Father of France

Chapter 194 Surplus Grain Requisition System

Although slightly tipsy, Corman was in high spirits. Through the art of the deal, he greatly solved France's food trade deficit. The People's Republican Movement was ousted, but the newly formed Socialist government continued to insist on the deal.

Back at the barracks, Koman immediately displayed the aura of a keyboard warrior, throwing himself into another intense task.

Military action alone is not enough; there must be supporting policies. Otherwise, it would make Koeman appear incompetent, and even if the policies are eventually implemented, they may not achieve the best results.

"I am well-versed in both Chinese and Western learning, and my knowledge spans both major camps." Koeman was writing furiously at his desk, encouraging himself as he felt his thinking was clearer than ever before, believing that this policy would be most effective once the military operation began.

The Dutch East Indies Command issued an order, due to sabotage by the remnants of the Indonesian armed forces and abnormal weather, stipulating that the amount of grain needed by the Dutch East Indies is the amount of "surplus grain" that must be requisitioned.

Farmers were required to sell all surplus grain at the prescribed price, in accordance with the quotas set by the Allied Command. The Allied Command implemented a monopoly policy on grain, prohibiting private buying and selling.

Under the dual difficulties of war and natural disasters, in order to ensure that farmers can operate correctly and with peace of mind on the basis of relatively free control of their economic resources, to consolidate the farmers' economy and improve their productivity, and to clearly define the obligations that farmers should bear, it is necessary to replace the surplus grain collection system with a tax in kind as the method of purchasing grain, raw materials and feed.

The amount of tax payable in kind is calculated according to the rural organization, and the rural tax amount is apportioned among the farmers after the farmers determine their production.

To ensure the policy's implementation, allied soldiers will form grain collection teams to enter Javanese villages and collect grain, thus guaranteeing the policy's effectiveness.

The surplus grain requisition system tailored for Java was the result of Koman's, but primarily Soviet, hard work.

This policy, which had a tremendous effect during the war, should not be overlooked. Comando was clever and quickly recognized its value, which could help achieve France's objectives as soon as possible.

After completing the policy terms that represented his hard work, Koeman went to bed with a relieved expression. Meanwhile, Jakarta was not so peaceful at night.

As a long-term Dutch colony, the Dutch East Indies naturally have a sizable Christian community, which can be found not too far away in Jakarta.

The Royal Dutch Army also viewed these Christians as an asset in maintaining Dutch rule over the East Indies, and many of them joined the Dutch army.

Faced with Koeman's orders, his subordinates, who had only been in Jakarta for less than two days, immediately got to work. After surveying the terrain, they made a decisive move and, armed with weapons, stormed into a relatively remote Christian residential area in the dead of night. The short but fierce attack began.

For Borlang, this was also his first time participating in actual combat, but fortunately, Coman's task did not seem difficult.

However, the target of the operation was not what he had originally imagined. It turned out to be the Christian group that the Netherlands regarded as supporters. But at this point, who cared about previous relationships? Since the order was given, he had no time to care about who was right or wrong.

Although it was a military police unit, the Youth Division had participated in the World War. It was true that they hadn't encountered any noteworthy opponents, but when dealing with unarmed civilians, the biggest danger was actually friendly fire. They just needed to be careful about that.

The Christian community was thrown into chaos by the sudden attack. A cacophony of shouts and cries filled the air as some of the injured, unable to move easily, cried out for help to escape. Some of the more fortunate injured received assistance from family and friends.

However, most of the people, because their homes were in remote areas or had already fled, were afraid that they were not fast enough to help them. No one was willing to risk helping them. In the end, most of the injured were abandoned. Some of the stronger ones were able to crawl back a short distance, while the rest could only lie there and leave their fate to their own devices.

This place is no longer safe. If we don't escape, we may be left in this community forever by the attackers.

Fortunately, the attackers did not seem to have any intention of killing everyone; it seemed that they attacked for the sake of attacking, ultimately allowing the residents of these Christian communities to escape.

"We were the first to arrive at the scene, but we did not find any evidence to confirm the attacker's identity."

Borlang reported solemnly to Koman, who was washing up in the morning, "However, we reasonably suspect that it was infiltrators from the Indonesian Armed Forces who planned and carried out this attack."

"That's settled." Koman tilted his head back, chuckled as he finished brushing his teeth, and spat out the rinse water. "Arrange a vehicle; I need to go to the Allied Command headquarters."

Today's Jakarta Daily News reported on the attack, which was prevented from escalating further due to the timely intervention of French soldiers. The newspaper strongly criticized the attackers from the Indonesian Armed Forces and subtly shifted the blame to religious factors. "This has brought profound suffering and division to countless families and societies. We must reflect: why do differences in faith become the root of violence and hatred?"

"Sect conflicts not only destroy homes, streets, and communities, but also destroy trust and respect between people. People from different religious backgrounds should be learning from each other and growing together, but instead, they are driven into confrontation and hostility by narrow-minded extremism. History has repeatedly proven that any violence launched in the name of religion is a betrayal of the dignity of life and the spirit of faith."

"Those acts of inciting violence by exploiting religious differences cannot intimidate the civilized world that represents fairness and order..."

When Koeman arrived at the Allied headquarters, French Commander General Galligny was reading the morning paper. Upon seeing Koeman, he mentioned the previous night's attack, saying, "I heard it was your company that discovered it?"

"Maybe it was just luck. The young men had only been on the boat for a few days and weren't quite used to it yet. They couldn't sleep and were wandering around."

With a slightly bewildered look, Koeman said, "We didn't expect the security situation in the East Indies to be so dire. We must take immediate action, otherwise the turmoil will escalate, and we will not only be unable to solve the problem, but we will also waste our energy, which is not good for France right now. I happen to have brought a policy proposal with me."

General Galeni nodded in approval, then opened the proposal that Koman handed him. Any proposal was flawless on paper and could withstand the test of time.

Written reports are always full of neutral language, and they don't seem extreme at all, even a bit dry. But once they start to be implemented, that's another story.

Koman continued to divert General Galini's attention, saying, "Java can be cultivated year-round, and theoretically, calculations show that it can produce nine harvests in two years, so there will absolutely be no food problems. Our plan is absolutely in line with the local conditions."

General Galleny, of course, was aware of the difficulties France was facing due to its trade with the Soviet Union. He glanced at the document and said, "Then we'll submit it to the Allied Command for approval. But what about natural disasters?"

“This is a standard question,” Koeman said, having anticipated this one. “It can be explained this way: Indonesia, being near the equator, naturally receives far more rainfall than European countries. France is not familiar with the local climate in Indonesia, so it’s natural for them to assume that this caused a natural disaster. This is not our problem.”

In reality, how different is the weather between French Indochina and the East Indies? This is just a convenient excuse in case things don't go smoothly; you know, the US is quite nosy.

Later, General Garrison discussed the matter with the commanders of the British and Dutch forces and ultimately issued an order in the name of the Allied Command to implement the surplus food requisition system. At the same time, a military operation codenamed Operation Provence was launched in West Java, led by the French army. The French army used Jakarta and Bandung as starting points to clear out the remaining armed forces of the Republic of Indonesia in West Java.

The target was the heart of West Java—along the roads and railways leading to Bogor and Bandung—leaving no coconut grove, no village, no inhabited place unexplored.

The departing French troops, Foreign Legion, and Vietnamese National Army dispersed and carried out operations to eliminate all resistance forces along the way and "restore order."

The advance continued. At each village they passed through, a "clean-up" was carried out. Soldiers searched house to house, and men were gathered together for identification.

Sometimes they were met with indifferent silence, and sometimes with cries of grief and anger. Thick smoke began to rise over some villages. Women and children cried out as they clutched their rations, while any men who dared to resist were shot dead.

On another battlefield, shells whistled and pounded the hillside, sending dirt and debris flying. A platoon of the Vietnamese National Army, under the cover of artillery fire, outflanked the enemy. They trudged through waist-high grass, the sweltering heat and mosquitoes of the rainforest suffocating them.

During the firefight, an Indonesian commander was seen brandishing a military knife and shouting something until he was shot down by a burst of submachine gun bullets.

"Spread gasoline and set the mountain on fire." Facing the dense forest, the platoon commander took out the operational guidelines, glanced at them, and then gave the order without hesitation.

At the port of Jakarta, countless cattle were being pushed onto cargo ships. The sheer number of them raised questions about whether this was a place primarily based on animal husbandry.

Koeman crossed his arms and looked at the distant port, his face calm and composed. Lefebvre said with admiration, "The commander has only been here a few days, yet he has already seen through the essence of things."

“If I had arrived earlier, I would have solved the problem much sooner.” Koeman, unashamed of his modesty, readily accepted Lefevere’s praise, then changed the subject, saying, “Being good at utilizing local resources to solve problems is not very common in places like the Sahara Desert.”

(End of this chapter)