Chapter 393: This War Is Not Mine Alone

The pirates in Southeast Asia are indeed a maritime force that can be used.

At this time, no matter who they are or whether their identities are glorious or not, as long as they are willing to help fight the Dutch East India Company, they have united front value.

"Liu Shanbang, you will contact the pirates in Southeast Asia." Liang Yao said to Liu Shanbang.

Liu Shanbang has lived in the local area for a longer time and has more contact with these pirates, so it is more appropriate to let Liu Shanbang contact these pirates.

"To contact the pirates, you need silver." Liu Shanbang said a little embarrassedly.

It is possible to let the pirates stand on their side, but this requires money, and their Dagang Company and other Chinese resistance companies have been exhausted after four years of war.

"How much money do you need to buy these pirates?" Liang Yao asked directly.

Liu Shanbang pondered for a long time and said a number: "30,000 US dollars."

Liu Shanbang was worried that if he said too low, the money he got would not be able to sell to the pirates, and if he said too high, Liang Yao would not agree.

"I will give you 50,000 US dollars, and you must make these pirates stand on our side." Liang Yao said very happily.

Fifty thousand dollars is not a big sum of money for Liang Yao.

If fifty thousand dollars can win some helpers, the money is worth it.

Of course, Liang Yao's bottom line is that these pirates are not on the side of the Dutch East India Company. Liang Yao can accept one less enemy without more helpers.

"With this fifty thousand dollars and your prestige, there is no need to worry about not being able to convince those pirates." Liu Shanbang was overjoyed.

"Although the Dutch East Indies authorities have more than 28,000 soldiers, they need these soldiers to maintain order in their colonies in the East Indies, and the troops that can be withdrawn to fight us are limited.

And our goal is to focus on the island of Borneo. Without the colonial burden of the Dutch East Indies authorities, we are not completely without the initiative." Liang Yao analyzed.

The Dutch East Indies colonial authorities have more than 28,000 troops on paper, which does not mean that they can put all their troops into the battlefield of Borneo.

The role of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army is not only the army, but also the colonial police.

If all these troops were withdrawn, the colonial order that the Dutch-Indonesian authorities had painstakingly built up in the East Indies would surely collapse.

Abandoning the islands of Sumatra and Java, which had already been firmly controlled, and investing all the troops to fight for Borneo, which had not yet established a firm foothold.

Liang Yao believed that the Dutch-Indonesian authorities would not be so stupid as to do such a thing as picking up sesame seeds and throwing away watermelons.

In fact, the four-year Lotus War on Borneo Island has already shown that the Dutch-Indonesian authorities do not have sufficient mobile forces, otherwise they would not have to win over the Lan Fang Company to fight against other Chinese resistance companies, and would not have spent four years without taking over the Chinese base in West Borneo.

"The Sacramento Arsenal has stockpiled 60 6-pound Sacramento guns, 35 12-pound Sacramento guns, 10 20-pound guns, and 5 24-pound guns.

As for light weapons, after we temporarily suspended the delivery of the French rifle order, we also stored 2,300 Walter M1851 rifles and 4,500 Walter M1851E rifles." Sartre said.

"There are enough cannons. As for light weapons, let the arsenal speed up production. The French order cannot be delayed for too long, and the French liquidated damages are not a small amount." Liang Yao thought for a while and said.

"Collect some good Springfield M1842 rifles, whether rifled or smoothbore, as long as the quality is good and the guns are usable."

The Dagang Company and other Chinese resistance companies still have more than 20,000 young and strong men under their command. Liang Yao plans to arm the young and strong Chinese in these resistance companies.

It is better to let these local young and strong men take on the heavy casualties in the offensive battle, which can also reduce the losses of the Western Brigade.

Less than 7,000 Walter rifles are definitely not enough to arm more than 20,000 young men. Liang Yao can only collect some Springfield M1842s in stock.

Although Liang Yao doesn't like these old Springfield rifles, the active equipment of the Royal Dutch East India Army is not as good as the equipment of the current American Army.

Before 1830, the military industry of the Netherlands was not backward.

But the fact that the military industry of the Netherlands was not backward before 1830 was based on the premise that Belgium was within the framework of the United Provinces of the Netherlands.

Rather than saying that the military industry of the Netherlands was not backward before 1830, it is better to say that the military industry of Belgium was not backward before 1830.

Before 1830, the supply of weapons in the Netherlands mainly came from the Belgian sun.

In 1830, after Belgium became independent from the Netherlands due to the July Revolution in France, the shortcomings of the weak military industry of the Netherlands became apparent.

Belgium has developed industry and agriculture, while the economy of the Netherlands focuses on commerce and fisheries.

Therefore, after Belgium's independence, the Dutch could not independently manufacture guns and cannons that were not behind the world average.

Of course, the inconsistency of economic structure and economic interests is also the reason why Belgium and the Netherlands finally parted ways.

After Belgium's independence, the Dutch urgently introduced production lines from abroad and established the Delft State Military Factory. In 1848, they launched the first standard rifle in the Netherlands: the 1848 rifle.

The most advanced equipment of the Dutch Royal East India Army is the 1848 rifle.

This gun is a smoothbore rifle fired by a percussion cap, and it shoots 5mm round bullets. It is also called the first generation of Dutch bullets.

In an era when Britain and France were replacing Minié rifles or even breech-loading rifles, the 1848 rifle launched by the Dutch was obviously behind the times.

However, the launch of the 1848 rifle was not meaningless. At least it proved that the Netherlands still had the ability to independently produce light weapons after Belgium's independence. In addition, this rifle unified the caliber of the Dutch native army and the standard weapons of the colonial army.

This was something that the Dutch authorities had never done before.

"Boss, all the guests you invited are here and are waiting in the hall."

When the meeting was about to end, Carnegie leaned close to Liang Yao's ear and said to Liang Yao.

Seeing that everything that should be arranged had been arranged and everything that should be explained had been explained, Liang Yao ended the meeting and came to the reception room.

He did not want to send troops to Borneo, but hoped that this would be a war for all Californians, at least most Californians.

At present, the Dagang Company and other Chinese on the island of Borneo have not yet collapsed, and Britain and France are caught in the Crimean War, which is the best window for sending troops.

If we don't seize the opportunity this time, we will have to wait a long time if we want to get involved in Southeast Asia in the future.

These smart people in the reception room are not as easy to fool as ordinary people.

Ordinary people can stir up their emotions with a few articles and a few photos, but these California dignitaries in the reception room cannot.

Liang Yao and Fremont, Sutter and other core military and political figures in California walked out of the meeting room, and the debate in the reception room was still very intense.

The topic they argued about was whether it was necessary to send troops directly to Borneo Island.

Although Liang Yao sent troops to Borneo Island in the name of hiring armed forces of Umbrella Company, everyone with a discerning eye knew that this was Liang Yao mobilizing the Western Brigade to go to Borneo Island, but it was just a cover.

Of course, this was not the most concerned issue for these California upper-class people in the reception room. After all, the Western Brigade was mainly funded by Liang Yao himself, and it was not their turn to make decisions.

What they could make decisions about was that Liang Yao wanted to requisition their merchant ships and let them organize private armed forces to go to Borneo with the army.

This made many people, especially the non-Chinese upper class in California, hesitant and weighing whether they had the need to go to Borneo. To put it bluntly, what could they get by spending money and manpower to organize armed forces and follow Liang Yao to Borneo.

On this point, not to mention the upper class in California, even the core of the top level could not reach a complete consensus.

Governor Robinson believed that California’s top priority was to develop its own economy, rather than to go on an expedition and fight a meaningless war with the Dutch on an island thousands of miles away.