Chapter 28： navy

The next day Edel and his party came to the port of Constanta and looked at the port work being channelled. Standard Oil’s engineering expert Millard Wiss was guiding the workers’ work as they built several oil pipelines for Standard Oil. According to Millard Weis of the terminal, there are not too many problems with the expansion of the port of Constanta. But for Romania now, the port of Constanta is the largest port in the entire kingdom, and it is responsible for 90% of Romania's shipping. Especially in the current steel plants, most of the raw materials need to be imported from the port, which is not to be lost.

"Hello Your Highness" Millard Wiss greeted Edel and his party with a very American greeting. Edel didn't care about this and directly asked the engineering expert. "How is the progress now?" "His Royal Highness has now cleared the main channel and can enter and exit cargo ships of 30,000 tons. Now cranes and rails are mainly installed, and the cargo yard is about to be completed. It is expected that the port will be fully used in 3 months. "Millard Wise replied to Edel, facing Millard Wise's answer, Edel was still very satisfied.

"His Royal Highness is mainly the navy who has opinions about not expanding the military dock." Millard Weis said about the navy's views, and Edel knew this. Regarding the reorganization of the army, the navy's eyes are red, and it has been proposed more than once to strengthen Romania's weak navy. But now the government financially supports the reorganization of the army is already very difficult, and the request for the navy has not been agreed.

Edel also tried his best to avoid conflict with the navy, so he pushed the matter to the government. However, the Romanian Navy does have too few ships. The largest warship is the unprotected armored cruiser Elizabeth. This cruiser is a training ship built for Romania in 1880 by the Armstrong Shipyard. It is 73.4 meters long, 10.3 meters wide, and 1351 tons. The speed of 18 knots is equipped with 4 main guns of 5.9 inches, 4 104-ton gunboats, 4 47-ton torpedo boats, and other ships. The total tonnage of naval ships is less than 6000 tons, and there is not a large armored cruiser as high as the tonnage. Seeing these, Edel is wondering whether the Romanian Navy has deliberately built such a small ship to avoid the Russian Black Sea Fleet because it can be used in Sailing in the Danube.

After inspecting the expanded port, Edel came to the Romanian naval base, which is the naval pier on the left side of the port, and saw Major General Lomodan, the commander of the fleet surrounded by naval officers in blue uniforms, at the naval base The crown prince and his party were greeted at the door. Before the crown prince came, as the captain of the Blatianu gunboat, Major Midraphael was chatting quietly with the torpedo boat Captain Balbic of the Bogdan.

"Do you think it is possible for the major general to allow the crown prince to agree to increase naval funding?" Captain Albuque asked his friend, "I hope the major general will succeed. You must know that I have not gone to sea for two months. If I don't go to sea again, I am afraid of the crew. I'll be seasick." Major Midraffair was obviously grieved about the lack of increased naval funding.

"You are crazy, your Royal Highness is coming soon. If you complain like this, you will be punished." Captain Urbick said in a low voice, still looking at the crowd around him, obviously he was beating for his friend. cover. Major Midraffa also realized that he had made a mistake. He shut up immediately, and blinked at his friend gratefully. At this time, I don't know who shouted, "The crown prince is here." Midraphael and Erbik, like the other officers, tidy up their clothes and stood at the base gate to welcome Prince Edel's arrival.

Edel saw the group of officers who were welcoming him from a distance. The Crown Prince knew their intentions. This time it seemed that they needed to increase their military expenses.

"His Royal Highness welcomes you." After seeing Edel approaching, Major General Lomodan, the commander of the fleet, stepped forward to greet him and said. "I came here this time mainly to look at the expansion of the port, and by the way, to take a look at our Romanian naval fleet." Edel replied, potentially meaning that you shouldn't even think about it. Major General Lomodan didn't expect the crown prince to be so directly stunned, and the chief of staff next to him quickly stepped forward to remedy it. "This is also the royal prince's concern for the navy, and our navy colleagues are very much looking forward to your Royal Highness's arrival."

Major General Romodan said after he recovered. "This is the expectation of our Navy."

Edel nodded in response. "Thank the Navy for having so much expectations of me."

Edel followed these two tacitly coordinated guys into the naval base to visit. In fact, the Romanian Navy now has two or three kittens, and you can watch this small fleet standing on the dock. Edel still made a relish, listening to Major General Lomodan explaining to himself the situation of Romanian navy ships, but there was nothing to say, so Major General Lomodan finished it in less than half an hour.

"His Royal Highness, please come and sit in my office." Major General Lomodan sent an invitation, and the crown prince knew that the meat show was coming. "Then I also heard that your Commander's coffee is unique, and I would like to taste one or two."

The two soon arrived at Major General Lomodan’s office. Edel looked at the unpretentious office with the Black Sea chart on the wall, and neatly arranged various navy professional books on the shelf against the wall. Edel was there. In the next book, I saw various notes marked in the book, and it seems that the owner here did not read these books less.

"Your highness, your coffee." Major General Lomodan held a cup of coffee and handed it to Edel. After a bit of a stir, the crown prince spoke bluntly. "Major General Lomodan, I know what you think, but the military expenditure is only so much. I understand your wish to increase naval expenditure. But you need to note that the biggest threat to the kingdom now is Russia, and the land pressure is very high. We must guarantee the land. Security."

Facing Crown Prince Edel’s outspoken remarks, Major General Lomodan nodded. As a senior officer, he was very clear about the current pressure on Romania. But as a person who has served in the Navy for 20 years, UU Reading is still obliged to fight for funding for his own military.

"His Royal Highness is also very supportive of the army's reorganization work, but the navy's annual funding is too small to do daily patrols and training. I hope the crown prince can also understand the suffering of our navy." Major General Lomodan began to complain.

"Why can't even patrol and training be done? Wasn't it good before?" Edel also asked Major General Lomodan in wonder. "Recently, the government said that the financial turnover cannot be achieved, so the funds are often in arrears. Now we can only guarantee personnel salaries and equipment maintenance. We cannot temporarily stop training and patrols." Major General Lomodan also said bitterly.

"Go back, I will ask the government to give you the full amount of the arrears." Edel saw that this was not a solution, he could only agree to say that he knew that the government had recently completed the construction of various factories and could pay a sum of taxes. To the navy. Major General Lomodan saw that the crown prince was ready to speak, and he was slapped with snakes and sticks. "His Royal Highness, you see, Russia has recently announced a large-scale shipbuilding plan. Our navy is under great pressure. Can we increase the strength of our fleet?"

Edel understands that Major General Lomodan has too weak pressure on the navy, but Romania has no national power to expand naval ships, so he can only apologize to Major General Lomodan. "Major General Lomodan, you have to know that even if we increase naval funding, you can't protect the safety of the Romanian coastline. Now you can only supply the army as a priority. I'm sorry I can't help you."

Edel talked for 2 hours in Major General Lomodan’s office, and finally agreed to add a cruiser to the Navy in five years. This made the officers outside cheer and thunderous, and Edel felt a little uncomfortable, the navy was still too weak, and a little increase could make them happy for a long time.