Chapter 1677 Recruitment Office
For the Japanese invading garrison in Jinyang, intelligence gathering in the base area was almost impossible. At this time, sending personnel to investigate various data in the occupied areas of Northwest Africa was a real challenge for the Japanese intelligence agencies in Jinyang.
However, the head of the Jinyang Special Service Agency could not refuse, so he had no choice but to take on the responsibility.
As for more financial support and personnel allocation, Yoshijiro Umezu obviously couldn't give him a satisfactory answer either.
Japan's finances are already very tight. Unlike the Western powers, they don't have deep pockets. Their military spending alone is enough to make the Japanese government struggle to breathe.
...
July 11, 1938.
Anchorage, Dominion of Alaska
It was summer in Anchorage, but the city, located at a high latitude, was quite cool, and this was also the most active time of year in Anchorage.
After all, for a high-latitude city like Anchorage, the long and cold winters inevitably reduce the time available for some social activities, such as urban construction and agricultural planting.
In the central square of Anchorage, the East African Ministry of Defense's recruitment office also chose this sunny day to begin its recruitment work in the area.
Soldiers from the recruitment office were handing out leaflets to the crowds in the square.
"Sir, are you interested in joining the military? This is the latest recruitment policy, with excellent benefits and compensation."
Recruiting officer Trede is handing a leaflet to Wang Ze, a citizen in his twenties from Anchorage.
Holding the leaflet, Wang Ze, though he had no intention of joining the army, still asked, "Is the information on this leaflet accurate? A monthly salary of two hundred Rhine guilders, plus various allowances."
"Of course it's true," Tred said. "It's a Department of Defense leaflet. Who would dare to lie about something like this?"
Wang Ze shook his head and said, "But the monthly salary is too low! It's only two hundred Rhein guilders a month. Even if you work in a factory, it's more than a soldier's salary!"
Tred said, "Sir, you can't look at it that way. The benefits you get from joining the military go far beyond just the salary."
"Firstly, the food and lodging are definitely covered by the state. Moreover, the food and lodging conditions of the Imperial Army are not bad. Secondly, the army's clothing is also provided by the state. Look at the quality of my clothes. The materials used are at least above average, if not the best. From a practical point of view, they are top-notch."
There is no doubt about the quality of military uniforms in East Africa. They are both aesthetically pleasing and practical. In 1938, perhaps only German military uniforms were more aesthetically pleasing than those in East Africa.
After all, Adolf himself was partly an art student, and he was a strong advocate of Aryan superiority.
As a result, the German military placed a high degree of emphasis on aesthetics in the design of its uniforms, aiming to create a tall, imposing image for German soldiers and enhance their sense of pride and deterrence.
In addition, German military uniforms have another characteristic: greater diversity than those in East Africa. Different branches of the military, different arms, and even different units have unique badges, collar insignia, and branch colors to increase the recognizability of the German army.
This not only facilitates command and management, but also greatly enhances the troops' sense of honor and belonging.
In contrast, practicality outweighs aesthetics in the design of military uniforms in East Africa; practicality should not be sacrificed for aesthetics.
This is why the uniforms of the East African National Defence Force are aesthetically inferior to those of Germany, but compared with other countries, the East African uniforms are still considered to be of a high standard in terms of design.
Wang Ze carefully examined Trey's attire, which indeed made him appear quite tough, sharp, imposing, and dignified.
He said, "The uniforms of the Imperial Army are indeed quite good, but they are still somewhat inferior to the latest German uniforms."
Somewhat embarrassed, Trede said, "German military uniforms are indeed unparalleled in the world in terms of aesthetics if you only look at the appearance."
"However, the Imperial Army uniforms are not much different from those of Germany, and as German countries, we have obvious differences in the design philosophy of our uniforms compared to the current German government."
"We place more emphasis on the practicality of military uniforms, after all, the army is there to protect the country, not to be models like in Germany!"
"You are probably familiar with the current social environment in Germany. The Adolf government was a typical militaristic dictatorship, so they can be described as militaristic and aggressive in their national development."
"In order to recruit more soldiers, Germany adopted a lot of fancy designs for military uniforms, but when it came to actual war, it proved that their designs were just flashy nonsense!"
That's true, but for ordinary people like Wang Ze, their perspective is often more emotional.
Therefore, Wang Ze said, "Looking good is enough. German military uniforms are so good-looking! And I don't think German military uniforms are much less practical."
Tred did not completely deny this, saying, "German military uniform design does achieve an organic combination of aesthetics and practicality. Compared with countries like the Soviet Union, German military uniforms are not only good-looking, but also of higher quality and more convenient."
"However, this is only in comparison with countries like the Soviet Union. If we compare it with the Imperial Army uniform, we have more advantages in terms of practicality and convenience than the German uniform."
"For example, German military uniforms have many accessories, which not only increases costs but is also an unnecessary burden on the battlefield. They are also easy to snag and are not very convenient, and they are also easy for enemy observers and snipers to identify."
"Secondly, in pursuit of aesthetics, German military uniforms sacrificed some camouflage in terms of color, making them easy targets for the enemy on the battlefield."
"Finally, the German uniform was far less comfortable than the Reich uniform. For example, the cut of the German uniform did make them look more upright, but it was not conducive to military training and operations."
Of course, Treid didn't mention the most important point, which was that the German military uniform manufacturing process was complicated and time-consuming, but from the perspective of the East Africans, this could not be considered a complete drawback.
The manufacturing of military uniforms is closely related to a country's industrial level, resource situation, logistics and other issues. For East African countries with almost no weaknesses, the cost and manufacturing process of German military uniforms are not too excessive.
East Africa's textile industry is undoubtedly among the world's best, and its labor cost advantage is also very prominent. Among industrialized nations, East Africa has the largest population, and correspondingly, it boasts the world's largest industrial cluster.
In this way, the slightly complicated procedures do not pose a significant drawback for East African countries with relatively abundant human resources.
In terms of resources, East Africa has more advantages than Germany, such as cotton, hemp, and chemical fibers, which will not be under too much pressure due to the consumption of resources in war.
In contrast, in the past, Germany's military uniforms suffered a sharp decline in quality due to resource scarcity and the depletion of resources during wartime, even becoming rather rudimentary.
In other words, Germany's war machine has not yet been activated, and it is peacetime, which is why German military uniforms can maintain their "shiny" appearance and solid materials.
In any case, the cost and process of designing German military uniforms are considered minor issues in East Africa, but for Germany, it is a significant risk that the German government has deliberately ignored.
After all, the German government and military have never intended for a protracted war of attrition, and their current attitude toward the war is somewhat overly optimistic.
Trede said, "Anyway, the Empire's military uniform design is absolutely top-notch in the world. If you ignore some unnecessary aesthetic design, then the Empire's military uniform is currently the best design in the world."
"Not to mention that our military uniforms are not bad-looking at all. Compared with Germany, they are just less decorated. If you remove these decorations, the aesthetic difference between the two countries' military uniforms is not that big."
After thinking for a moment, Wang Ze nodded and said, "That's true. If you ignore the colors and decorations, the design of the Imperial Army's uniforms is not bad, and it has an advantage over other countries except Germany."
Tred chuckled and said, "In that case, sir, would you like to join us now?"
Wang Ze shook his head and said, "I still admire the Imperial soldiers, but I'd rather not join you. I've seen plenty of Alaskan defense forces."
At this moment, Terrence suddenly said seriously, "Then you're wrong. Who told you that this recruitment is for the Alaskan Defense Force?"
“Our recruitment office is a real unit of the Imperial Department of Defense in Alaska. Naturally, the recruitment is for recruiting excellent soldiers for the Imperial Defense Force, not the Alaskan Defense Force.”
"Although the Alaskan Defense Force is part of the Imperial Army, it is a separate system from the National Defense Force."
The Alaskan Defense Force is the exclusive force of the Dominion of Alaska and an independent local force within the East African military system. In terms of status, it does not belong to the East African National Defence Force.
In fact, the Alaskan Defense Force is not directly under the jurisdiction of the East African Defense Force in terms of military spending, training, and logistics.
This special local force naturally differs greatly from the East African National Defence Force in its military construction.
For example, in terms of military training, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Alaskan Defense Force and the National Defense Force are "lazy" compared to each other, lacking strict supervision and review.
In other respects, the management of the defense force is relatively lax. To put it bluntly, the defense force is not considered a strong military on a global scale.
This is also related to the relaxed attitude of the Alaskan government. With the protection of the empire, excessive military spending and intensive training are naturally unnecessary for the Alaskan government.
This gives us an idea of the reputation of this defense force in Alaska.
"There is a fundamental difference between the so-called Alaskan Defense Force and the Imperial Defense Force," Tred said.
"Whether it's military system construction, actual management, or the guarantee of welfare benefits, the National Defense Force is obviously much stronger than the Alaskan Defense Force."
Wang Ze didn't really know much about this. After all, as residents of Alaska, if they wanted to join the military, they used to have the Alaskan Defense Force as an option, so there was no need to know about the Homeland Defense Force.
For this reason, their impression of the Imperial Army was largely influenced by the Alaskan Defense Force.
Wang Ze shook his head and said, "Aren't they all imperial armies? How much stronger can the defense force be than the homeland defense force?"
Tred patiently explained, "It's true that the Alaska Defense Force is part of the Imperial Army, but think about it, is the actual security of Alaska entirely due to the Alaska Defense Force?"
"That's obviously not the case. After all, given Alaska's geographical location, not to mention the United States, Japan, and the Soviet Union, even Canada and the Far Eastern Empire are clearly much stronger militarily than Alaska."
"The reason why Alaska's security has been guaranteed for so many years is because these countries are wary of the Empire's homeland power."
"Under these circumstances, it is normal for Alaska to have been at peace for a long time and for its military equipment to be lax."
"But the Alaskan Defense Forces have the means to be so lax, while the Imperial Defense Forces obviously cannot. As the Empire's most elite military force, East Africa currently faces numerous challenges, even for the most powerful countries in the world."
"Therefore, if you join the National Defense Force, you will not be shortchanged in any way in terms of basic security, nor will you encounter any unfair treatment."
"While staying in the National Defense Force ensures that you can enjoy all the benefits and privileges you receive after retirement, even if you return to Alaska."
Although Alaska has considerable autonomy, it is, after all, part of East Africa. Therefore, the various welfare benefits available in East Africa can be effectively implemented in Alaska.
Tred continued, "Don't be fooled by the fact that the pay in the National Defense Force is slightly lower than that of normal work. If you want to save money, the National Defense Force is obviously a better place. After all, people are inherently lazy. Besides basic living expenses, can you resist some non-essential spending in normal work?"
"So when you factor in the costs of food, lodging and clothing, joining the armed forces is obviously better than working a regular job. Plus, with the management of the military, you can have a decent amount of savings when you retire."
"There are also hidden benefits after retirement, such as social status and job arrangements, which are sure to be a win-win situation."
Of course, all of this is based on the premise that, in peacetime, the current treatment and benefits of the East African National Defence Force are still very attractive to ordinary people.
However, East Africans are still somewhat unfamiliar with war. At least in the last ten years or so, East Africa has enjoyed a relatively peaceful period and has basically not encountered war.
The last time East Africa participated was probably in the war between Paraguay and Bolivia, but even then, East Africa could only be considered a participant, not a main force.
Wang Ze finally shook his head and said, "After hearing what you said, I am indeed a little tempted to join the National Defense Army. However, this is not a small matter. I want to take this leaflet home and share it with my family."
Tred didn't seem to mind. He said, "Of course. If you have any questions, you can call us at the number above. If you're sure you want to participate, you can go directly to the recruitment office at the address above to make preparations."
The Anchorage Recruiting Office hasn't been doing particularly well lately, so even for someone like Wang Ze who shows interest, the staff will try their best to provide him with better service.
(End of this chapter)
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