Southern Africa was once forced to give up gold from the Rand Mine in order to fight for autonomous status. That history is still fresh in the minds of many southern Africans.
During the World War, the status of southern Africa and the British Empire underwent a wonderful reversal. Britain changed from a creditor country in southern Africa to a debtor country in southern Africa. The self-confidence of southern Africans also reached a new height.
This is also due to the propaganda of the media in southern Africa. After the World War, fish and chips became the British national dish. Compared with the rich food on the tables of southern Africans, the mystery of the British Empire as a suzerain country is gradually losing.
Coupled with London's winter smog, narrow streets, and arrogant Londoners, most southern Africans who have been to London say they don't want to go there again. Under such circumstances, it is difficult for southern Africans to have a good impression of Britain.
How much respect does the empire hold.
Specific to the small details of life, such as throwing away garbage, it further highlights the low quality of some British people. A dignified imperial official is not as good as a little girl in southern Africa. It is really difficult for such a British empire to let southern Africans
How respectful.
When this happened, Hendricks was no longer in the mood for shopping and came to the Rhodesia Hotel. The person in charge of receiving the investigation team was Cruise Lightsey, the public relations manager of Nyasaland Airlines.
"Nyaasaland Airlines has received the telegram from the Lord. We will fully cooperate with the investigation team's investigation. This is some information about this arms purchase. We have provided a total of three quotations to the Air Force Ministry, each time in accordance with the Air Force's
Modifications have been made according to the requirements of the ministry, and the specific contents are in the document." Cruise was fully prepared, and with this document in hand, the investigation team was actually able to return to the UK for delivery.
“Thank you, Cruise, please arrange for me to meet with your Nyasaland Airlines general manager, Mr. Retief, as soon as possible.” Hendricks was in a bad mood, and he had a bad feeling.
Everyone knows the tricks in arms procurement. Large companies like Nyasaland Airlines have their own legal departments, and they can do everything perfectly. At the very least, government officials like Hendrix and others cannot find out what the problem is.
As for the procedures, Hendricks knew that they were completely legal and compliant without looking at them. The main purpose of the investigation team's trip was to investigate whether Nyasaland Air had refurbished the aircraft that were about to be phased out and sold them to the Air Force Ministry. As for the price, it was secondary.
To put it bluntly, under the premise of a complete seller's market, Nyasaland Air has the final say on how much an aircraft is worth, not the Ministry of Air Force. The procurement contracts between Nyasaland Air and various countries are confidential.
, the Air Force Ministry has no right to interfere.
“Sorry, Mr. Retief went to East India and may not be able to come back until a few months later.” Cruise really did not lie. The general manager of Nyasaland Airlines is very busy and cannot stay in Los Angeles all day.
Hendrix was not surprised and went straight back to the room with the information, hoping to find some useful information.
Indeed, I took out the three quotations separately, and each one was fine.
Comparing them together, the problem immediately arises.
Three quotations, the number of aircraft purchased remains unchanged, and the third quotation is a full 2.3 million pounds higher than the first.
If you have no idea about the number 2.3 million, as a reference, the Queen Elizabeth-class battleship built by Britain before the World War had a comprehensive cost of about 2.5 million pounds.
"This doesn't mean anything. The Queen Elizabeth-class battleship is a model before the World War. The cost of the current Nelson-class battleship has soared about ten times compared with the Queen Elizabeth-class battleship. The price of the aircraft is also the same, with better performance.
The corresponding result is a higher price." Colonel Home, the representative of the Air Force Department who followed Hendricks to Los Angeles, said that this is normal. If this can find fault, then we might as well investigate the cost of the Nelson-class battleship and why.
Compared with the Queen Elizabeth class battleship, the number has surged ten times, which seems to be more necessary to investigate.
Hendricks frowned. The investigation had just begun and had reached a dead end. If he continued to struggle with this issue, all procurement contracts of the entire War Department would have to be re-examined. This would be a lot of fun. I am afraid that George V
Neither dared.
"No, no, no, the cost is not the point. The point is the difference between the three quotations. If we follow the price provided by the first quotation, then the total value is only 21.2 million. Generally speaking, the price of the third quotation is
It should be lower than the first quotation, but why is it so much higher?" Jervis, deputy director of the Second Department of the Ministry of Finance, is mainly responsible for the financial budget and budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense and other departments.
monitor.
"And there are some questions that cannot be explained. The price of a leather sofa in my home is only fifty pounds. Why does an ordinary seat on the plane cost 180 pounds?" The more Jervis saw, the more problems he had. The British government's finances were stretched, and the war
But the Ministry is still lavish, and many people dare to be angry but dare not speak out.
This problem has been around for a long time. Ever since the arms race between Britain and Germany before the World War, Britain's defense expenditures began to soar.
Now that Britain has won the World War, its defense efforts have not slowed down. The Admiralty is not satisfied with having built two Nelson-class battleships, and hopes to retire more battleships to make room for more Nelson-class battleships.
You know, some of the battleships that were forced to be dismantled had less than ten years of service and could still be used. However, they were directly dismantled and sold for scrap. The Navy Department got a bunch of new battleships, and the Ministry of Finance got a big hole.
.
"This is normal. The space on the plane is limited. The seats must be specially customized. Our seats are completely ergonomically designed." Cruise couldn't help but interject. He ignored the contradiction between the British Treasury and the War Department, but he could not
Make use of the topic on this issue.
“What?” Jervis didn’t understand.
"Ergonomics is to make the use of tools as suitable as possible for the natural shape of the human body, so that the person using the tool does not need any active physical and mental adaptation when working, thus minimizing the fatigue caused by using the tool," Cruz explained in detail
, we cannot blame the high-ranking officials of the British Empire for being uneducated. "Ergonomics" should have been a concept that emerged after World War II.
Hermanus didn’t understand “Speaking in human language” either.
"To put it simply, it is more comfortable to sit on. For example, the chairs you gentlemen sit on, do you feel any difference compared with the chairs at home?" Cruise has a good attitude. It doesn't matter if he doesn't understand the concept of ergonomics.
Just know that it is expensive for a reason.
As soon as Cruz finished speaking, Hermanus adjusted his sitting posture and carefully felt the difference.
To be honest, I don’t feel it
However, this does not prevent Hermanus from expressing his understanding of ergonomics.
"Indeed, it feels quite comfortable. Even if you sit for a long time, you will not feel tired." Hermanus is a qualified official, and he still has the ability to tell lies with his eyes open. He has just sat for such a while, and
I can understand what it feels like after a long time.
“Okay, let’s put this issue aside for now. Let’s go to the factory to take a look tomorrow?” Hendricks didn’t bother with this issue. Nyasaland Airlines even came up with ergonomics, and Hendricks resigned himself to it.
Hendrix did not expect to find out the problem from the quotation. After the Air Force signed the order with Nyasaland Aviation, it sent representatives to Nyasaland Aviation to supervise the production of the order. Hendrix had to talk to these representatives first.
Talk.
"The production of Nyasaland Airlines fully meets the order requirements, and every production link is subject to our strict supervision. It can be said with certainty that the fighter jets produced by Nyasaland Airlines for the Air Force Ministry are outstanding in terms of quality and performance.
In terms of performance, they are better than the aircraft produced by Nyasaland Airlines for other countries." Colonel Van Wyk, who has been stationed at Nyasaland Airlines since the order was signed, expressed his affirmation of the work of Nyasaland Airlines.
“London is concerned about whether aircraft in southern Africa that are about to be retired will be refurbished and sold to the Air Ministry at high prices.” Hendrix pointed out the key to the problem.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Minister, I don't know much about the situation in this regard. I only know what I see." Colonel Van Wyk paused, then smiled forcefully: "On this issue, I hope that Southern Africa can be like a certain country."
As some people say, sell the aircraft currently used by the Southern African Air Force to the Air Ministry."
Colonel Van Wyk had not finished speaking. Hendricks already understood what Colonel Van Wyk meant.
Each country must be cautious about weapons, and the best products must be reserved for their own armies.
When the British built the battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth, in order to hide the performance of the battleship, they advertised the 15-inch main gun as 14-inch. Such a thing can also be done in southern Africa.
Hendricks could figure it out with his heels. Compared with the fighter planes sold by Southern Africa and those used by the Southern African Air Force, there must be a gap in performance, and the gap is not even a tiny bit. Southern Africans are not that stupid.
It will not work to sell the best-performing aircraft to the outside world, even if it is sold to the United Kingdom, and it will not work even if the price is doubled.
"The Southern African Air Force is also upgrading. They can sell the aircraft that are about to be eliminated to the Air Force Ministry." Hendricks would not give up easily. At this moment, Hendricks sensitively noticed that Colonel Van Wyk brought
A latest diamond watch just released by Eterno.
This watch is not yet available in the UK, but it is sold in the Itno store downstairs of the Rhodesia Hotel. The price of each piece ranges from 1,500 pounds to 1,800 pounds.
Hendrix acted as if he hadn't seen it, and turned around to ask Jervis, and then learned that Colonel Van Wyk's annual normal income plus foreign allowance, the annual salary was about 750 pounds.
This salary is not low. Hendricks served as Deputy Minister of Colonial Affairs, and his annual salary was only 2,500 pounds.
