The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1793: Chapter 99: Without Telegraph Technology, Belgium Is Doomed! (2)

Arthur was well-prepared for this. As soon as he heard the question, he calmly pulled out his small notebook from his jacket pocket.

”The Brussels-Mechelen railway is approximately forty miles long. If we lay two lines per mile, with four signal stations, two dispatching devices, two backup devices, using the five-needle six-wire system, with batteries and insulating materials for the entire line... plus labor and maintenance budget...”

Arthur listed a few calculations succinctly in his notebook, then pushed it towards Leopold: ”Your Majesty, this is the quote from the England Electromagnetic Telegraph Company, 240 British Pounds per mile, a total of 9600 British Pounds for 40 miles.”

Although Leopold had long been mentally prepared for the expensive telegraph system, he still couldn’t help but be surprised when he heard the price: ”Nearly ten thousand pounds?”

Arthur nodded slightly, pocketing his notebook, and began to speak convincingly: ”Your Majesty, considering that the Brussels-Mechelen railway is forty miles long, we’ve already offered quite a discount. You know the railway line the Great Western Railway Company is building from Paddington to West Drayton? The telegraph line there is quoted at 3270 British Pounds, which is 252 British Pounds per mile.”

At this point, Arthur also reminded: ”Moreover, Your Majesty, I think that compared to Britain, Belgium’s need for telegraph technology is evidently more urgent.”

”Hmm...” Leopold took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair, looking as if he was thinking: ”Why do you say so?”

Arthur casually mentioned: ”I just heard you say Belgium is planning to build five railways, with each reaching the border?”

”That’s right.”

Arthur smiled, seizing the moment: ”Well, if you have the telegraph, you’ll never have to worry about the Dutch again.”

Arthur’s words enlightened Leopold, clearly hinting at the military value of the telegraph.

In fact, when Leopold decided to build a nationwide railway system, he had already taken its military value into account.

It is well known that Belgium had only won independence from the Dutch five years ago, and to this day, the Dutch still insist on claiming sovereignty over Belgium.

Leopold clearly remembered the Ten Days’ Campaign that broke out four years ago. The Dutch army crossed the border and in just three days approached Louvain, while the Belgian command, due to delays in information from various places, could never deploy the correct force. If it weren’t for the timely intervention of the French Army, Leopold might not be visiting London today as the King of Belgium, but rather as a political refugee under the protection of the British Government.

It was precisely because of this that Leopold was very keen on railway construction.

According to his vision, once the railway is completed, should the Dutch invade again, he could deploy 8 infantry regiments to the line of the Meuse River within 48 hours. And the French allied reinforcements could, after marching to Mons, switch to passenger trains and be deployed to the Antwerp front within half a day.

With a smile, Arthur said: ”Your Majesty, if telegraph stations are set up along the railway, once the situation changes, it only takes a minute for an alarm to be transmitted to your court in Brussels, and fifteen minutes later, all Belgian troops stationed in Antwerp, East Flanders, West Flanders, Wallonia, and Liege will receive the message. Within twelve hours, your 14 infantry regiments, 3 ranger regiments, 1 guards regiment, and 2 carbine regiments will complete mobilization and immediately head to the front lines. The rapid mobilization of the army will give you twenty-four to thirty-six hours to react.”

Leopold did not respond immediately. His fingers lightly tapped the edge of the plate, emitting a ticking sound.

He remained silent for a long time, as if reviewing every word Arthur had just said in his mind and weighing its importance.

Finally, Leopold slowly sat up straight, his voice low but no longer vague: ”Sir Arthur, you just said that the telegraph can send an alarm to the Royal Palace within a minute?”

Arthur nodded with a serious expression: ”I pledge on my honor and swear to God.”

”Good.” Leopold finally uttered the word: ”If the telegraph is as effective as you say, I approve the construction of the telegraph line for the entire Brussels-Mechelen railway, with the Treasury allocating 9600 British Pounds and appointing the England Electromagnetic Telegraph Company as the sole constructor. The construction dispatch authority will be jointly supervised by the Belgian Home Office and the War Department.”

Hearing this, Arthur couldn’t help but slightly raise his eyebrows in delight.

Arthur was about to agree, but Leopold slightly raised his hand: ”However, I have a small request. Or, it could be said, a technical condition.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly: ”Please go ahead, Your Majesty.”

Leopold unhurriedly spoke, the King of Belgium reciting as if it were a simple legal text: ”I completely understand and agree with the quote and planning you just mentioned. However, last year the Belgian Parliament passed a new regulation. According to our 1834 Railway Construction Act, to obtain a railway operating license or a long-term infrastructure contract, the constructor needs to establish a legal entity in our country and fulfill local tax and registration obligations. Although the telegraph system is not directly engaged in railway construction, I believe our Government might consider it a part of the railway infrastructure. So...”

At this point, Leopold paused, as if afraid Arthur might misunderstand, and reassured: ”Of course, this does not mean Belgium is rejecting any foreign capital. On the contrary, we warmly welcome the professional ability and construction experience of the England Electromagnetic Telegraph Company. But for the stable progress of the project, I hope your company can establish a new company in Brussels or Liege, and sign the contract in the name of this new company to manage the telegraph line. Only in this way can the Treasury lawfully allocate funds to it, and the War Department coordinate future compatibility solutions between military and civilian communication systems more effectively.”

After speaking, Leopold gave a slight reminder: ”This is not aimed solely at you. In fact, all British companies helping with railway construction in Belgium have done this, and I hope you can understand our country’s business norms.”

Arthur listened to this, the smile on his face not diminishing, even nodding slightly.

He had already heard about some restrictions British companies faced when building railways in Belgium, such as: unless the local railway iron price is more than 10% over the Antwerp market foreign iron price, the steel for railway companies must be supplied by local foundries.

And George Stephenson, the father of railways, co-funded the creation of a joint venture with local Belgian manufacturing companies to obtain locomotive orders from the Belgian Government.

”I see...”

Compared to establishing a branch in Belgium, Arthur was more concerned about not being able to find a market for the England Electromagnetic Telegraph Company’s products, and turning around their unsightly cash flow and debt situation on the books.

At present, the Belgians are willing to spend ten thousand pounds to address the urgent need, and once the Belgian railway telegraph line is completed, it is likely to serve as a model for railway companies in other countries, further driving product sales.

Considering these benefits, agreeing to set up a branch is manageable.

An agreement is an agreement, and since Leopold said 9600 pounds would soon be in the account, it certainly will be.

Arthur, thinking of this, couldn’t hide the smile on his face: ”Many things, if discussed in London, often require going around three streets and four doors, not knowing which one to knock on in the end. But in Belgium, these rules are clear and straightforward, requiring registration or setting up a company as needed... Having clear rules actually provides peace of mind. Establishing a legal entity... Frankly, it’s not difficult. The England Electromagnetic Telegraph Company had already considered setting up an affiliate on the continent, especially in a gateway country like Belgium. From Antwerp, overlooking the Netherlands, from Charleroi, looking toward France...”

Hearing this, Leopold knew the deal was settled.

He couldn’t help but feel pleased, raising his glass with a smile: ”In that case, Sir Arthur, is it a deal?”

Arthur lifted his glass, looking solemnly at Leopold: ”Of course, especially in a country where the Monarch personally takes an interest in the application of technology, the efficiency of getting things done must be significantly higher.”