tax rights to us."

Jermali looked at the profit-minded compatriots in front of him, betraying the nation for money, with fire in his eyes, and he cursed them in his heart for being shameless.

"Let me reiterate. From now on, Albania will be an administrative region of Greece, just like Thessaly and Peloponnese. Of course, it will also pay taxes according to the Greek system." Constantine said seriously to several people said.

“In the future, taxation in Albania will be done by the tax department of the Greek government, and there will be no claim for tax collectors.”

Seeing the representatives of Frioni's big landowners who looked dissatisfied, Constantine said coldly: "I heard that several big families in Albania occupy half of the arable land in Albania?"

"from now on"

Just as he was about to say that Greece would gradually deprive these large landowners of their illegally owned land, Metaxas suddenly interjected: "Your Highness, the Catholics in Albania have a very close relationship with Rome. These Catholic churches have a lot of assistance. The funds come from Italy. The Catholic Church uses these funds to open schools and teach Italian language education. It is difficult to say whether there is the will of the Italian government behind this."

"Moreover, there are still a lot of Albanians living in southern Italy."

"It's best not to push the local Albanian family forces into a panic, otherwise these people will jump over the wall and collude with the Italians, causing many twists and turns."

"Today's Greece has just experienced a war. It is best not to give Italy an opportunity to take advantage of it."