Chapter 234: 219: Pirate

Chapter 234: Chapter 219: Pirate

Arthur acted swiftly. Once Albert Einstein agreed to stay temporarily in Australasia, the Royal Physics Research Association of Australasia has already started preparations.

In order to better attract talents, all members of the Royal Physics Research Association will receive a salary that exceeds those of renowned European university professors.

Moreover, each member of the Royal Physics Research Association can apply for at least fifty thousand Australian dollars in research funds each year, and also have the privilege to use all top-tier laboratories in Australasia.

With high salaries and abundant research funds, this is the most effective way and means to attract those scientists.

Subsequently, Arthur appointed Albert Einstein as the vice president of the Physics Research Association and assigned the recruitment work to Einstein.

These physicists all have their unique connections. Leveraging their networks to attract talents for Australasia also seems a good strategy.

After entering March of 1907, the famine in East Asia worsened and many regions have seen the frenzy of rice snatching.

Merchant ships traveling between East Asia and Australasia increased, bringing food from Australasia, profiting several to even over ten times of their previous earnings.

Some of these merchant ships were organized by the government, while some went voluntarily. Arthur didn’t hinder them. After all, the royal financial group has already had the lion’s share, letting others benefit somewhat didn’t matter.

But problems arose from this.

In early April, a piece of news from the Royal Security Intelligence Agency was presented to Arthur, completely changing the calm state of Australasia.

The root of the problem has to be traced back to the East Asian famine.

This famine in East Asia covered a wide area. Aside from the native land of the Qing Empire, it even affected areas such as Southeast Asia and the Philippines.

Given such wide impact and severity of the great famine, it unavoidably exposed some evil forces that were previously hidden in these areas.

In the South Ocean region, there once existed an infamous group of pirates, known as Morocco Pirates.

At their peak, they impacted the entire South Ocean and surrounding regions. They were one of the largest nuisances on the seas of Southeast Asia.

Even when the fleet of the British Empire was in its full glory, the Morocco Pirates dared to plunder British merchant ships.

Edward Jones, an English sailor, once discovered Morocco pirates near Malacca and wrote in terror as he sat in a bamboo cage, “Forty-five people were caught by them; some had their arms cut off, some had their legs severed, and I- my tongue was cut off.”

These desperate thieves who dared to attack merchant ships of the world’s strongest country, ran rampant in this area for over a hundred years.

These pirates did not have fixed plundering targets. Anything that could be exchanged for money would not be spared by them.

At this time, Kalimantan Island was ruled by two forces, Northern Borneo Protectorate belonging to the British Empire in the north, and Dutch East Indies Borneo in the south.

Among these two countries, the British Empire has always been severe in dealing with pirates, so the likelihood of pirates appearing in Northern Borneo Protectorate is slim..

However, the situation is different in the southern Dutch East Indies. The Netherlands was a secondary country in Europe, and its population has been overtaken by Australasia.

Add to that the expansive distance between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies, the Dutch rule there is not solid.

Were it not for the colonial powers’ agreement to Dutch rule in this region, particularly the British Empire’s agreement, the Dutch East Indies would have changed hands a long time ago.

At present, there are more than ten local indigenous forces within the entire Dutch East Indies.

Some of these indigenous forces openly submit to the rule of the Dutch East Indies, and naturally, there are some areas that the Dutch East Indies cannot govern..

The group of Moro pirates might also be hiding in areas out of Dutch East Indies’ jurisdiction, quietly developing there.

“Your Majesty, if these pirates are hiding in Borneo or other areas, I believe that the indigenous forces in these areas must know their whereabouts. Perhaps the best breakthrough lies with these indigenous forces. As long as we can ascertain the exact location of the pirates, we can deploy a large military force to quickly eliminate these pirates and save our captured citizens.” Minister Kent continued to suggest.

At the height of piracy in Southeast Asia, almost all of the local indigenous nobles were involved in piracy.

Whether it’s lack of manpower or lack of money and food, they were all one of their excuses to participate in piracy.

Minister Kent’s suggestion is also simple, to start with these local indigenous forces, questioning one after another about the whereabouts of the pirates.

If they won’t tell, it’s simple – If it turns out the pirates are near these indigenous forces, then there’s no need for that force to exist anymore.

As Election Day is fast approaching, and these pirates dared to face-off, they might have to forcefully eradicate them.

“It’s a good idea, Minister Kent. Does anyone else have anything to add?” Arthur nodded with satisfaction, fully endorsing Minister Kent’s suggestion.

This is a more comprehensive and reasonable solution in the absence of exact knowledge of the pirates’ whereabouts.

Next, Arthur and the officials discussed the detailed plan for action for quite a while. The meeting ended only on Arthur’s command.

This incident posed a crisis to the Cabinet Government, but it was also an opportunity for re-election.

If the Cabinet Government could resolve this crisis properly, they would win the people’s favor, and re-election won’t be so difficult.

But if they can’t handle it properly, not only could the re-election plan fail, even the continuation of their political career would be uncertain.

It’s important to know that ensuring the safety of citizens’ lives and property is a promise that Arthur maintains in every speech. If the government fails to solve this issue well, it would also affect Arthur’s reputation.

At that point, government officials would have to carry the burden and take the fall.