Chapter 323: Successive round-the-world voyages
With the end of the Olympic Games, the enthusiasm caused by this event that attracted the world's attention for two months also quickly dissipated.
At the end of July, with the delivery of the first batch of 20 airships, people around the world received another hotly discussed news - the official establishment of airlines in various countries.
Although the airship was obtained only two months later, foreign capitalists have not failed to take action.
During these two months, they sent many employees to Australasia to learn the driving skills of airships, striving to put the airship into operation after officially obtaining the airship.
You know, the popularity of global voyages is gradually dissipating, and airship fares are destined to become lower and lower in the future.
The sooner the airline can be put into operation, the sooner it can take a bite of the cake.
If it were not for the limited production of airships in Australasia, I am afraid that global airlines would have sprung up like bamboo shoots around the world.
Of course, the problem of limited airship production will not trouble foreign airlines. Although there are not enough state-of-the-art airships capable of traveling around the world, this does not mean that there are not enough ordinary airships for domestic aviation!
In order to make the airline business more developed, these airlines have established cooperation with their own domestic airship companies and purchased some of their own domestic small airships to expand medium and short-distance aviation business.
Especially the great powers including the United States and the United Kingdom. There are already many airship companies in these countries. With the establishment of various airlines, these airships have become a hot commodity in the eyes of capitalists. They are snapped up by major airlines and then used to expand domestic markets. aviation business.
International routes and domestic routes between Europe, intercontinental routes between Europe and the Americas, domestic routes in the United States, global routes across Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Australia, etc. These various routes are a way for major airlines around the world to expand their business. main goal.
After acquiring the airship from Australasia, several airship companies from Europe and the United States claimed that they would also plan a global voyage to officially develop the airline's global navigation business.
In fact, this is normal. After all, more than two months have passed since the last round-the-world voyage. The heat is finally dissipating and will not last long.
If you want to keep the popularity of circumnavigation going and keep airship fares from falling so fast, you can only plan a new circumnavigation to attract the attention of the world's people.
According to the information reported by Director Theodor to Arthur, airlines from the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and other countries have plans to sail around the world.
But unfortunately, currently, only airlines from three countries, the United States, Britain and Germany, have obtained a share of airships.
This also means that currently there are only three airlines from the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany that can truly plan global voyages.
It can be seen from the current number of airlines in major powerful countries in the world that domestic capitalists in these countries have attached great importance to airships.
There are even many European and American airship companies that want to be listed on the Sydney Stock Exchange, but have been rejected by the Sydney Stock Exchange.
However, according to news from major European and American stock exchanges, as of the end of July, there were at least more than 20 airlines around the world, and even half of the 20 airlines had already launched or planned to launch global voyages.
In almost a short period of time, airships became the most popular means of transportation. And sailing around the world in an airship has become a hotly talked about topic around the world.
Thanks to the influence of news about global voyages, the young generation in many countries have dreamed of traveling around the world in an airship. This has even been promoted by many media and newspapers as the most romantic way.
Taking advantage of this momentum, many airlines have publicly promoted that proposing in the sky is the most romantic way, and they have also run their own advertisements offering 30% off for couples booking tickets.
Facts have proved that no matter what era they are in, women are easily carried away by the so-called romance.
Facts have also proven that using romance to promote yourself is an effective way. Many airlines have obtained their first batch of passengers by relying on this kind of publicity method.
In early August, after negotiations with Australasia, round-the-world voyages by American, British and German airlines officially began.
Although not as popular as the circumnavigation organized by Australasia, the circumnavigation plans of these national airlines have indeed attracted the attention of many people.
Some airlines even use the gimmick of their first domestic voyage around the world to use national pride to get the domestic people to support them.
It is precisely because of the popularity of global voyages and the public's curiosity about airships, a new form of transportation, that the stock prices of airship companies listed on major exchanges can usually soar several times.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Arthur asked Steward Kent to establish Sydney Airlines and list it on the New York Stock Exchange.
As for why Royal Air Lines is not listed, after all, Royal Air Lines carries the word "royal" and is not suitable for Arthur's next plan.
The registrant of Sydney Airways is an ordinary Australasian, and it is actually still controlled and managed by the royal consortium.
But Sydney Airlines was only responsible for the airship business. In Arthur's eyes, this was just a subsidiary founded to make money because of the popularity of airships. This company is destined to be abandoned. After being listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Arthur will gradually sell his shares in Sydney Airlines and completely distance himself and the royal consortium behind him from Sydney Airlines.
If nothing else happens, taking advantage of the popularity of this global voyage, it will be no problem to earn thousands or even tens of millions of Australian dollars after listing.
As for those American stock investors who may have been cheated, that has nothing to do with Arthur. After all, the person responsible for Sydney Airlines is not Arthur, and any aviation accidents that occur to the airship in the future will have nothing to do with Arthur.
As time enters August, Australasia has received another blockbuster news, that is, the two Monarch-class battleships built for Russia have been completed and have officially entered the sea navigation test phase.
The naval order signed with the Russians two years ago included a total of two Monarch-class battleships and two Unification-class battlecruisers.
The two Sovereign-class battleships currently built are the Empress Maria and the Catherine the Great.
The Russians have high hopes for these two battleships, which are intended to be equipped in the Baltic Fleet and strengthen Russia's naval strength in Europe.
The two Unification-class battlecruisers Gangut and Sevastopol are also about to enter an intense construction phase. They are expected to be completed by the end of 1913 and delivered before the end of 1914.
After completing the Russian naval orders, the task of the Royal Dockyard will be much easier.
In addition to the Russians' two Monarch-class battleships and two Unity-class battlecruisers, the Royal Dockyard also has orders from the Chileans, including two Hope-class battleships, six Duke-class frigates and two submarines.
At present, the order construction speed of the Chileans is relatively slow. In a few months, the two submarines should be completed and delivered in mid-1913.
The completion of the six frigates may have to wait until the end of this year, and theoretically they can be delivered to the Chileans by the end of 1913.
The construction of the two Hope-class battleships, the highlight, took the longest and was also the most labor-intensive.
If nothing unexpected happens, the completion time of these two battleships will have to wait until mid-1914 or even the end of 1914, and the delivery will even have to wait until the end of 1915.
But no matter what, there is no problem in completing the delivery within the agreed time. The time spent building these two Hope-class battleships can also be used to strengthen the Royal Dockyard's ability to build super-dreadnoughts.
When the Australasian Navy equips super-dreadnoughts in the future, the construction will be smoother.
Speaking of Chile, in fact, with the last rubber crisis and lower coffee prices, several countries in the South American naval race have become somewhat exhausted.
The once wealthy appearance has disappeared, and there are even rumors that Chile wants to give up the two super-dreadnoughts it ordered to relieve its financial pressure.
Regarding such rumors, Arthur said he was not worried at all and even wanted to laugh a little.
No matter what, Australasia is currently a regional power, and its naval strength is enough to rank among the top eight in the world.
A country like Australasia is naturally not something Chile can joke about casually.
If the Chileans dare to blatantly abandon this naval order, it will be tantamount to a direct slap in the face of Arthur and Australasia, and it will directly give Arthur the opportunity and excuse to invade Chile.
On the premise that Australasia holds righteousness and justice, what will happen even if it launches an aggressive war against Chile?
What's more, Australasia and the United Kingdom are getting closer and closer. Without the support of the United Kingdom, how can Chile be Australasia's opponent?
This means having enough strength to be confident. As long as Australasia's comprehensive strength is far greater than that of Chile, Arthur will never worry that the Chileans will renege on this order.
To put it bluntly, Arthur is also very coveted for the land in South America. Especially the black soil in southern Argentina, which is one of the four largest black soils in the world and is an excellent crop growing area.
If the Chileans gave Arthur an excuse, Arthur wouldn't mind taking the opportunity to reach out to South America to plot the black soil in southern Argentina.
Chileans should not be so stupid. After all, no matter how difficult the finances are, they can still borrow and borrow from abroad.
Blatantly breaking the contract will undoubtedly give Australasia a reason to invade itself. I believe the Chilean government is not that stupid.
Historically, when faced with this dilemma, the Chileans seemed to have only sold the two warships under construction to relieve their financial pressure.
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(End of chapter)