＜ The Crusade of Modernization. (3) >
“It’s from the Bank of England.”
New York hedge fund headquarters.
A North American branch of Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Bank was established nearby. However, since the Bank of England was entrusted with 100% of the voting rights, the UK headquarters was a shell, and the North American branch was the de facto operating headquarters.
“Nice to meet you. This is Detroit Morgan.”
Today was a simple meeting.
Before the railroad talks on the infrastructure industry of the Korean Empire, they gathered to kiss each other.
The full-scale talks will be held in Waldorf-Astoria starting tomorrow.
Bank of England.
It is an institution that plays the role of the UK’s central bank and a major shareholder with a 49.9% investment in Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Bank.
‘By the way, the face is familiar?’
I pulled my upper body.
“Where did you not see us?”
“Hehehe, we met in Hong Kong during the Shanghai Panic. Do you remember?”
“Ah! I remember. It was him back then, wasn’t it?”
Shanghai Panic.
long time no hear
“Chairman Detroit’s ranking game was quite a refreshing shock. He tore his invisible hand in front of laissez-faire followers. Haha.”
Contrary to the content, fortunately, the tone was not reproachful.
He smiled and brushed his mustache as if it was really fresh.
“The Board of Directors of the Bank of England is also watching Detroit. It’s not in a bad way, but he’s showing interest in a meaningful move from an economic point of view.”
Keep an eye on the Bank of England.
“It’s an honor. I don’t know where to go.”
“You will be quite comfortable working with the Bank of England in the future. Everyone is more favorable than you think. Surprisingly, we Britons are open-minded in this regard.”
….is it?
Although the centipedes say ‘surprisingly’ with their mouths.
Anyway, it was advantageous, so I nodded my head without saying anything.
“Rather than that, let’s move on to the Korean Empire.”
The railroad environment of the Korean Empire could be defined in one word.
stateless communism.
About half of the Gyeongin Line from Gyeongseong to Incheon was laid, but as the Japanese Empire turned into sashimi, it was torn apart.
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Other than that, a meaningful railroad environment could not be established. In addition, the road conditions for transportation were even worse.
Both need to be touched.
“The good news is that the Korean Empire has a large population. They don’t have money in hand right away, so the utilization rate will be low, but if you can raise the standard of living through industrialization, the sales of railway companies will increase exponentially.”
“Demand creates supply. That’s an interesting point of view.”
“Yes, as more consumers participate in the market and more capital, isn’t it natural for companies to increase their sales?”
That’s why the central bank decides whether to tighten or not by looking at the economic situation of a country.
‘ah. Wait a minute.’
Maybe I misunderstood the times.
This era was an era in which thinking revolved around supply rather than demand-based theory.
But the Board of Directors of the Bank of England seemed quite interesting.
“It makes sense.”
“….Is that so?”
“It is ignorant to say that even the imperialists are ignorant to say they run the economy by relentlessly increasing the supply, because all the evidence to back up their claim is the colonies.”
“That’s right.”
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Overinvestment Oversupply was no problem at all.
why?
If there is no market, you can farm a new colony and open a market to buy goods. Even if the supply is unconditionally expanded, there will be enough demand to support it.
“Don’t worry, I don’t believe in such ignorant logic of the imperialists. I totally agree with you.”
“….Yes.”
“Anyway, the railroad environment of the Korean Empire should be made exclusively for freight rail rather than passenger rail.”
“That’s right.”
Freight rail is not profitable.
If only a few large companies can attract customers, the cargo volume is not a big problem.
“Maybe Macquarie will pay dividends soon.”
Macquarie’s investment, whether necessary or not, must be received unconditionally to do business on the Korean Peninsula.
Under the agreement, it was under British jurisdiction, so we had to cooperate with the British government.
“Why are you telling me?”
“We just got some good news. An iron mine has exploded in Australia.”
A few days ago, the Smithsonian’s geological team on a geological survey to Australia posted a report. The mining company is currently developing an iron mine, so it will be possible to mine iron ore in no time.
“Iron ore will soon pour in. Freight rail fares are guaranteed. And that’s not all.”
can be predicted
Australia’s iron ore map was in my head, so the success rate is 99.99%.
“We also need to build railroads in Australia. You’ll be pretty busy in the future.”
Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Railroads should be laid in Australia as well.
***
New York.
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
The Korean Empire Railway Conference.
“Everyone has gathered.”
Standard Oil, JP Morgan Bank.
The two industry giants held a meeting at the hotel. A large number of subcontractors participated, and Chairman Rockefeller and Chairman Morgan sat at the top of the table.
I sat in the midst of them facing each other. The Bank of England director even crossed his arms in full spectator mode.
I looked all the way around the wall.
“Actually, in today’s meeting, the railroad itself is nothing. Additional railroad projects will become meaningful only when a longitudinal or transverse railroad is laid.”
Infrastructure investment from one step.
“Everyone knows that you have already participated in the construction of the port wharf through the Ministry of Posts and Posts of the Korean Empire in collaboration with Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Bank.”
It’s a hot potato.
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Of course everyone knows
“Now it’s a railroad.”
q
I pinned the map with a fountain pen.
And a black line was drawn in a straight line from Busan to Sinuiju.
“It’s simple, isn’t it? Nothing is easier for a frontier-minded American than this, except for a few ‘minor’ issues.”
The attendees of the conversation looked at me.
They were the railroad directors and the presidents of hoarding companies (usually large construction companies).
I continued to tease my three tongues.
“First of all, the Korean Empire does not have any infrastructure. It is a wasteland with nothing like the pioneering era of the western part of the early 19th century. The difference is that there is no desert on the Korean Peninsula.”
“Five….”
do not like
Instead, there is a severe cold in Dongjang-gun.
“The great thing is that the Qing Empire, the neighboring country, is overflowing with coolies that can be rolled freely with low-level labor. There are a lot of manpower much cheaper than Koreans.”
“ooh!”
The eyes gradually come alive.
Since the United States has been importing coolies on a large scale even across the Pacific Ocean, you must be aware of how valuable the coolies’ labor is.
“All of you who have been here will know what kind of business rights are currently going in and out of the Japanese archipelago.”
Trans-Japan Railway.
A railroad is being built from Shimonoseki to Yokohama.
If these are complete.
“New York Port, Transcontinental Railroad, California Port, Pacific Route Hillline, Yokohama Port, Trans-Japan Railroad, Shimonoseki Port, Busan Port, Gyeongbu Line and Gyeongui Line will be built in a row.”
“I’m sorry.”
Hill, director of the Great Northern Railway, wiped his face with his hand at the name of the route that was named after him, but he ignored it.
Considering the profits he sucked from Hillline, that guy doesn’t deserve that.
The murmur grew louder and louder in the railway conference hall.
“Everyone. A one-pass logistics network is built from New York to China. Do you know how great this is?”
If the Trans-Joseon Railroad is connected, it will be connected to the Dongrail Railroad in Manchuria. The Manchurian East Railway meets the China Transit Railway, which will be completed in a few years.
is that only
It meets the Trans-Siberian Railway.
‘This is the Trans-Eurasia Railway.’
If the Trans-Eurasia Railway and the Atlantic Route connect. Starting from New York, the shortest distance logistics network will be connected in one pass.
global scale.
The international logistics network connects the shortest distance that is close to a straight line through the continent and the ocean.
‘Of course, the Trans-Eurasia railroad is something only me and Sachs know.’
For those of us now, we will be satisfied with just moving to New York and China. If you look at the globe, it is almost a straight line to Beijing.
“Detroit, this wasn’t something we negotiated in advance.”
President Morgan opened his mouth with a smirk.
He swung his tongue at the scale that drew half of the globe in a straight line at once.
But it felt good.
“What is this…New York, San Francisco, Hawaii, Yokohama, Shimonoseki, Busan, Sinuiju, Manchuria, Beijing, Hankou or Shanghai, Guangzhou… Haha crazy.”
bang.
President Morgan slammed the desk and grinned.
Honey dripped from his eyes as he looked at the map.
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Overlap Taiwan and the Philippines.
It will open to the Middle East route via the Southeast Asian route.
China’s 400 million population market.
A market with a population of 10 million in Joseon.
Japan’s 45 million population market.
If Southeast Asia is included, the figure will rise from 600 million to 700 million.
“Morgan, is this how children farm?”
Rockefeller looked at me with his eyes on something strange.
“Child farming? Are you kidding me? This is what my children are teaching me.”
The finance king of New York banged my back and burst into laughter.
“That’s right.”
Rockefeller leaned back against the back of the chair.
“I thought that the golden age of railroads was over with the age of plating. Hasn’t it even started yet?”
tuk tuk.
President Rockefeller looked at me.
“This project, the direction will be entirely up to the chairman.”
“I’ll take a look at my son too.”
“Where did you sell your conscience?”
“I don’t know if there was such a thing.”
“That.”
Rockefeller clicked his tongue.
“Anyway.”
he reached out to me
“I wish you all the best in the future. Detroit.”
I chuckled.
and held hands.
“It is me.”
I dare say
The history of human railways has only just begun.
“Ah, the Macquarie Investment Bank has decided to invest in Australian infrastructure. All rail and port facilities will be newly installed.”
“That means…”
“Please note.”
– Wow!!!
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Oceania.
A frenzied roar erupted at the railway meeting room at the news that a new market had been pioneered.
***
Waldorf-Astoria railway talks are over.
Rockefeller returned to Standard Oil’s New York headquarters. The New York headquarters had a pre-call passenger.
“Detroit. He was crazy.”
Rockefeller undid his tie roughly and sat down in the reception chair. He was rarely excited, but today his heart swelled like it would burst.
“Hey, do you know how long it takes to transport cargo from New York to Hankou, China?”
“Isn’t Hankou an inland region of mainland China?”
“That’s right. If you’re a founding member of Standard, don’t you know how difficult logistics and transportation are. Are you in charge of Standard Oil’s finance?”
“Yeah, you know.”
“I’ll add one more thing, a counter route to the Pacific Ocean. Assuming there is no hill line.”
At Rockefeller’s question, he rubbed his chin.
“Even at the very least, it would take half a year. Even if you’re very lucky.”
The undiscovered Pacific Ocean is vast.
Unexplored inland China was a remote area itself.
Assuming that there is no land transport network on the Korean Peninsula, as previously stated by Rockefeller, there is a time limit on the Japanese archipelago and we have to go only by boat to Shanghai.
‘Going from Shanghai to Hankou without a railroad?’
It’s terrifying just thinking about it
Rockefeller smiled at that.
“But what if the Pacific Hillline is built, a transverse railroad is laid on the Japanese archipelago, and a railroad connects directly from Busan to Hankou on the Korean Peninsula?”
“Wait a minute.”
He drew a map in his mind.
But it was surprisingly simple. Arrive in Busan via the Transcontinental Railroad, Hillline, and the Trans-Japan Railroad from New York.
After that, there is a direct connection to Hankou?
“Would you like to keep it at least?”
“Do whatever you want.”
“Hopefully, I can shorten it by one or two months.”
For a moment the silence subsided.
At Rockefeller’s reaction, he nodded slowly.
“It happened.”
“Yeah, it’s a monstrous masterpiece created by one man.”
“You’re a monster, aren’t you the same American? Let’s call him a genius for spending money.”
“Yeah. That or that.”
Rockefeller looked a little tired and buried himself in the back of his chair.
“By the way, why did you call me separately?”
“Ah yes. There was a reason I called you.”
Rockefeller pulled his upper body.
“You, I remember you were a Presbyterian elder?”
“That’s right. I made some money with Standard Oil and started philanthropy, so I’m starting to become an elder.”
“Do you know a missionary named Underwood?”
Underwood.
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Of course I knew.
From the moment the story about the Korean Empire came out, it seemed that the story would come out.
“Rockefeller.”
“Why are you calling me?”
“A few months ago at Carnegie Hall, a doctor named Avison gave a speech about the Korean Empire.”
The doctor was desperate.
He appealed to the audience of Carnegie Hall, who would become a supporter, about the reality of the Korean Empire with a feeling of exhaustion.
– In Joseon, hospitals are so poor that they cannot be called hospitals. No nurses, only one doctor runs everything.
The tone was calm.
But the resentment and emotions contained in it were exploding like a volcano. I also felt a sense of duty as a doctor.
“It’s a pre-modern country. Rockefeller in such a rough and poor land, it’s surprising that you care. But the logistics you told me about it, I think it’s well worth your concern.”
He had long since stepped down from the front lines of Standard Oil. But he knew Rockefeller better than anyone.
“You want to get valuable information that Underwood’s friend learned while rolling in the rough terrain of the Korean Empire for decades.”
Je Jung-won.
It is a medical facility of the Korean Empire built with the efforts of Underwood. It was a medical institution and medical university that could be called the first fully equipped modern hospital.
“That’s right.”
“Instead, the Presbyterian Church and the Baptist Church are calling for hand in hand.”
“The Anglicans were joined by the British government. The Paris Foreign Missions Church has begun to be put in the hands of the Holy See. Baptists alone are a bit difficult.”
“I will.”
The Korean Empire is a country with a population of 10 million.
Large population on a small land.
Moreover, a country that has declared freedom of religion.
Is there any other missionary object that is as delicious as this for Christian denominations?
The church members who are the target of the mission become faithful consumers of the market.
Build that market as a religion.
“Coming to see me and talking about Underwood means I want to focus on the Medical Foundation.”
“Yeah. It’s hard to find the best institution to attract people as much as the Medical Foundation. May I ask you a favor as my friend?”
Rockefeller grabbed the hand of an old friend and called out his name eagerly.
“Severance.”
＜ The Crusade of Modernization. (3) > end
