Chapter 339 British Delegation Arrives

On February 3, 1913, the "Australasian Military Service Act" was officially promulgated.

The Military Service Act stipulates that all legal male citizens aged 18 and under 30, except for students, medical workers, scientific researchers, educators and other important fields, must participate in military training twice a year.

In theory, military training is basically carried out in July and October each year, each for half a month.

In this half-month military training, everything from queue training to gunmanship training is involved.

Although it will not train the trained people into qualified soldiers in a short time, at least compared with civilians without any training, those who have participated in military training can quickly become qualified soldiers.

For the current Australasia, Arthur will not mobilize millions of troops with great fanfare.

This will not only damage the potential for national development, but the huge army will also burden the government's finances.

But there is no way, having sufficient reserves is also a trump card and means to ensure national security.

In an era when other powerful countries have hundreds of thousands of standing troops and millions of reserve troops, if the number of Australasia's troops is too small, how can it guarantee the security of Australasia's homeland?

Even if the security of the homeland can be guaranteed, all colonies and territories outside the homeland, as well as Australasia's external influence and status, also need sufficient military strength to maintain.

Although in Arthur's estimation, Australasia has successfully achieved the status of a great power in industry, economy and military.

But even among the great powers, the gap between each other is very large. The status of a great power that Australasia has achieved is just like that of a low-level great power like Italy, which is just a goalkeeper of the great powers.

It looks like a great power, but compared with top powers such as Britain, France and Germany, the two Australasias are no match.

The promulgation of the military service law did not encounter much opposition in Australasia.

In fact, this is normal. After all, anyone who participates in military training can get a salary equivalent to the average annual income level at that time.

And they don't have to worry about losing their jobs because of military training.

If there are companies that really fire employees for such excuses, don't worry, the Australasian government and the royal family will seek justice for the employees.

In fact, from the military training time in Australasian, it can be seen that the government has already anticipated such things.

In most areas of Australasian, January to June is the busy farming period, and it is also the period for planting wheat and other food crops.

July to October is the growth period of wheat, and it is also the slack period for farming. For farmers and herders in Australasian, there is enough free time during this period to conduct military training.

November to December is the wheat harvesting period, and this period has entered the busy farming period.

Therefore, the Ministry of National Defense deliberately puts the annual military training time in July and October, which are relatively close.

The time from August to September is the period of sheep shearing, which also makes the military training time in Australasian almost perfectly miss the busy farming and pastoral times.

As for the financial burden that the military training brings to the Ministry of Defense every year, Minister Raul gave a rough figure after calculation, about 6 million Australian dollars.

Among them, there are about 1 million Australasian male citizens aged 18 and under 30.

Excluding students and some more important positions, the number of people participating in military training each year is about 800,000.

A total of two military trainings means that one month's salary will be provided to these 800,000 people, about 4.2 Australian dollars per person, a total of 3.31 million Australian dollars.

Although 800,000 people participate in the training, it does not mean that the government will provide weapons for all 800,000 people.

In fact, the training can also be carried out separately. These 800,000 people only need to provide about 100,000 to 200,000 rifles, so that everyone can consume dozens of bullets to find the feel during the military training.

Adding up all the expenses, Minister Raul gave a rough figure, which is about 6 million Australian dollars.

This amount of money is not too high for the Ministry of Defense and is affordable.

Of course, Arthur, as the representative of the royal family, could not do nothing, so he directly stated that the royal family would bear all the salaries of those who trained in military affairs.

In this way, in a short period of time, the royal family would bear more than 3 million Australian dollars for military training each year, and the government would bear about 3 million Australian dollars.

For the Ministry of Defense, the newly added military budget this year is not just that.

First of all, there is Arthur's plan report on expanding the number of colonial divisions. Arthur requires that there must be 15 colonial divisions before 1915, and they must have certain combat capabilities.

And 1915 is only two years away from now, which also means that the expansion of the colonial division is imminent, and there is basically little time left for Minister Raul to formulate an expansion plan.

Fortunately, although the number of soldiers in a colonial division is as high as 20,000, all of these soldiers and most of the low-level officers are composed of local indigenous people.

This also means that as long as there are enough indigenous people, 15 colonial divisions can be expanded in a short period of time to complete the task assigned by Arthur.

300,000 indigenous people are not a big problem for Australasia at present. There are millions of indigenous people without nationality in the country, and these people are potential sources of indigenous soldiers.

On February 17, 1913, the Ministry of National Defense’s military expansion announcement was officially released to the public.

Unfortunately, this military expansion announcement is destined to disappoint many people, because it is only an announcement about expanding the number of colonial divisions.

According to the plan given by the Ministry of National Defense, Australasia will expand 6 colonial divisions this year and 5 colonial divisions next year.

These 11 newly expanded colonial divisions, plus the four colonial divisions that it already had, Australasia will officially have up to 15 colonial divisions and nearly 300,000 indigenous soldiers.

The good news is that in addition to the original four colonial divisions, Australasia also has two colonial garrison regiments.

These two garrison regiments can fully undertake the defense work of several colonies after the transfer of colonial divisions.

In the expansion plan of the Ministry of Defense, officers above the company level in the colony are all Australasians.

For officers below the company level, some are Australasians and some are trained indigenous officers.

In this way, the number of Australasian officers needed will decrease sharply, after all, the number of middle and upper-level officers is not large.

According to the current training progress of the two major military academies, there is no problem in equipping these 15 colonial divisions with Australasian officers within two years.

As for the training of indigenous officers, the Melbourne Military Academy is sufficient. After all, the colonial divisions sound good, but in fact they are the cannon fodder prepared by Arthur for future European wars.

The combat effectiveness of these people is not important. They just need to know how to use weapons and obey orders.

Of course, in order to make these indigenous people obedient, some necessary measures must be taken. For example, control their families and tribes, and distinguish their treatment from ordinary indigenous people, so that they naturally oppose ordinary indigenous people, etc.

Anyway, as long as their families and tribes are controlled by Australasia, and equipped with a certain number of supervisory teams, Arthur believes that these indigenous people will be obedient.

The successive promulgation of the military service law and the expansion plan also made the Ministry of Defense in February the busiest cabinet department in Australasia.

Unlike the previous military expansion, this expansion is to select indigenous soldiers, so it is necessary to go to their locations or gathering places to select indigenous people with families, or at least families and relatives, to enter the establishment of the colonial division.

Arthur would not feel at ease to use indigenous people without families. Only by holding their weaknesses in his own hands can we ensure the absolute loyalty of these indigenous people to Australasia.

While the Ministry of Defense was busy selecting indigenous soldiers, the Australasia government also welcomed extremely important guests, the British visiting team.

February 21, 1913, Sydney Port.

The fleet flying the flag of the British Empire was welcomed by the crowds and teams at the port as soon as it arrived at Sydney Port.

Prime Minister Kent smiled and stepped forward, shaking hands vigorously with the representative of the British visiting team, British Foreign Secretary Grey.

"Minister Grey, welcome to Australasia!"

"Prime Minister Kent, long time no see." Grey also said with a smile.

In fact, most of Arthur's confidants are the old Duke Arthur's men, that is, the British who followed Arthur to Australasia at that time.

Prime Minister Kent knew Grey as early as when he was in the UK, and the two were considered friends.

"Prime Minister Kent, when can I meet His Majesty Arthur?" After the two teams got to know each other, Grey looked at Kent expectantly and asked impatiently.

The pressure that Germany is currently putting on Britain and France is already very huge, so serious that the proud British have to find additional allies.

"Minister Grey, according to His Majesty's arrangement, if you are willing, His Majesty will summon you tomorrow." Prime Minister Kent said with a smile.

"Of course, Prime Minister Kent. Let's set it for tomorrow. I haven't seen His Majesty Arthur for a long time since we last met in the UK." British Foreign Secretary Grey nodded repeatedly and had no objection to Prime Minister Kent's arrangement.

In fact, British Foreign Secretary Grey's attitude in Australasia is much better than in other small and medium-sized European countries.

Even Italy, which is also a great power, Grey may not have such a good attitude.

This is actually very normal. After all, the monarch of Australasia is Arthur, a ruler from the British royal family.

Disrespecting Arthur is actually equivalent to disrespecting the British royal family and the late Queen Victoria.

Not to mention a Foreign Minister Grey, even the previous British King Edward VII, who obviously had a bad relationship with Arthur, had to pretend to have a good uncle-nephew relationship with Arthur.

Especially under the premise that Arthur has a considerable status in the hearts of the British, if you don't give Arthur face, it is equivalent to making a joke of your own political career.

Whether it was Australasia's important geographical location and considerable strength, or the close relationship between Arthur and the British royal family, all determined Grey's respectful attitude towards Australasia.

Prime Minister Kent prepared the most luxurious hotel in Sydney for the British visiting team. Gray's room was even said to cost hundreds of Australian dollars for one day.

This also means that an Australasian who worked hard for two years without eating or drinking and without spending any money could only live in Gray's room for two days.

Of course, the Victoria Royal Hotel where Gray lived was not a place that ordinary people could live in.

As the most luxurious and well-equipped hotel in Sydney and even in Australasia, the Victoria Royal Hotel is only open to important figures at home and abroad. Even capitalists with a net worth of millions cannot stay without connections.

The main purpose of the Victoria Royal Hotel, which was built a few years ago, is to provide accommodation for the most expensive foreign guests.

Generally, close royal family members can obtain the qualification to live in Sydney for work.

Foreign royal families with distant relationships and blood ties, top foreign politicians and officials, top capitalists, etc. may also be eligible to live in this hotel.

Of course, in theory, scientific researchers who have made outstanding contributions in some aspects can also obtain the qualification to live in this hotel.

But generally speaking, such talents will receive a very high standard of reception when they arrive in Australasia.

Especially after confirming to join the Australasia nationality and working for Arthur, they will also get a villa and a car, as well as a higher salary, and the Victoria Royal Hotel does not seem to be very important.

In fact, from the name of the Victoria Royal Hotel, we can roughly analyze the behind-the-scenes controller of this hotel.

This is one of the industries of the royal consortium. At present, in Australasia and Europe and the United States, the royal consortium has built more than a dozen hotels. These hotels can be roughly divided into three categories. One is the Victoria Royal Hotel that receives the top guests, one is the Victoria Hotel that receives mid-range guests, and the last is the manor hotel responsible for mid- and low-end customers.

Taking the top Victoria Royal Hotel as an example, any guest living in the hotel can get a driver on call at any time.

The food in the hotel is free, and the royal private wine from the Duke of Arthur Winery is also provided in limited quantities.

You know, it has been nearly ten years since the Duke of Arthur Winery was built. After ten years of development, the red wine produced by the winery will occupy a large share of the European red wine market, and its reputation has long been established.

After all, this is the private tribute red wine of the Australasian royal family. In Australasian, it is a treasure enjoyed by the royal family.

If it is a mid-to-low-end wine, it is okay. The highest-end royal private supply, except for being presented by the Australasian royal family, rarely flows out of the market.

Such a bottle of red wine generally costs hundreds or even thousands of Australian dollars, and is one of the first choices for many capitalists to entertain guests and banquets.

The Victoria Royal Hotel will supply royal private supplies to customers in irregular quantities.

Although it costs money, after all, this is a good thing that is priceless, and many people are willing to pay a high price to taste it.