The wartime emergency procurement regulations are actually due to capitalists fearing they would overplay their hand.
For instance, the Germans are advancing victoriously towards Paris. If the capitalists still greedily force the army to buy equipment at high prices while the army is unable to pay, the final result would be the whole country being occupied by the German Army, leaving nothing for the capitalists.
This is clearly not in the interests of the capitalists.
To avoid this situation, the capitalists finally had a "conscience awakening," believing that during wartime they should be more restrained. Otherwise, it benefits no one. Therefore, they handed over some authority to the military.
"In short!" Gallieni put away the cigarettes on the table, calmly placing them back in the cigarette case: "If the military has a need and the Senate cannot provide alternative products, they have no right to interfere with military purchases."
Gallieni looked up at the two of them, reminding them: "For example, your sidecar motorcycle. It is currently unique, and we clearly have a need for it. It has even proven useful in actual combat! I can list it in the wartime procurement regulations, bypassing the Senate for direct purchase!"
Dejoka’s eyes instantly brightened. This meant orders from the military, and likely large orders!
However, Shire caught the key point in Gallieni’s words: "’Currently unique’? What if it’s not in the future?"
Gallieni fell silent. As expected of Shire, he grasped the key point in the shortest time.
Dejoka, reminded by Shire, immediately realized this was the most important consideration.
"General, can you guarantee our rights?" Dejoka elaborated on the issue: "I’m talking about industrial property. It’s possible for capitalists to bypass or imitate it, leaving us with no recourse! This might force us to sell the property rights!"
"No, I cannot!" Gallieni shook his head.
At this time, France had a consensus: if military personnel also held political power, it would be no different from an emperor, easily overthrowing the Republic’s system to restore the monarchy. They advocated for the separation of powers with mutual checks and balances.
Therefore, politics was a forbidden zone for the military; they could not be involved!
"Then..." Dejoka aimed for a lesser goal: "Can you guarantee to procure our products if imitations appear?"
Gallieni hesitated, then shook his head again: "No, I cannot!"
Dejoka glanced at Shire, then at Gallieni, his face troubled: "General, while we genuinely wish to support you, without ensuring our rights and sales while expecting low prices, we might not survive. So... this might be unrealistic!"
Gallieni responded unhurriedly:
"If imitations appear, we can apply for comparative testing!"
"I’ll take the Hotchkiss Machine Gun as an example. The general process is : we apply to the government, requesting comparisons between the Hotchkiss and St-Etienne machine guns in all aspects. The government randomly selects soldiers from the troops to operate both machine guns in various environments, finally obtaining test data."
At this time, Camille came up with a tray, serving each person a steaming cup of coffee.
This surprised Dejoka and Shire a bit, as their family didn’t have the habit of drinking coffee. If they wanted it occasionally, they would buy it from Osses’ small shop across the street.
Gallieni thanked him, and after Camille left, he continued: "Once we conclude that the Hotchkiss Machine Gun is superior to the St-Etienne, the military can reject the Senate’s proposal to equip the St-Etienne and instead equip the Hotchkiss!"
Gallieni held up the coffee to his lips, gently blowing on it, then raised his chin to look at Shire, his eyes holding a hint of embarrassment: "What I can do is ensure all your equipment is included in the wartime procurement regulations."
Shire sorted out his thoughts and understood Gallieni’s idea:
Once someone imitated it, let them imitate. The imitation would inevitably include some redundant designs to bypass property rights, just like the St-Etienne machine gun, making the imitation unusable.
At that time, simply including both the original and the imitation in the wartime procurement regulations and comparing and testing them would allow the original to defeat the imitation and enter the military gloriously.
After considering for a while, Shire asked again: "But if the capitalists have more advanced equipment and stronger funding, what if their imitations are better than our original?"
Gallieni smiled faintly: "Of course, we choose the better one. We are the military, Shire! The military has always looked at the results!"
This is the reality, so what if it’s the genuine product?
If the imitation defeats it, that just means the imitation has advanced further!
The military follows the "survival of the fittest" principle, especially during wartime!
"General!" Shire continued: "It seems the military hasn’t done much! If our product is indeed superior, you should have included it in the procurement regulations for comparison with imitations anyway. Am I wrong?"
"No!" Gallieni shook his head with a trace of helplessness: "It’s not as simple as you think, Shire. The inclusion of the Hotchkiss Machine Gun in the wartime procurement regulations took a lot of effort on my part!"
Shire was stunned, then nodded.
The military didn’t just have Gallieni; its higher levels had been infiltrated by capitalists to the point of being riddled with problems. It’s not an exaggeration to say they are a community of interests with the capitalists, which is the main reason why the lousy St-Etienne machine gun was so prevalent in the military.
Gallieni was an anomaly in the military. He worked hard to make the military better and more combat-effective.
If it were peacetime, this anomaly would have been kicked out by the capitalists long ago, just like he was reluctantly retired before.
It’s ironic that obtaining better equipment for the military was so difficult, even though it was already produced and within reach. Soldiers hoped to use it in combat, but capitalists were blocking it!
Gallieni looked at the expressions of the two and seemed to understand something. He silently nodded:
"I know this is somewhat imposing, Mr. Dejoka, and Shire."
"This is unfair to you. I’m requesting you to ignore the high prices offered by capitalists, and all I can exchange for is a wartime procurement regulation!"
"But... this is all I can do!"
"If you refuse, I can completely understand. After all, if it were me, I might make the same choice, so..."
Gallieni spread his hands: "It was a pleasure to meet you..."
He stood up, preparing to shake hands and say goodbye.
"I think we can continue to talk, General. Let’s discuss a price both sides can accept!"
Gallieni and Dejoka exclaimed in unison, staring at Shire with shocked expressions.