The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 388: Chapter 330: Exchange of Interests_3

If the Aerospace Laboratory begins producing airships at the current rate, it would only take about half a year to fulfill these orders from the Great Powers.

Add in other orders from foreign private customers, and the airship market can be sustained for a few years, although the proportion occupied by Australasia's airship companies will only get smaller and smaller.

After all, making quick money was Arthur's plan, he never intended to put much effort into this aspect. He was quite satisfied with the profits he gained thus far.

Although the 30-airship order from Germany was lost, the United Kingdom ordered 50, France 30, Russia Nation 20, Austro-Hungarian Empire 15, Italy 15, and the United States 40, still bringing a total of 170 airships orders for Australasia.

Apart from the United Kingdom, airships from other countries were priced at the original price of 80,000 pounds.

By this calculation, these 170 airships could bring Arthur an income of 6.3 million pounds, equivalent to 12.6 million Australian dollars, which is a nice bonus.

This sum of money, if invested in the navy, could almost build three super dreadnoughts, definitely not a small number.

Although Arthur did not intend to invest this money in the navy, it could help a lot regardless of where it was invested. read-only-on-MvLeMpYr

Among all the airship orders, the American People's name appeared somewhat abruptly.

In fact, when the European powers first contacted Australasia, the American People were actually not aware of it.

But Arthur thought, since he had already tricked the European People, how could the United States, a well-known nouveau riche country, be an exception?

Therefore, under Arthur's direction, the Aerospace Laboratory released the news that the European Great Powers were seeking to purchase airship technology, which quickly attracted the attention of the American military and the American Government.

As early as when the Dawn Airship landed in the United States, the generals of the American army had already realized the strategic significance of airships.

Knowing that the European Great Powers were purchasing airship technology, how could the American military remain silent? They immediately demanded the government's intervention to ensure that the United States was equipped with at least the same level of airships as the European powers, to protect the American sky.

In order to persuade the United States Congress, the military's arguments almost wore out. They repeatedly stated the strategic significance of an airship capable of global travel, able to reach any part of the United States at any time, posing a deadly threat to the American People and the American army.

At the same time, the American military publicly declared that if the American army could not equip themselves with advanced weapons like airships, the military power of the United States would be significantly behind that of the European powers.

Although the United States currently had no intention of participating in the European chaos, it did not mean they had no ambition for global hegemony.

Various policy changes in the United States showed that this country had great ambitions. Naturally, the military's rhetoric caught the government's attention and the airship purchase plan proceeded smoothly.

Of course, at present, the United States' technological levels were clearly lagging behind those of the European powers, and Arthur did not value their technology too highly.

In comparison, the United States' overall industrial scale and economic level were the important guarantees for the United States to maintain its status among the powerful nations.

As for the current military technology and military level of the United States, it could be described in four words: hard to put it in words.

Since the American People had money, Arthur naturally could not pass up this opportunity. After discussions with the American Government, they agreed to purchase 40 airships at the original price and a 20 million Australian dollar price tag for the AU-3 airship technology.

Moreover, in addition to that, Arthur and the American Government negotiated on the grounds of a lack of funds for national development and organized a loan from the American Government and private sector for 500 million German marks, agreeing to repay, with interest, a total of 650 million German marks in fifteen years.

The reason for borrowing in German currency was that Arthur specifically stated that most of the borrowed funds would be used in Germany to purchase a large number of industrial equipment and technology. Hence, it made sense to have the Americans make direct preparations for the German marks.

Of course, since the borrowing was in German marks, the repayment would naturally also be in German marks.

As for the interest, which amounted to 150 million marks, Arthur could totally ignore it if the European situation developed according to its original history.