Chewing Gum

Chapter 816: Chewing Gum

Vienna Palace

Franz asked in surprise, "France and Russia are drawing closer?"

Franz was not surprised that France and Russia would move closer together. What surprised him was that they were doing so too early.

The agricultural crisis was brewing, but it had yet to erupt. Even a desperate patient grasping at any remedy would only panic once the illness had become severe.

It was still far too early. The French Great Farm Plan was no more than a proposal, while the British Food Self-Sufficiency Plan had not even settled on where its grain would be grown.

Even if they were going to disrupt international grain prices, they would have to grow the grain first.

This sort of indispensable necessity was not like futures or stocks, where people gambled on changes in future market conditions.

Whether the news was bearish or bullish, market demand would not disappear. Before grain overcapacity emerged, even turbulence in the international grain market would not bring any major upheaval.

At the very least, before the major grain-exporting nations abandoned their unified grain pricing, the international grain trade market could not undergo any drastic change.

Foreign Minister Wessenberg said, "Your Majesty, the Tsarist Government had no choice.

"Although everyone could still solve the problem by expanding domestic demand after the agricultural crisis erupted, the Tsarist Government's debt burden is simply too heavy.

"The Russian Empire also severely lacks foreign exchange. Once it loses grain exports as a source of income, its financial system will soon collapse.

"Since the French are willing to let Russian grain enter their domestic market, the Tsarist Government has no way to refuse."

There was no helping it. No matter how much one cut expenses and sought new sources of revenue, debts still had to be repaid—and repayment