African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 1264: Chapter 273: The Secondhand Fleet

The East African military has essentially confirmed the policy of clearing out the original local population as much as possible. However, if ”moderate” means can be used, less killing would be even better.

And rumors are the relatively ”moderate” method. By spreading rumors about East Africa’s fierce reputation, a significant number of people will voluntarily leave the Kra Strait Territory, reducing the workload of the East African army subsequently.

Songkla Prefecture.

After concluding negotiations with the Siamese government, Governor Ande did not return to Lan Fang but instead led his group directly to Songkla Prefecture.

”Currently, the military is spreading rumors across the entire Kra Strait Territory. It’s believed that a large-scale population migration wave will form in the Kra Strait region soon,” the secretary reported to Ande.

Many ”rumors” are actually facts, considering the heinous crimes East Africa has committed in the South Sea, which are too numerous to mention. Nevertheless, the East African official position naturally cannot acknowledge these publicly, so these facts have become so-called ”rumors.”

Ande said, ”Very good, there have clearly been more ships in Songkla these days, indicating that a large number of Siamese people are leaving the area, which also saves us quite some effort.”

Songkla Port is selected as the military port by the Pacific Fleet. Currently, a large migration activity is occurring, and many local residents have booked tickets to travel to northern Siam. However, many people still choose to remain here.

Ande said, ”Those still staying in Songkla probably can’t imagine what kind of fate awaits them. Once the Pacific Fleet arrives, this place will become a military bridgehead of the Empire.”

”Especially those ulterior-motive adherents of the sect, should they mistake the Empire for the Siamese government, they are bound to suffer greatly.”

Although the Lanfang Overseas Province is considered a remote region compared to the East African mainland, as one of the Empire’s provinces, even though the Lanfang Overseas Province has a lower status within the Empire, it doesn’t affect Ande’s standing as a member of the Empire’s higher echelon.

After all, the whole of East Africa only has a bit over forty provinces, and together with the colonial governors, the total number is less than sixty people. Ande can truly be considered a regional governor.

Currently, since East Africa has not yet established an administrative framework in the Kra Strait region, Ande is temporarily stationed in Songkla to oversee the affairs here, until the Governor sent by the central government arrives.

Actually, the Governor has significantly greater power within their jurisdiction. However, because these colonial territories have a backward economy and a sparse population, their political status is actually lower than that of a normal province governor. Of course, when viewed openly, they are of the same rank.

The highest leader of the Kra Strait Territory will obviously still be a Governor because engaging in a long-term, bloody struggle with the local indigenous people is a continual task.

Ande said, ”It remains uncertain who the central government will send as the unlucky person to take up the job here, as governing the Kra Strait Territory is no less difficult than the East Kalimantan region and might be even more challenging.”

Ande reached this conclusion based on two aspects: although the land area is much smaller than East Kalimantan, the population is almost equivalent.

Another factor is that the Arabian Sect forces here are difficult to deal with because East Africa’s previous actions in East Kalimantan have already spread, making it almost impossible for East Africa to deceive these sect forces onto ships again.

Back then, East Africa was able to quickly settle East Kalimantan by tricking the local forces into believing that East Africa would adopt a colonial model similar to other great powers, making them relinquish resistance. However, East Africa broke its promise, immediately brandishing the butcher’s knife after the local forces laid down arms.

The lessons learned will ensure that the Arabian Sect forces in the Kra Strait Territory will not accept the East African government’s ”pacification” again.

This means that East Africa will employ even more extreme methods of governance in the Kra Strait Territory than in East Kalimantan.

Indeed, from Ande’s remarks, it’s clear that the East African government consistently regards the Arabian Sect forces as a major threat.

Conversely, there’s not much animosity towards the Siamese people, as they are seen as ”assimilable” in the eyes of East Africa, of course, under the premise of not being too numerous.

However, the Siamese people here refer only to the lowest-ranking ones. As for the Siamese originally belonging to the ruling class, they would naturally be better off returning to Siam; otherwise, East Africa wouldn’t mind clearing them away as well.

”Governor, our naval fleet has already traveled from Kundian to Wanka.” At this time, a subordinate entered the office to report to Ande.

Ande stood up from the sofa and said, ”Very good, it seems the new Governor should be arriving as well. Let’s first go connect with the Navy.”

Ande couldn’t stay in Songkla forever, as he is first and foremost the Governor of the Lanfang Overseas Province and must return to Lan Fang.

At this moment, from outside the window, you could already see dozens of ships from the Pacific Fleet anchored at sea.

Kundian Port serves as the home port for the Pacific Fleet, and this fleet dispatched to Songkla is not to be underestimated, including a battleship, two cruisers, one destroyer, and torpedo boats among other small warships.

Undoubtedly, even just a portion of the Pacific Fleet is enough to overpower the navy forces across the entire South Sea Region.

Currently, the total tonnage of the East African Pacific Fleet is about two hundred thousand tons, with approximately one hundred sixty thousand tons deployed in the South Sea Region. The two hundred thousand tonnage ranks East Africa after the United States and Japan in the Pacific Region.

The primary reason for the Pacific Fleet’s expansion lies in the East African Navy’s aggressive growth over the years.

The strength of the Indian Ocean Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet is evidently more impressive than the Pacific Fleet. Currently, the total tonnage of the East African Navy has risen to approximately one hundred thirty million tons.

It surpasses the United States and holds third place globally. The United States Navy’s total tonnage is about one hundred million tons, with the United Kingdom, Germany, East Africa, and the United States being the only countries worldwide with naval vessel total tonnage exceeding one hundred million tons.

Among them, the United Kingdom remains in an unmatched position with nearly three hundred million tons, maintaining its ”two-power standard.”

After all, the combined naval tonnage of Germany and East Africa, ranking second and third in the world, has a certain gap from three hundred million tons.

Currently, this size of navy remains bearable for East Africa and does not negatively impact economic development, with the Pacific Fleet being a beneficiary.

However, many ships of the Pacific Fleet are old ones eliminated from the Indian Ocean Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet.

For example, the two battleships of the Pacific Fleet are pre-dreadnought battleships. If even the battleships are like this, other ships are even worse, with some from the 1880s still in service, but they suffice for the South Sea Region.

However, this does make it impossible for the Pacific Fleet to shake off the ”second-hand fleet” moniker internally. The situation of the Alaska Navy under East Africa is even grimmer.

Yet, the Alaska Navy is in an entirely different league than the three major fleets, with its main warship being a 1870s ironclad ship.

Although the Pacific Fleet claims to be second only to the United States and Japan in the Pacific Region, in reality, the United States and Japanese Navies significantly lead in the Pacific seas.

If East Africa’s Pacific Fleet remains entrenched in the South Ocean, it might indeed rule the waves, but once it leaves the South Ocean and enters the North Pacific, it practically can’t stand against the United States and Japanese Navies.

Moreover, although the total tonnage of the East African Pacific Fleet is around two hundred thousand tons, it is quite dispersed, divided into three divisions beyond the South Sea, like the Hawaii Islands division, Southern Ryukyu Islands division, and Oceania division.

Aside from the relatively compact East African Colonies in the South Sea Region, other Pacific Region colonies are too scattered, especially those islands around Oceania.

Indeed, if you consider the Alaska Navy, it more evidently highlights the complexity and difficulty of East Africa’s colonial system in the Pacific Ocean.

At least, if the United States or Japan targets East Africa’s Pacific colonies, other places besides the South Sea Region possess almost no resistance capabilities.