African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 1622 The Food Problem
Alaska's location makes it difficult to launch an attack on East Africa without intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers, both of which are currently impractical. This explains why, as mentioned earlier, Alaska's strategic advantages cannot be effectively realized technically.

If this had happened in the late 20th century, Ernst certainly wouldn't have given Japan that opportunity. In 1936, the situation was completely different; even if Japan had occupied Alaska, it would have only been used against the United States and the Soviet Union.

Of course, given the nature of the Japanese army, this could bring disaster to the people of Alaska, but it was unavoidable.

Crown Prince Frederick sighed, "Even if the Empire deploys more troops and advanced military facilities in Alaska, it cannot guarantee the security of the region."

“Alaska is isolated overseas, making it the most difficult place for domestic military forces to reach. Coupled with its harsh climate, it is not suitable for large-scale troop deployments, and logistics is an unsolvable problem.”

Alaska's agriculture is not even self-sufficient, so let alone supporting the military, the local population's food security may not be guaranteed in times of war.

Crown Prince Friedrich's words instantly reminded Ernst, and his expression suddenly turned grim.

"In the coming years, Alaska's development focus should be further placed on addressing its food security issues."

"Otherwise, if Alaska were to fall into enemy hands, it could cause a massive humanitarian disaster, which is not something we want to see."

Although Alaska was considered a "discarded pawn" in Ernst's plans, that did not mean he could disregard the lives of the Alaskan people.

Given Japan's beastly behavior, there is a high probability that Japan would exploit Alaska in the later stages of the war when resources were extremely scarce.

If this were to happen, there could be a situation where the enemy and local residents fight over food supplies, and if the supply lines to Alaska were cut off, too many people would die, which was something Ernst was unwilling to accept.

He said, "Send a message to the Alaskan government, asking them to develop contingency plans for food security in Alaska and to come up with practical solutions to prevent such extreme situations from happening in the future."

……

The directive from the East African government has clearly presented a challenge to the Alaskan government. Food security has always been a major weakness in Alaska, and solving this problem is extremely difficult.

Alaska Governor's Residence.

Governor Delaus was very troubled by the documents issued by the central government. He could only consult with local officials and agricultural experts to brainstorm solutions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there is only one topic we will discuss at this meeting, and that is how to ensure food security in Alaska."

"Although Alaska does not usually have food supply problems, all of this is based on the premise that our connection with the Empire is not severed."

"However, with the current volatile world situation and the escalating security situation in the North Pacific, the confrontation between countries such as the Soviet Union, Japan and the United States may one day turn into a war covering the North Pacific."

"If this happens, Alaska could be in a dangerous situation. Therefore, ensuring basic food security in Alaska even if its connection with the mainland is disrupted is a serious challenge we must face."

Everyone present became somewhat nervous after hearing Governor Drouhorsell's words, because war was a very distant concept for Alaska.

Amos, the director of the Alaskan government's Department of Agriculture, frowned and asked, "Your Excellency, isn't this making a mountain out of a molehill? War is a very unfamiliar word to Alaska, after all, Alaska has never encountered such a situation before."

“Alaska has been peaceful for over sixty years, and we have the Empire backing us. The Empire is the most powerful country in the world, and no country should dare to risk offending the Empire and attack us.”

"Even the United States and the Soviet Union would not go to war with the Empire over Alaska. After all, if these three countries were to fight, it would be World War II, with no possibility of reconciliation!"

Delausser replied calmly, "Director Amos, I did not say that war would definitely break out in Alaska, but only that it was a possibility."

"There are indeed not many countries in this world that dare to offend an empire, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. Moreover, even a country that seems friendly to us may change its attitude due to a change in leadership."

"Just like in the Tsarist era, after they sold Alaska, they did not show any greed for Alaska. But in the current Soviet Union, there are more people with ulterior motives."

"Therefore, no one can guarantee what will happen in the North Pacific tomorrow. More importantly, if an emergency occurs, it will be difficult for the Empire to provide us with support in a short period of time."

"Therefore, we must make corresponding contingency plans to avoid being completely unprepared when an unexpected event occurs. Are you satisfied with this answer?"

After hearing this explanation, Director Amos nodded and had no further objections.

Delausser continued, "I just used the Soviet Union as an example, but in fact, the biggest threats to Alaska are Japan and the United States."

"In the struggle for hegemony in the North Pacific, the United States and Japan are the main players. Unfortunately, Alaska's geographical location is right at the critical juncture of the confrontation between these two countries."

"Whoever controls Alaska will have the dominant position and strategic advantage in dealing with another country."

Currently, there are only two contenders for hegemony in the North Pacific: the United States and Japan. The Soviet Union's naval power is weak, and the Far Eastern Empire is even more frail.

The East African Pacific Fleet is quite powerful, but it only has a presence in the entire Pacific Ocean. In the North Pacific, East Africa has little deterrent effect.

In the future, East Africa is unlikely to have much of a presence in the North Pacific, as it is not a key strategic area for the East African Navy to play a role.

In the long run, there are only two countries that can play a dominant role in the North Pacific: the United States and the Far Eastern Empire. However, this period may span several decades or even a century, until the Far Eastern Empire is revived.

At present, the Far Eastern Empire has no chance at all. For at least the next thirty years, the Far Eastern Empire's naval presence in the North Pacific may even be lower than that of the Soviet Union and East Africa, two non-Pacific core interest countries. "Therefore, the security of Alaska is always a hidden danger. We cannot place all our hopes on the Empire's homeland. For the security of Alaska, we must solve the hidden danger of food security. Everyone can express their opinions and come up with effective solutions."

Doble, an expert at the Alaska Agricultural Research Institute, adjusted his glasses and said, "Your Excellency, to solve Alaska's food security problem, there is no doubt that we must develop our local agriculture, expand food production, and reduce our dependence on imported food."

Governor Delausser asked, "Professor Dobler, please feel free to offer any reliable advice you may have, after all, you are an expert in our Alaskan agricultural field."

Doble did not refuse: "We want to expand food production, which simply means opening up more arable land. The potential of Alaska's arable land has not yet been fully realized."

"I have two general solutions to this. One is to speed up the reclamation work in the lowlands around Anchorage. Although the land and climate in the lowlands around Anchorage are not ideal, it is still possible to grow some cold-resistant crops."

"Then we should accelerate the promotion of greenhouse planting technology. However, the construction cost of greenhouses is higher. But if we are pursuing food security rather than economic benefits, I think it is feasible to promote greenhouse agriculture on a large scale."

"Both of these plans require government intervention to implement. After all, Alaska is not a suitable region for agricultural development. To overcome natural limitations, large-scale projects are necessary."

"Especially for the development of the lowlands around Anchorage, we need to conquer many old-growth forests and wetlands before summer."

"A large number of people and engineering machinery are needed to complete such a large and complex agricultural development project in a relatively short period of time."

Governor Delauth was quite supportive of his proposal, arguing that Alaska's ability to support two million people stemmed from its long-term investment in local agriculture.

It's worth noting that in the 21st century, the United States had a population of less than one million in Alaska. Now, Alaska supports two million people, which demonstrates the remarkable achievements the Alaskan government has made in agriculture.

Of course, in the past, the United States did not attach importance to the agricultural development of Alaska because Americans had better options. Their homeland was very close to Alaska, so there was no need to bother with Alaskan agriculture. They could simply buy what they needed from their homeland.

At the same time, the communication channels between Alaska and the continental United States could not be cut off, so there was no need to consider the security risks of food imports.

For example, in the most extreme scenario, even if the U.S. Pacific Navy is severely damaged, the U.S. can still maintain contact with Alaska via land. Canada, in between, is, to put it bluntly, not much different from the U.S.'s own backyard.

In the 21st century, the United States no longer needed to worry about this issue, because its air transport industry was more developed and it was fully capable of providing supplies and materials to Alaska by air.

With its triple protection by land, sea, and air, coupled with the relatively small population of Alaska, the United States has no incentive to develop local agriculture if it controls Alaska.

In contrast, Alaska, under East African rule, followed a completely different path in its early development. It originated from agriculture, absorbed immigrants from Far Eastern empires, and gradually reclaimed wasteland, eventually growing to its current population size.

This means that the Alaskan government already has experience in agricultural development, and what it needs to do now is to further expand it.

Doble continued, "Agricultural technology is advancing rapidly and mechanization is increasing significantly. Under these circumstances, it is feasible for the government to take the lead in opening up more farmland. Moreover, we do not lack labor; it just requires government mobilization."

After more than 60 years of development, Alaska's population has expanded to two million, which can be said to be the peak of Alaska's population. However, it is impossible to get the current Alaskan residents to participate in land reclamation work through market mechanisms, and the cost is also beyond the Alaskan government's ability to bear.

Therefore, Doble used the word "mobilization," which meant treating the Alaskan pioneering work as a war.

In response, Governor Drouhorsl said with a stern expression, "I will report this method to the mainland. If it is approved, it should be able to be implemented. Do you have any other ideas?"

At this point, Ludwig, the director of the Commerce Department, spoke up: "Your Excellency, I also have an idea that should be very feasible and not too costly."

Governor Drouhorsl's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Director Ludwig, what's your idea?"

Director Ludwig replied, "To solve food security, we should avoid falling into the trap of thinking that we don't necessarily have to produce all our own food. Alaska itself is an agricultural importer."

"Therefore, we can completely solve the problem of food security by stockpiling. This involves two aspects. One is that our government builds strategic grain reserves, prepares a large amount of grain in advance, and stores it. If an emergency occurs, this grain can be used."

Ludwig's method immediately caught the attention of Governor-General Drouthosl, as it was indeed a very effective approach.

However, he suppressed his excitement and waited for Ludwig to finish speaking.

"Then at the grassroots level, Alaskan residents should also be aware of the importance of storing food at home. This will further enhance food security in Alaska, spread the risk to every household, and provide an extra line of defense even if our strategic grain reserves are damaged."

"The former is easy to accomplish, but the latter requires cultivating Alaskans' awareness of food storage. We can guide this through public opinion or simply send government personnel to instruct residents to do so."

Undoubtedly, Ludwig's grain storage plan was more feasible than Doble's agricultural development plan, and could be implemented without incurring excessive costs.

Governor Delauth also provided an in-depth analysis of the two options: "Agricultural development is a long-term investment, and if it can be completed, we can survive even if Alaska is locked down for a long time."

"The food storage plan, on the other hand, is time-sensitive and can only last for three to five years under lockdown. Therefore, the two should be effectively combined, and Alaska's food security problem will be solved."

"Of course, as an overseas territory of the empire, I think it is highly unlikely that it will be blockaded for more than five years."

As a world power, East Africa is not to be trifled with. Therefore, if Alaska is blockaded or occupied, East Africa will definitely try to find a way to relieve the siege, rather than just watching and doing nothing.

Therefore, Governor Drouhoss and others had to consider short-term risks more, which made Ludwig's grain storage plan more important. As for developing local agriculture in Alaska, it was certainly necessary, but there was no need to be so anxious or tense about it anymore.

(End of this chapter)