Speaking of Du Ping's company, it was fairly well known in Mombasa. Its main business was transporting agricultural products from the Great Lakes Region to Mombasa for export overseas.
However, compared with the several giant grain merchants among the East African state-owned enterprises, Du Ping's small company ultimately had limited clout. Thus, up to now, Du Ping's grain trading company could only take orders from the Middle East or small, poor European countries.
Among them, the several countries on the Italian Peninsula were the most important areas for Du Ping's company. Besides Tekka, Du Ping knew quite a few Italian merchants and had business dealings with them.
The Italian Peninsula was now a particularly explosive region in Europe. Of the three countries on the peninsula, even the Kingdom of Italy, with the best economy, could only barely achieve grain self-sufficiency—and that was with the Red Sea colonies propping it up.
The Papal States and Naples were in even worse shape. Naples, in particular, had become one of the European regions with the most severe population outflow, making an important contribution to the immigration efforts of the nations of the Americas and East Africa.
Even small merchants like Du Ping were aware of the trade risks between East Africa and Europe today. Naturally, the East African government was no exception.
June 29, 1915.
The East African government convened another meeting specifically over this matter.
"Just this May, several of our ships were illegally stopped and searched by British warships. This was despite our deployment of naval escorts in the Atlantic Ocean direction."
"At the Suez Canal, British inspections of our merchant vessels have also become stricter. Clearly, the British are deliberately obstructing our trade with the Central Powers," said John Liar, the Minister of Commerce, his brow furrowed with worry.