Chapter 46 Tariff Issues
The banquet had already begun, and the pleasant dance music stimulated people's dancing mood. Many young men and women danced gracefully, but this occasion was not a country bumpkin like Sheffield, but just a regular dance party. Those who were invited to attend were also some members of the Secretary of State's entourage.
Behind the magnificent hall, that is where the real decision is made. The Chancellor of the German Empire, the Prussian Prime Minister Hohenlohe-Schillingsfister, supported his head with both hands, and everything in front of him was still a little tense. His daily life was spent in tension. The Chancellors of the German Empire can be divided into two types, one is Bismarck, and the other is others.
This was especially true after William II became the Emperor of the German Empire. There would no longer be a strong prime minister like Bismarck. But the political environment of the German Empire was destined to see a strong man again. That was very simple. This strong man had to be the Emperor himself. Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst was in this awkward situation.
Although the German Empire had been unified long ago, it could still be considered a monarchical alliance in a sense. It was just not as exaggerated as the monarchical alliance of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was not easy to balance the interests of the royal Junkers and capitalists in various parts of the country, although not all places had armies like Bavaria.
One of the issues that has been mentioned frequently in recent years is tariffs. Like the United States of America, the German Empire has been catching up in recent decades, and the natural way is to raise tariffs and work behind closed doors. The problem is that raising tariffs will inevitably lead to retaliation, and the two countries will fall into a situation of raising tariffs against each other.
Now that the German Empire has developed well, more and more people in the Ruhr area are very dissatisfied with this tariff, because they have to bear the retaliation for raising tariffs. If they want to go further, they must find a larger market, but if the Empire still maintains such a high tariff, how can they go to other markets?
"High tariffs are no longer appropriate. What is the current situation? Protecting the agricultural products of East Prussia? But we still have to import food because those manors cannot meet the needs of the whole country. What is the point of protecting them? The retaliation against high tariffs has made German exports uncompetitive. For the development of the country, the manors in the east must be restrained, and high tariffs must become history."
The person who spoke again was a heavyweight, August Thyssen, the president of Thyssen United. August Thyssen looked at the people opposite him with sparkling eyes. He had long been dissatisfied with the high tariff environment.
Because of the tariff issue, Thyssen United was hit hard. Traditionally, the Russian Empire has always been a traditional market for German exports, and exports accounted for 30% of Thyssen United. The reason why most people in the Ruhr area agreed to the tariff policy was that Britain occupied a large domestic market at that time, and the losses from Russia could be compensated from the domestic market. But now it is a different situation, and tariffs have become the focus of the dispute between the two sides.
"August is right. We can't be blocked at the border and unable to leave." At this time, another representative from the Ruhr area spoke up. It was Alfred Krupp who was in Essen a few days ago.
Hohenlohe-Schillingsfister looked at the two men and the people behind them who were silent but had the same expression. They represented more than 260 cartel companies. 300 coal mines and coal fields, 200 mines and mining areas, 50 transportation companies, more than 100 power plants, more than 200 banks and trading companies, and thousands of factories, mines and corporate entities.
Coal, steel, cement and machinery, they all account for more than half of the market share in Germany. Thyssen and Krupp are not friends at all, but they are in agreement on this matter.
"Friends in the Ruhr area, you should know how important food security is to a country, especially in an environment like ours where there are many unfriendly countries around us. We must ensure that the food security of the German people is not affected by external shocks."
"I think the best way to avoid shocks is to improve production capacity and ensure food self-sufficiency before talking about whether we have been hit. In fact, the country imports food every year, and you can't do that. You keep saying that it is for national security, but you can't meet the needs of all Germans. What is this? This is considered protecting food security, don't you see?"
"We need a wider market, not to be locked up in the country, understand? In the same agricultural field, the landowners in our country obviously don't see as far as the so-called country bumpkins in their eyes."
"Did you take money from the Americans? Why are you speaking for those country bumpkins?" The group of people on the opposite side began to accuse, seeming to doubt the loyalty of Thyssen, Krupp and others to the country.
"The environment abroad is not what you imagined. Do you think you can make people pay money just by showing your noble status? Trade is equal. Can you think about it with your stubborn heads that are harder than steel?"
Both sides began to accuse each other of selfishness, and their understanding of tariffs had already led to an irreconcilable conflict.
"They run agriculture, and you run agriculture, too. Why can't you guarantee food for all Germans? Since you can't do it, it's all imported anyway, so why not let them help you?"
"At least the United States now has more purchasing power than the Russians. It all depends on the ideas of those people in the Ruhr area and whether they can gain an advantage over those rural Junkers." Sheffield poured a glass of champagne for Russell Kanter, the secretary of state's aide, and clinked glasses with him. "I hope everything goes well."
"What if the Germans don't give up their interests? Now the United States hopes to get German support for Venezuela." Russell Kanter thought with some distress, "I heard that there are many German plantation owners who represent them."
"Then what is there to talk about? What do we owe the Germans? They want to make money but are unwilling to put in the effort and waste time? Are they waiting to take advantage of the negotiation table?" Sheffield commented with a pout, "Damn, they don't have a chance to get such a good deal. Let's go find the British."
After seeing off the Secretary of State's staff, Sheffield drank champagne by himself and asked someone to call John Connor over. "Find me a newspaper with a large circulation but not too strong political color. Let the people from the London company pay some money to humiliate the United States in the newspaper. It would be better to have two satirical cartoons."
"Master, what?" John Connor looked at Sheffield strangely. What was he doing? Scolding himself?
"You are scolding the federal government, not me. Just do it." Sheffield shrugged. It's a way of keeping a low profile. What's wrong with being ridiculed? It's an inevitable process.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
