Potatoes play a very important role in the food structure of southern Africa, potatoes can be used as staple food, can be eaten as vegetables, can be used as snacks, and can even be used to make wine, the key is that the potato yield is large, Abu's biological laboratory has been improving the potato seedlings, now the yield of potatoes per mu in southern Africa can reach more than two tons, the acres here are not acres, but acres, converted, the yield of an acre of potatoes has reached more than 12 tons, in terms of the proportion of population and land in southern Africa, close to potatoes, Southern Africa will never be at stake in famine.

This is something that even the UK itself cannot do now.

If there was no colonial import, it would be very difficult to raise a population of 40 million with the 240,000 square kilometers of Britain proper.

With a population of only a few million square kilometres in southern Africa, it is very simple to feed.

To Viscount Glasdo's surprise, ordinary potatoes were also played with in the hands of Chinese chefs.

Since the fifteenth century, the cultivation of potatoes in Europe has been hundreds of years old, but until now, Europeans eat potatoes are still limited to a limited number of mashed potatoes, potato bread, French fries, etc., and Russians use potato beef stew, which has become the peak of potato taste.

In the hands of the Chinese chef, the potatoes finally shined, all kinds of potato cakes, shredded potatoes, potato chips, fried cooking and cooking changed one by one, and Viscount Grasston ate more than a dozen different flavors of potatoes in one meal, which made Viscount Gladstone addicted.

"The situation in the country is very bad right now, potatoes have become the main dish on the table of many families, the price of meat in London has skyrocketed, the price of food in restaurants makes me feel unbearable as a viscount, southern Africa is very good, every time I come to southern Africa, I have a refreshing feeling, especially the Transvaal and Nyasaland, sometimes I really want to show the MPs who agree with the autonomy of southern Africa, this is what they call the backcountry." Viscount Gladstone couldn't help but complain that the price of the dishes that could make him, a nobleman, feel unbearable, Roque really couldn't imagine how high.

"This should be attributed to the wise leadership of the Governor and the Prime Minister—" Roque still knew what to say at this time, and it didn't cost money to make a fool of himself anyway.

"Come on, Nyasaland has nothing to do with us, I went to Nyasaland before Nyasaland became your territory, and to be honest, I didn't think at that time, Nyasaland could develop to the extent it is today, who would have thought that you would already be able to produce cars and planes - did the Ministry of War contact you?" Viscount Gladstone finally turned the subject to Nyasaland.

"Yes, but the War Department's request is a bit excessive, and I can't agree to it." Roque told the truth, the Ministry of War did approach Roque and tried to get the technology of the aircraft for free, and Roque would definitely not agree to such a request.

After flying over the English Channel, Nyasaland's aircraft toured many European countries.

The show was so successful that both Italy and the Ottoman Empire had already purchased aircraft from Nyasaland and trained pilots, and the British government of course took note of the performance of Nyasaland aircraft.

However, the War Department thinks relatively simply on this issue, they probably think that Roque is a hillbilly who doesn't understand anything, as long as the War Department speaks, Roque will take the initiative to hand in all the technology related to the aircraft, and will not ask for anything in return.

Roque was definitely not so stupid, so Roque directly refused the request of the Ministry of War, even if the person who contacted Roque later was replaced by the Earl of Selborne, Roque did not let go.

It's impossible to want technology, it's simple to want an airplane, take the money, don't say anything without money.

"Locke, don't forget that you're still a viscount of the British Empire." Viscount Gladstone reminds Roque not to forget who he is.

"Of course I know, so when the empire needs it, I will do my best for the empire, but this does not mean that I will unconditionally obey the requirements of the Ministry of War, I am the viscount of the empire, and at the same time the minister of defense of southern Africa, the boss of the Nyasaland Aviation Research Institute, while I serve the empire, I am also responsible for southern Africa, but also responsible for the three hundred researchers of the aviation research institute, about the technology of aircraft, it is not my achievement alone, but the hard work of the three hundred researchers of the aviation research institute, The War Department could not have taken it away with a word, and it would be unfair to those researchers who forgot to sleep and eat. "Roque will also sing high if he wants, and the War Department cannot represent the British government.

"That's right, that's really unfair to the staff of the institute - in that case, you make a price-" Viscount Gladstone stopped playing the emotional card, and simply made a request.

That's right, the "all-encompassing" governor of southern Africa, if it were just for an ordinary military exercise, probably would not have run from the pleasant climate of Cape Town to the humid and hot Okavango swamp.

It's summer in Cape Town, the most pleasant time of the year.

"Four thousand—" Roque's price was neither high nor low.

It's not high, it's higher than Italy and the Ottoman Empire, and the price it sells to the Ministry of Defense in Southern Africa.

Viscount Gladstone's face immediately turned black as the bottom of a pot.

"I promise it's the full version!" Roque emphasized.

Viscount Gladstone's face looked a little better, but not much better.

"We sold it to the Italians for five thousand." Once again, Roque stressed that the price is indeed a little higher, but it is worth the money.

"The Italians are wronged, the empire is not!" Viscount Gladstone viciously emphasized that now the whole world knows that Italy and the Ottoman Empire are on the verge of war, so the price of weapons all over the world is rising, don't forget how the whole world joined forces to pit the old man and the little devil during the Russo-Japanese War, and now it is the same old trick again.

Of course, there are also reasons for the arms race, although Britain and Germany have not yet issued mobilization orders, and the size of the troops has not expanded, but the military materials related to the war have begun to increase production and storage, so the price of weapons has risen, and the arms race also has a lot to do with it.

"I can help the War Department train pilots—" Roque continued to weigh himself on the scale, if Viscount Gladstone had agreed to Roque's offer just now, then that price would certainly not include training pilots.

"You're also helping the Italians and Ottomans train pilots." Viscount Gladstone didn't budge.

"Well, you've got to get a price back, and then we can continue talking." Roque is not in a hurry, and first probes the bottom line of Viscount Gladstone.

"A thousand pounds!" Viscount Gladstone's expression of victory, and he thought that Roque had succumbed.

"Haha, the moon is good tonight-" Roque didn't pick up, there was no need to continue talking about this price.

"Don't think too much, do you know how much the Wright brothers sold the plane to the U.S. government? A thousand pounds is not a lot. "Viscount Gladstone is talking about the Wright brothers.

"You mean that Wright brothers' 'Flyer III'? Let's put it this way, if the 'Gale' of Nyasaland meets the Wright Brothers' 'Flyer III' on the battlefield, I guarantee that one 'Gakura' can face ten 'Flyer III' head-on. Luo Ke was ashamed, anyway, this is also something that Guan Gong fought against Qin Qiong, and there was no way to confirm it.

In fact, it is not bragging, when Nyasaland installed the heavy machine gun on the "strong wind", the Wright brothers were still studying how to solve the problem of flight stability, and now it has only been half a year since the "strong wind" first appeared in Europe, and Roque does not believe that the "Aviator III" can make much progress.

To put it bluntly, the Wright brothers' team is only a few people, but the Nyasaland Aeronautical Research Institute has 300 researchers, and 300 people can't be worth the two Wright brothers?

Just kidding, the Wright brothers are not gods.

Specifically, it may indeed be a bit difficult for one "Strong Wind" to confront ten "Aviator III" head-on, but with the cooperation of two "Strong Winds", it can definitely defeat twenty "Aviator III" very smoothly.

Although Roque has confidence in the "strong wind", this confidence is a bit arrogant in the eyes of Viscount Gladstone, so Viscount Gladstone smiled and raised his glass to Roque, but he did not mean to ridicule him.

This is a real gentleman, at least he thinks he sees through it and doesn't say anything.

"Did the Germans contact you?" Viscount Gladstone asked suddenly.

Roque almost wanted to laugh, it was really not possible to let the nobles come to negotiate business, and he couldn't grasp the key to negotiation at all, this was to take the initiative to give Roque the initiative.

So Roque's expression was a little embarrassed and a little ashamed.

Viscount Gladstone immediately wanted to turn his face.

"No, I did not agree, even if the 'strong wind' is sold to the Italians and the Ottomans, I also demand that the Italians and the Ottomans not allow the Germans and those related to Germany to come into contact with the 'strong wind', and I will send people to Italy and the Ottoman Empire to supervise the implementation of the Italians and the Ottomans." Roque immediately stated that this was the origin of the Military Observer Mission.

Speaking of which, this is the second time that southern Africa has sent a military observer mission abroad, the last time was the Russo-Japanese War, and the medical team sent by Nyasaland to the Far East also went to the Far East in the name of a military observer mission.

"The Germans must not be allowed to get the aircraft technology, otherwise you will be in trouble with Locke." Viscount Gladstone is in color.

Roque nodded again and again, he would definitely not make a mistake in this regard, no matter what Roque thought in his heart, in front of Viscount Gladstone, Roque must also resolutely be born a person of the British Empire and die a ghost of the British Empire.

Wrong, it's Southern Africa.

"But the Germans also noticed the prospect of airplanes, and even if we blockade them, we won't stop the Germans from studying them themselves." Roque still reminded Viscount Gladstone not to be unpredictable, don't suffer a loss when the time comes, it's not good to be crammed for a while.