Chapter 356: Just in Time
Since meeting Welles, owning a steel plant had become a pressing issue for Charles. Although Charles could source specialty steel from the U.S. military at reasonable prices for his tank production, this arrangement didn't extend to Welles' shipyard or free him from the constraints imposed by other capitalists.
The steel requirements for tanks were relatively small compared to warships, so importing specialty steel from the United States, even after factoring in shipping costs and tariffs, was still manageable. More importantly, tank technology came with technical barriers and patent protections.
For example, the "Charles A1" tank was uniquely advanced, with no competition that could surpass it. The French military had no choice but to purchase it. Charles was already improving the tank's engine and had future plans to upgrade its cannon, making it clear that as long as he stayed ahead, companies like Schneider would never match his advancements. Thus, Charles effectively held a monopoly, allowing him to pass on steel costs to the military—even raising prices if he wanted to.
But warships were a different matter.
Welles could build destroyers, and so could Schneider. Welles could manufacture battleships, as could Schneider. The same applied to submarines, torpedo boats, and minesweepers. Technologically, there was no significant gap between the two, so cost control largely centered on the vast amounts of steel needed. If Welles relied solely on importing steel from the United States, he would remain trapped in the cycle of "same performance, but at a higher price."
Thus, to truly bring Welles under his wing, Charles had to "help" solve the steel supply issue.
His thoughts naturally turned toward the 68% of France's steel industry now under German control. If he could reclaim even a small part of this, just a fraction—about one-twentieth—it would be enough to make Brest Shipyard self-sufficient and break free from other capitalists' control.
Of course, Charles' ambitions went beyond just this. Any industrial growth was tied to steel, so the more control over its production, the better.
Tijani found the idea challenging. Examining the map, he located a few steel plants and pointed to them. "The main issue is ownership. These plants belong to the capitalists, and one day, when we reclaim this territory, the government will just hand them back."
It was a bitter irony. Here was Charles, risking his life on the frontlines to reclaim lost territory, only for the rewards to be handed over to capitalists waiting in the rear.
But Charles had already considered this. "That's why we need to act quickly, General. Now is the time."
"Now is the time?" Tijani asked, confused. "What do you mean?"
At Schneider Armament, James was in a conference room, discussing the mass production of the Chauchat machine gun. He felt a surge of pride, as neither Charles nor the Saint-Étienne armament plant had reacted yet, suggesting Schneider had finally gained the upper hand.
"Our current capacity is at most 2,000 units a month, and scaling up further would be extremely difficult," reported Casso, the head of Pito Armament, cautiously. "We're already at our limit."
"Not enough," James said firmly. "We need at least 10,000."
Casso paled. Ten thousand units—a fivefold increase—posed huge challenges in labor, machinery, and facilities. But the worst part was when James added a deadline.
"One month. This has to be done within a month."
"We need to flood the market as soon as possible. Even if Charles develops a better machine gun in the future, the military will have no choice but to buy ours because of the sheer volume we can provide," James explained.
The urgency of the battlefield dictated this. If Charles produced a superior machine gun in the near future, but could only supply around 1,000 units monthly, it wouldn't be enough to meet the demand for hundreds of thousands of units needed for the war. His gun would end up sidelined.
James was hedging against Charles' capabilities, knowing that Charles would likely come up with a better machine gun soon and banking on outpacing him in production.
"But, sir," Casso said, swallowing nervously, "10,000 units… it's just not feasible. Every aspect takes time—building facilities, training workers…"
"We'll use a different approach," James interrupted. "We'll outsource production to other capable firms."
Since the outbreak of war, France had already mobilized various manufacturers—motorcycle factories, car factories, and others with skilled workers and machinery—to produce guns and rifles, filling the massive wartime gap.
"But that would compromise quality," Casso cautioned.
He had considered this option before, but the poor quality of weapons produced in non-specialized plants was already problematic, which could be disastrous for a new weapon.
"That's not the point, Casso," James said, tapping his fingers on the table rhythmically. "The point is volume—sheer volume! Soldiers need to have machine guns in their hands, even if they're not perfect, as long as they can fire."
At that moment, Pauline entered the room and leaned down to whisper to James, "Someone's here to see you, sir."
James glanced at her, surprised. "Now? Tell them to wait!"
Ordinarily, people wanting to meet him had to make an appointment, especially since he was in the middle of a meeting. But he quickly realized Pauline wouldn't make such a mistake, so this visitor must be important.
Indeed, Pauline quietly added, "It's Deyoka, Charles' father."
At the mention of "Deyoka," James frowned slightly—he didn't recognize the name. But when she added "Charles' father," his expression changed to shock. Charles' father had come to visit him?
What could this mean?
Could it be that Charles had sent him to negotiate?
James couldn't sit still. He rose, glancing around the room. "We'll adjourn for now and continue the details later."
He gave a nod to Casso. "Get ready, Casso. I need production volumes."
"As you wish, Mr. James," Casso replied, albeit reluctantly. As head of Pito Armament, he was well aware of the problems with the Chauchat machine gun. Even when produced in the armament plant, it had an unacceptably high failure rate. Outsourcing it to other manufacturers would only make things worse.
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