The students who played with the model were all amateurs, and they did not know the specific extent of the military's research on aircraft carriers, and even Louis Botha did not know about this information, and the Ministry of Defense did a very good job of keeping it secret.

Aircraft carriers in the era of propellers, in fact, are not much complicated, another time and space during the Second World War when countries urgently need aircraft carriers to participate in the war, a large number of merchant ships will be transformed into escort aircraft carriers, the result is also good, survivability is indeed a little worse, but the advantage is cheap and sufficient, cost-effective very much.

Considering the performance of the aircraft of this period, as well as the British colonies all over the world, Roque's enthusiasm for the study of aircraft carriers was not high, destroyers and light cruisers were already fully sufficient for the needs of southern Africa, and aircraft carriers were only technical reserves, which could not shine until the Second World War.

Roque also has no time to pay attention to aircraft carriers now, just three days ago, Bright Hopkins died of his injuries in London, Hopkins learned the news and fell ill and has been sent to Ziwei Hospital for rescue, Roque is going to return to Pretoria to preside over the Ministry of Defense, and even Louis Botha can't take care of it.

If you don't go, there is only one deputy minister in the Ministry of Defense, Roque, although this ensures the concentration of power to the greatest extent, but the work task is also very heavy, similar to the minister who is unable to handle the work due to illness, and there is no one who can share it.

The structure of the Ministry of Defence in Southern Africa is not quite the same as that of the British War Department, and the six divisions under the Ministry of Defence are responsible for active duty, reserves, logistics, homeland security, budgeting, and veterans' resettlement.

"This year we cut two divisions, ostensibly saving some money, but in fact we have a larger budget because of the resettlement of veterans, and now we have less than 100,000 rand left in our account, and if we don't get more money, then we won't even be able to pay next month's salary." Although Derek Perchens spoke heavily, his expression was relaxed and happy, and Roque had a great ability to ask for money, if nothing else.

After the two divisions were abolished, although there were only 36,000 professional soldiers left in southern Africa, there were still more than 100,000 conscripts at the same time, and although the salaries of these conscripts were not high, they also had allowances, and they all needed money for food, drink, and sleep.

"Apply to the Ministry of Finance." Roque was really depressed, the dignified Ministry of Defense, there were only 100,000 rand left in the account, and Hopkins was really sick.

"I applied, but the Ministry of Finance didn't have the money." Derek Pershings is helpless, the federal government's finances are also in deficit every year, and the budgets of various ministries are barely enough, and it is only October now, so it is strange that the money can be obtained.

Roque didn't talk nonsense, just called Bob Giles directly.

"I'm sorry Lord, the minister isn't here right now—" The secretary replied neatly.

Roque hung up the phone neatly, and then went out and turned left to go directly to Ade.

"What are you looking for the Prime Minister?" Sidney Milner is still a good comrade.

"If you want money, you won't be able to pay your salary next month-" Roque was right, if other departments were okay, the consequences of the Ministry of Defense not being able to pay salaries would be serious, and the army would mutiny.

"Don't get your hopes up, you're the sixth minister to come and ask for money this month." Sidney Milner tells the truth.

"That's okay, just talk to the prime minister." Roque is not angry, it doesn't matter if he can get the money or not, the main thing is to have a good attitude.

It's really not good, Roque still has the last killer weapon of the RAND Bank, but the Ministry of Defense owes a lot of money now, and if you can, you won't borrow.

"That's not going to work, the prime minister is very busy today and can't spare time." Sidney Milner smiled bitterly, Ade's work is much busier than Roque's, and the time of the day has been arranged, if Roque comes to deliver money, then Ade can find time no matter how busy he is, and if he asks for money, he can only make an appointment to see Ade.

"Friction on the border between Nyasaland and the Congo Free State, urgent military situation." Roque didn't lie, friction happens every day.

"Locke, the Prime Minister's work is already busy-" Sidney Milner was speechless, this kind of excuse can be said, it is really worthy of the largest ** in southern Africa.

"Less nonsense, hurry up and arrange." Luo Kecai didn't believe that Ade couldn't even spare dozens of minutes when he was busy, and his work was too busy, not to mention a country, even if it was an enterprise, serious and responsible leaders also had endless work, Zhuge Liang was a leader who was tired to death, and a leader like Emperor Hui who didn't eat minced meat.

Relatively speaking, Ade is a relatively diligent national leader, although he has not reached the level of having to bow down to everything, but he is also exhausted for southern Africa, at this time Sidney Milner's work is more important, Ade's work is arranged by Sidney Milner, if Sidney Milner arranges Ade's time too tightly, it is to exhaust Ade to death.

Roque hadn't seen Ade for a long time, but it wasn't strange, and it was still as familiar as before.

Ade was not surprised to see Roque, and comfortably leaned back in the chair and took the most relaxed posture, his eyes full of disgust: "Tell me, how serious is your emergency military situation." ”

"The Ministry of Defense can't pay salaries, and the army will mutiny, and that's not serious." Roque is not ashamed to say that crying children have milk to eat.

"Yes!" Ade is not worried, if the former colonial servant army is really uncertain, and the professional soldiers mutini at every turn, then they are not professional soldiers.

"Last year's defense budget was 25 percent of the federal government's total budget, what do you want?" You're welcome, the current arms race in Europe was initiated by those war maniacs, and as a result, the whole world was kidnapped and forced to participate in the arms race, relatively speaking, the defense pressure faced by southern Africa is really not large, and the current military spending is indeed too much.

"So we're cutting some of our troops to save the federal government." Roque is true, Southern Africa is in financial difficulties, Southwest Africa and Tanganyika are also in financial difficulties, everyone is gritting their teeth and insisting, and no one dares to be left behind.

"Now the strength of our army, if war breaks out, can we guarantee the security of southern Africa?" Ade's demands are low, Europe is too far away, and even South-West Africa and Tanganyika do not want it.

This can't be blamed on Ade, the whole of Britain doesn't have much concept of land, 9.98 million square kilometers of Canada is said not to want, except for India, Britain really doesn't care about other overseas colonies.

The importance of India is also because of India's human resources.

"Yes, if it's just to keep Southern Africa safe, we don't even need professional soldiers, and the temporary formation of militia groups after the outbreak of war is enough to ensure the security of Southern Africa." Roque confessed that the Northern Rhodesian Division and the 1st Cavalry Division were not intended for South-West Africa and Tanganyika.

"Then why do we need to maintain a large army? If only to support Europe, then it would be enough to form a couple of African divisions. Ade really didn't understand why Roque was so insistent.

"If it's just for the sake of obligation, then it's true that it's enough to form a few African divisions, but if we want to improve the status of southern Africa and strive for greater benefits after the war, then we have to make a greater contribution, and if it's just quantity, we can't compare to India even if it's all soldiers, so we can only find a way in terms of quality-" Roque will not lower the standard, there will be adjustments in the direction, and the reduction of troops is a structural adjustment.

Roque's original idea was to send troops composed of professional soldiers directly to Europe after the outbreak of war, and then Roque found that the cost was too high, the intensity of a world war, the value of elite troops and ordinary cannon fodder troops was actually about the same, so Roque wanted to reduce troops, increase the air force and navy, and provide greater support to Britain at that time.

The Air Force and Navy are indeed safer than the Army.

The Germans have now gone into a misunderstanding in developing the air force, placing the main direction of development on airship units and not paying enough attention to aircraft.

This gave Roque the opportunity, the airship can indeed carry more bombs, and the range is longer, but in front of the plane, the 100-meter-long airship is a live target, and it is too late for the Germans to realize this, and the First World War is more than four years, in such a short period of time, the Germans simply cannot develop an aircraft that can compete with the air force of southern Africa.

The same goes for warships, Roque's positioning of the southern African warships is to escort, the German battleships are dealt with by the British Royal Navy, and the German Navy cannot pass through the English Channel at all after the outbreak of the war, so the route from Cape Town or Walvis Bay to the British mainland is still relatively safe, and the escort fleet has to deal with German submarines, so there is no need for large surface warships, and destroyers and light cruisers with strong anti-submarine capabilities are the focus.

"I don't care how you toss, the federal government will give you 25 percent of the budget next year, but that's all, if the funds are insufficient, then you can find a way to solve it yourself, don't go to Bob, Bob has no money." Ade knows Roque well, and Roque really plans to go back to Bob Giles.

"In that case, we're going to have to raise the war tax." Roque has not yet begun to collect war taxes in southern Africa, and it is indeed impossible to meet the current budget of the Ministry of Defense by relying on the federal government alone.

If you think of Southern Africa as one big family, then the states are family members, they all eat in the same pot, and they always have to pay for food.