Chapter 309: Private Agent Organization
"Richard," whose real name is Augusta, serves as one of the heads of the British branch of the Dark Thread organization within the Hechingen Consortium's Commercial Intelligence Service.
The Business Intelligence Department of the Hechingen Consortium, established in 1866, initially focused on gathering business-related intelligence for Ernst's reference. As the consortium expanded and East Africa's colonies developed, it expanded its scope to include national and regional intelligence. Ernst subsequently created a covert organization called the Dark Thread, which operated under the guise of a business intelligence department but functioned as a network of spies directly under Ernst's command.
Most members of the Dark Thread organization were carefully selected from the Hechingen Military Academy, receiving professional training and demonstrating high loyalty. However, they tended to be young and relatively inexperienced, which accounted for the organization's immaturity, including members like Augusta.
The Dark Thread organization operated secretly within East Africa, housed within the National Auditing Department, monitoring the operations of East African countries. Even Lian Kang Standing was unaware of its existence. While it currently operated privately under Ernst's leadership, it was anticipated that the organization would eventually merge into East Africa's state apparatus, serving as a precursor to the East African National Security Department.
The Dark Thread organization of the Hechingen Commercial Intelligence Office primarily conducted activities in democratically elected countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. These countries were chosen due to their relatively lax control, which was conducive to the inexperienced agents. The organization gradually accumulated experience in intelligence gathering.
Autocratic countries with strong governments, like East Africa, were not ideal for espionage activities, as they risked being exposed. However, it was a different story in older countries like the Far East and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where the Dark Thread organization could infiltrate with relative ease.
Fortunately for the organization, Ernst's intelligence capabilities were limited, and its main activities focused on countries that posed potential threats to East Africa, such as Britain, the United States, Portugal, and France. These nations had colonial interests in Africa or were involved in trade, making them prime targets for intelligence gathering.
In this era, the United States was still a relatively weak nation, overshadowed by the British and French empires. While American businessmen sought opportunities for trade in the Indian Ocean, East Africa was cautious in its dealings with them. It chose to decline proposals, such as setting up trading posts in Zanzibar, to avoid unwanted influence.
East Africa did engage in trade with the Sultanate of Zanzibar, which was considered a friendly neighbor. Additionally, the Sultanate played a pivotal role in East Africa's import and export trade, serving as a key intermediary in markets throughout the Middle East and the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile, in Dar es Salaam city, three Hechingen ocean-going ships were unloading Dreiser gun production machines. These machines, only four or five years old, were relatively new and advanced compared to the equipment in East Africa's arsenal. The parts were sealed in boxes with instructions not to open them until they reached their destination.
Vincente, the technician on board, emphasized the importance of keeping the machinery dry and preventing damage during transport. Bryce, representing the East African government, assured him that they had prepared rainproof materials and ensured the machinery's safe transport.
Vincente also inquired about the progress of the factory construction. Bryce, however, wasn't aware of the specifics but assured him that there shouldn't be any issues. The government had likely planned for the construction and had already informed the relevant parties in Mbeya City, where the factory would be located.
East Africa had a large indigenous population, providing an abundant labor force for infrastructure and industrial projects. This allowed for the efficient development of large-scale ventures, such as the construction of factories and arsenals.
The procurement of machinery was well-timed, coinciding with the Prussian government's decision to phase out outdated Dreiser rifles. Many German military enterprises were facing the need to restructure or close down. East Africa acquired various weapon production machinery and equipment at almost scrap iron prices, allowing it to assemble a complete weapons production chain.
East Africa now had the capability to independently produce a wide range of weapons and equipment, including pistols, bayonets, daggers, and small artillery. While there might be limitations due to low production efficiency and steel production capacity, this marked a significant step toward autonomy in weapons and equipment production for East Africa.