Chapter 158: Chapter 153: Navy Grand Parade


    “My beloved citizens, 1902 has been an important year for Australia. We have opened a short stretch of railway, built more industrial areas and factories, expanded our army and navy, and for the first time exported our mineral resources and various weapons and equipment, including warships.” Arthur began his speech as the cheering of the crowd subsided.


    “In terms of livelihood, we have built more hospitals and schools, ensuring more people have ess to basic medical care and education. At the same time, our various construction projects have created arge number of jobs, with over thirty thousand Australians finding suitable positions in just one year. From the beginning to the end of 1902, our per capita annual ie increased by a full two pounds, reaching a level of over twelve pounds. This figure has increased by a full four pounds since the establishment of the Australian Principality, ensuring a certain standard of living for everyone.” Arthur said proudly.


    Although this figure cannot bepared with European nations, it has already improved a lotpared to Australia’s own situation.


    In New Zend, which has a high degree of simrity with Australia in terms of background and geographical location, the per capita annual ie has remained around eleven pounds, and has now been overtaken by Australia.


    At this point, the apuse and cheering from the audience could not be stopped, as people began to shout, expressing their joy.


    After waiting quietly for a short while, Arthur continued: “Today, I am very pleased to stand with all of you to watch the second parade since the founding of Australia, and the first naval parade.”


    “As arge ind country, the navy is extremely important for Australia. For various reasons, Australia does not yet have any battleships. But rest assured, this situation is only temporary and must change. I envision an Australian navy with a world-ss fleetposed of many battleships. We still have a long way to go to reach this goal, but I am confident that Australia can achieve it.” Arthur said with a smile.


    Although Australia does not have any ns for battleship expansion in the short term, it is necessary to provide some reassurance.


    After all, the matter of dreadnoughts cannot be explicitly stated, and Arthur could not mysteriously tell everyone that in a few years, a powerful warship that wouldpletely rece the current battleships will be born!


    Under such premise, not expanding the navy’s battleships while keeping people hopeful for the navy is the best choice.


    Hearing Arthur’s vision for the future of the Australian navy, most Australians still hold hope for it.


    After all, it is well known that Australia has the technology to build battleships. In the eyes of many Australians, the reason why Australia has not initiated the construction of battleships is simply because the economy has not yet caught up.


    Once Australia’s economic construction develops, the government will naturally start building battleships, and Australia’s navy will be world-ss.


    In the stands, some officials from New Zend showed envious expressions. Like the previous parade, these people were invited to attend the Australian parade by the New Zend colonial government.


    Since Arthur established the Advisory Council in New Zend and obtained the allegiance of the Alliance Party, the connection between Australia and New Zend has be closer, with not only some New Zenders choosing to work in Australia, but also the economic exchanges between the New Zend Colonial Government and the Australian Duchy Government gradually bing active.


    This situation is weed by Arthur. The smoother the exchanges between Australia and New Zend, the smoother the future merger of the two regions will be.


    One of the reasons for the move of some New Zenders to work in Australia, besides theck of jobs in New Zend, is the significantly higher wages offered by new jobs in Australia, which greatly exceed New Zend’s per capita annual ie, have better social welfare policies and do not face possible wage deductions.


    Moreover, New Zend and Australia can be considered as having the same roots, sharing the same culture,nguage, and even origin, which made many New Zenders not resistant to moving to Australia.


    Another factor is that the distance between New Zend and Australia is not far. Currently, the only means ofmunication between the two regions is sea transportation, which takes about two to three days.


    Is this time long? Not really.


    For those New Zenders whoe to work in Australia, they can also take time off and return to New Zend in just two or three days.


    Because Arthur had specifically instructed both governments, neither Australia nor New Zend would obstruct the movement of people between the two regions.


    ording to the 1902 report, the economic exchanges between New Zend and Australia have almost tripled, with the total amount of import and export trade between Australia and New Zend reaching more than forty thousand pounds.


    Of course, arge part of this is the export of goods from Australia to New Zend. Some of Australia’s preliminary industrial products have entered New Zend, upying a portion of the New Zend market.


    New Zend is more developed in agriculture, animal husbandry, and some mineral resources.


    However, Australia is notcking in these resources, and even exports these abundant resources to other countries. This has led to a trade deficit between Australia and New Zend, with New Zend importing mostly Australian goods.


    This is also good news for Australia, as the more the New Zend economy relies on Australia, the closer the integration of the two regions will be in the future. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Inviting officials from the New Zend colonial government to attend both parades is intended to allow them to clearly see the changes in Australia, so they will dream of simr changes happening in New Zend.


    In order for what they have seen to be better disseminated in New Zend, the officials invited to each parade belong to different factions.


    These officials can be divided into four factions: some are original colonial government officials, others belong to the New Zend Labor Party and Alliance Party factions, and some belong to the military faction.


    Currently, Arthur has control over the New Zend colonial government officials and Alliance Party officials.


    With the supervision of these two factions of officials, it is believed that what the New Zend officials have seen and heard can be spread as soon as the second day they return to New Zend.