Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 463 The Situation in Panama and Colombia

The population of Dabinhai City is 3.46. Although it is not as large as Dongsang City and ranks only sixth among the Seven Star Cities, it is still the largest city within an 800-kilometer radius and a pearl on the West African coast.

This area has a tropical savanna climate, and its scenery and climate characteristics are similar to those of the northwest region of the Chinese mainland. It is mostly grasslands and valley woodlands, suitable for growing drought-resistant plants such as wheat, cotton, soybeans, and corn, and also suitable for grazing.

There are about 100,000 Chinese people settled in the Greater Coastal City and its surrounding areas of hundreds of kilometers, most of whom live in villages and towns around the city.

Leaving this densely populated area, there are often dozens or hundreds of kilometers of uninhabited areas.

The colonial commissioners here found ways to traffic large numbers of cattle and horses from North Africa and Nigeria to graze them on the local grasslands, forming a gradually growing network of large and small Chinese ranches, which became the local pillar industry.

Every September and October, a large number of Chinese cowboys would ride horses and drive herds of cattle and horses to migrate south, passing through Yellowstone City and arriving at the coastal city and Dongsang city in the south.

The longest journey was 1,300 to 1,400 kilometers and lasted more than two months. They drove herds of cattle and horses to the south to sell them, and then returned by boat.

Year after year, every September and October, there would be a spectacular sight of large herds of cattle and horses migrating south, and the scale was getting bigger and bigger, which was also a sign of the prosperity of the animal husbandry in the big coastal city.

Cattle, horses, mules and donkeys are the main labor force in agricultural production and transportation in today's era, and are also one of the main sources of meat. There is no need to worry about selling them if they are driven to the south.

The only difference is the price.

In recent years
As more and more Chinese people were resettled in the Greater Binhai City area, cotton planting also began to develop in the area.

The area under the jurisdiction of Dabinhai City and Huangshi City is one of the few areas suitable for growing cotton in the entire Chu territory and colonies.

Originally, the Congo River Company had to import large quantities of Egyptian cotton and British machine-woven cloth every year to supply the needs of the colonial people, spending a lot of hard currency on this.

After the cotton planting industry developed, Dabinhai City and Huangshi City also successively established cotton spinning mills, weaving mills and dyeing and finishing factories for the deep processing of cotton.

This part has replaced about 30% of import needs.

With the orderly resettlement of more Chinese immigrants, the local cotton planting industry will expand further. The first goal is to replace imports, and there is hope to export to Patagonia and Central and South America in the future.

Future export markets include Colombia, a potential market with a total population of approximately 450 million to 500 million, which is quite impressive.

Li Jingxi and other members of the inspection team saw a large number of black slaves working in the local cotton plantations, and knew that these black slaves were the main labor force in the cotton plantations.

It is for this reason

The Grand Coast City did not sell slaves to the outside world, and the scale of the Congo River Company's slave trafficking became smaller and smaller, shrinking by more than half compared to the early days.

In this vast colony, black slaves undertook a large amount of heavy field labor and the construction of infrastructure such as roads and bridges, and were the main labor force in building the colony.

With its population shrinking significantly, there are not many black slaves available for export.

It is expected that the transatlantic slave trade will come to an end in a few years.

More than ten days later
Li Jingxi bid farewell to the officials who saw him off, and boarded a British cruise ship departing from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with his wife, children and family, embarking on a journey to Europe.

From then on, a new chapter in his life will begin.

1884 year 3 early month
Medellin, Colombia
A Western-style buffet dance was being held in a luxurious Spanish-style mansion in the old town. Participating in the dance were a large number of officers in military uniforms and young white girls in beautiful skirts, most of whom were the officers' female companions.

This was an internal dance party held by the expeditionary occupation force. The atmosphere at the party was relaxed and cheerful. Delicious food, fruit plates and drinks were available for free, and many officers danced with their female companions on the dance floor.

Lieutenant General Huang Shan, Major General Dong Jiasheng and Major General Wang Hai, Governor of Central America, stood on the second floor by the exquisite granite-carved railings, watching the officers dancing downstairs while smoking cigars and chatting.

His Majesty the King of Chu likes to smoke pure Cuban cigars, which has also led to high-ranking nobles and senior military officers of the Chu State to follow suit, forming a trend of consuming high-end Cuban cigars.

If the leader likes something, the subordinates will follow suit.

As the founding monarch of the State of Chu, this shows the great influence and high prestige of the King of Chu on the domestic bureaucracy and the military.

"Governor Wang, I heard that His Majesty rejected your petition and did not agree to make Panama the new location of the Governor's Office," Lieutenant General Huang Shan asked with a relaxed look.

Governor Wang Hai nodded with a somewhat helpless expression and replied, "It's my fault for being too hasty and not being able to truly understand the intention. I was blinded by the expeditionary force's victory. After this incident, I must be more cautious in the future."

"Hehehe... Your Excellency the Governor is also considering the overall situation. Panama City is conveniently located and is the eastern starting port of the Pacific route. The Panama Canal, which was excavated by the French, is located here. In the future, it will surely become a world transportation hub spanning the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. As the seat of the Governor's Office, it is indeed very suitable." Lieutenant General Huangshan said with a fair evaluation.

Governor Wang Hai rolled his eyes and thought to himself: You guys, you haven’t had enough of seeing me make a fool of myself!

His Majesty the King is in charge of the temple and planning things thousands of miles away from the waves. What a far-sighted plan he has!

Since the petition has been rejected, there must be some conspiracy behind it that is unimaginable to us.

After making a fool of yourself, you are still praising Panama for its great geographical location and suitable conditions in all aspects. You are really not a human being!

Governor Wang Hai changed the subject and asked about the full military demobilization work that would begin in June. He said:
"General Dong, there are only two months left until June. Shouldn't it be time to start the demobilization of the troops?"

"Let's begin, Governor." Major General Dong Jiasheng has been cooperating with Governor Wang Hai for more than ten years, starting from the time when they were trying to seize Hawaii.

We have great respect for this pioneer in the colonization of Central America and the Pacific region. His glory is made up of a series of dazzling colonial halos, without any exaggeration.

He went on to explain:
"According to military orders

Starting from June, our Colombian Expeditionary Force will gradually retire officers and soldiers, mainly from the independent infantry regiment, and disperse them throughout Colombia. Officers will be mainly placed in cities, and soldiers will be mainly placed in villages and towns.

After retirement, the commanders and deputy commanders of the infantry regiments will be assigned to cities across Colombia to serve as mayors, speakers, and other major urban management positions to implement His Majesty's will to completely control Colombia.

After demobilization, officers at all levels mainly enter the military and police, tax, civil affairs, parliament and other departments in various cities, and take control of the corresponding power to manage the city. I will not go into details here.

After demobilization, the soldiers received corresponding rewards of land and houses, and most of them were settled in villages and towns to farm or run plantations, becoming the grassroots gentry class in the main city of Colombia.

Combining with Chinese immigrants to form independent Chinese villages and towns will become the mainstream in Colombia in the future.

According to military orders
From June to the end of the year, more than 6 officers and soldiers, mainly from the infantry regiment, will be retired, and Chinese militia and police forces will be organized among the people to maintain basic social order.

Starting next year

The main force, centered around the Royal Ninth Division, will be gradually withdrawn and divided into towns and villages, concentrating on areas surrounding major cities and villages such as Medellin, Cali, and Bogotá to ensure control of these areas. "Governor, this is the basic situation for the current demobilization."

Governor Wang Hai nodded approvingly and said, "Even a passing goose leaves its voice behind, and a passing person leaves his name behind. The actions of the Kingdom's leaders are deeply in line with my wishes. How can the Great Chu Empire tolerate criticism? After this incident, everyone in South America is watching with concern and should be deeply vigilant."

Lieutenant General Huang Shan also interjected, "They can continue to speak nonsense, and we can only pray to the foreign gods. But please don't let His Majesty hear it, or they will be in trouble if he gets angry."

"Of course your military relies on your achievements in expanding territory to get promoted, but these South American countries will not give you a chance to lose your temper. No matter how stupid they are, they know that they cannot cross the line." Governor Wang Hai retorted.

When the other two heard this, they all laughed.

is not that right?

Having learned from previous experiences, these South American countries now keep their mouths shut and dare not speak nonsense anymore.

Colombia has paid a heavy price for provoking the great powers. These South American countries have seen it and feel like a sharp knife is always hanging over their heads.

That taste is simply...

last month

More than two months after the war ended, the Paris government officially released its opinion on the situation in Colombia, stating:
"Paris hopes to see calm restored in Central and South America, and urges the Chu State to withdraw its troops as soon as possible to protect its people from the ravages of war and fulfill its responsibility as a civilized country to safeguard the stability of other countries' regimes. We deeply look forward to this."

He said some general words, but they didn't do anything.

The Chu government did issue an official response, but it merely praised the Paris government and formally stated that Chu was "maintaining peace and stability in Central and South America," "letting the light of civilization illuminate Colombia," and "enhancing the responsible attitude of Central and South American governments to avoid future unwarranted smears against Chu, which are a blatant provocation to the great powers."

Then there is no more then.

There was no mention of whether to withdraw troops. There was no timetable or relevant arrangements. The main strategy was to "drag it out."

A large number of soldiers were discharged and returned to the army, and some new Chinese soldiers were recruited from Central America. Not all of the troops were cleared out, and it was still necessary to maintain a certain number of occupying forces.

This number is approximately 1.1 to 1.2 people, mainly stationed in the four major cities of Colombia and Panama. The Royal Ninth Division cannot be withdrawn, and retired veterans are just supplementing new recruits.

After this large-scale redeployment, the rewards for the meritorious officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force were also implemented.

Basically, the wool comes from the sheep. The rewarded land, houses, and women are locally sourced in Colombia, and there are also large amounts of bounty to be distributed.

The military's operation of plundering young and beautiful white women has not stopped. The total number has reached nearly 30, and it is estimated that at least 10 will be needed before they stop.

Lieutenant General Huang Shan, Governor Wang Hai and Major General Dong Jiasheng, these middle and senior military officers and colonial government officials, all made a huge fortune and had astonishingly wealthy families.

Major Dong Jiasheng kept six beautiful white concubines for himself, and there were more than thirty young white girls as servants in his house. He was surrounded by beauties and lived a very happy life.

There are many officers in the same situation as him. This is the generous benefit of the occupying forces.

The fund consortium under the Chu royal family acquired large tracts of land in and around the coastal ports of Colombia, as well as many Spanish-style luxury mansions, buildings and other fixed assets in important towns such as Medellin, Cali and Bogota, and monopolized the local telegraph industry. The royal estate also owned numerous coffee plantations that occupied an important position in Colombia.

In this feast of expedition and invasion, the Chu State’s top leaders and military all benefited greatly. The only ones who suffered serious damage were the Colombian people. Who made them elect such an incompetent president, Varez?
This incident once again serves as a warning to the world
Don't provoke people or forces you can't afford to offend, or you will die a miserable death.

The expeditionary force severely oppressed the original white residents of Colombia, constantly provoking resistance from the Indo-European indigenous people in various cities, which could be described as one after another.

This gave the expeditionary force ample reason to stay, and to carry out round after round of bloody suppression, purges and enslavement of these indigenous peoples, making everything seem justified.

Local white women were sold in large numbers, and local white men were either brutally suppressed, thrown into mining labor camps, or executed for rebellion, which led to a sharp decline in the local Indo-European population in towns.

If you want to live a stable life, the best way is to marry white girls to Chinese officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force, or Chinese immigrants who have migrated here, so that they can be protected.

The resistance struggles that emerged in cities and towns across the country were mostly carried out in the form of marches and demonstrations due to the severe lack of weapons.

These demonstrations became the perfect opportunity for the military to launch large-scale crackdowns. Large numbers of people were arrested and then disappeared from the city...

Over time, the local people in Colombia became numb and no longer had the will to resist.

in panama
As the project led by the French International Ocean Canal Company is progressing with difficulty, the company's president, Sereb, has already regretted it. This epic project is much more difficult than imagined and is simply a disaster.

The project has been underway for less than a year, but thousands of workers have been killed or injured due to the tropical rainforest climate and harsh conditions, and the project is progressing slowly.

The Panama Railway, led by the United States, was a major obstacle. It opposed the Canal Company on everything, dragged its feet, found various reasons to refuse to cooperate, and failed to fulfill the signed transportation contracts.

On the Panama Canal project

The Americans' fickleness has now become the biggest problem. They clearly want to sabotage this epic super project and have evil intentions.

The Chu occupation forces were quite cooperative, so now the French anger was more directed at the Americans.

Paris has been constantly blasting Americans on international occasions, and a deep rift has inevitably appeared in the long history of friendship between the two sides, becoming the biggest news in the international community in recent times.

President Sereb had to abandon the ongoing excavation project and lead a group of people back to Paris.

He wanted to lobby the company's shareholders and the Paris government to put pressure on them to buy the American Panama Railway. This railway was too important for the Panama Canal under construction and a huge amount of materials needed to be transported.

Especially large steel components and equipment, which cannot be moved at all without the cooperation of railways.

The Americans asked for a huge price, directly asking $750 million for the railway that cost $3600 million to build.

And their attitude is very tough and no bargaining is allowed.

The intention is very clear, which is to rip off the French a huge sum of money. Anyway, it seems like they are being taken advantage of.

In this complex international environment, the French had no intention of dealing with the Chu expeditionary force at all, as their attention had long been diverted elsewhere.

In particular, the Americans who were obviously engaged in sabotage made the French furious. Paris even threatened war, and the Americans retorted, "Paris is dreaming, come if you have the guts." The relationship between the two sides became very tense.

(End of this chapter)