Flowers, Swords and France

[Although this chapter is a bit boring, it is extremely important, more important than any previous chapter. Please read it patiently. Thank you. ]

Miss Bovan took Charles to a corner of the gallery where there were fewer people, and then walked away. The inviter stood under a painting, seemingly admiring it seriously.

The banker was short and fat, and looked unremarkable. It was hard to imagine that he was Laura's father. He was not dressed luxuriously, just an ordinary tuxedo, and did not look like a man with tens of millions of francs. But his eyes were sharp, his manners were restrained and steady, and he had his own demeanor.

Charles walked forward steadily, and when he was only about one meter away, the banker finally turned around and looked at Charles with a smile.

"Mr. Treville, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

His smile was very gentle, and he had the demeanor of a man with tens of millions of francs.

"I didn't expect it either." Charles nodded slightly reservedly.

"How is your grandfather doing recently?" The baron still looked at Charles. "I heard that he was ill at the party that night, and I was a little worried."

"Thanks to you, he is much better now." Charles smiled and replied, "I will convey your greetings to him."

"You must be surprised that I came to see you today?"

"A little."

"I am really sorry to disturb your interest." The banker smiled again, "It's just that I have good news that I can't help but want to tell you and your grandfather in advance."

"Good news? What do you mean?" Charles showed just the right doubt.

"Recently, there is a vacancy in the Bank of France for a director. I have recommended the Duke of Treville to the president and others... In my personal opinion, it will be natural for the prestigious Duke to get this seat in the near future."

His tone was very flat, as if he was talking about something trivial, but Charles was secretly surprised.

Oh my God, it's a director of the Bank of France!

After several centuries of development, by the mid-19th century, France's financial system was actually quite complete. Not only was credit in the government and business community very prosperous, but financial institutions throughout the country also made the country an economic whole. What's more, the Bank of France, which has a close relationship with the government, has slowly developed into a giant, and gradually has the prototype of a central bank.

From this point of view, the later famous "usury imperialism" is not in vain.

[The Bank of France was established on January 18, 1800 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the then First Consul. Its original purpose was to be responsible for the issuance of banknotes and help the French economy get rid of the depression brought about by the French Revolution. However, it has gradually evolved into the central bank of France in this era, and then maintained this status until today in the 21st century. ]

The Bank of France has 200 board seats, and the president is also elected from these directors. These directors will hold meetings to decide on major matters. You can imagine how popular this position is - what is a seat in the House of Lords in comparison?

He was able to get this position after stepping down. My cousin is really an extraordinary person! Charles sighed in his heart. No matter how much disgust he had, he always respected and admired his cousin's ability and means.

"I will tell him." Charles forced a smile of joy, "Thank you for your help to the Treville family."

"I have cooperated with the Duke for a long time. He has always been very supportive of our business, so it is my duty to give him something in return. You don't have to be too polite..." The baron waved his hands repeatedly to show his humility.

"You have made so many contributions to the country, what's the point of enjoying a little gratitude?" Charles complimented half-sarcastically.

"No, no, I am old. With young talents like you, the future of France will be more prosperous."

The two of them exchanged politeness. Although it was cumbersome, it was a must in the social world after all.

"Only with the guidance of seniors like you can we young people have room for improvement."

"What can I teach you?" The banker smiled modestly. "It's nothing more than working hard in the financial street for decades."

"Your experience is a valuable asset." Charles continued to compliment, "Your own bank has expanded its business so many times over the years, isn't it worthy of admiration? And... your position in the Bank of France is also very important."

When he heard this, the banker's face was slightly dim.

He shook his head gently, "Important? The people there are all old and unwilling to listen to me. How can I have any position..."

Charles was a little confused. "Which aspect do you mean?"

The banker frowned, as if he was pondering something. After a moment, he spoke again.

"The Banque de France is complacent every year when it announces its surplus. In fact, this is wrong. The more the Bank of France is in surplus, the more damage it does to the Paris business community, which means that it has not fulfilled its responsibilities. The Banque de France We should support commerce in Paris and even France, instead of worrying about the few extra francs we earn. In the final analysis What does the franc mean to it? You can get as much paper as you want... Its mission is to stimulate the economy and serve the domestic economic expansion as much as possible. The government should expand spending and put more currency into the circulation of the entire economy. Among them, the income of our people will also be greatly increased. But, alas..." He sighed, "No one listens to me."

After hearing what the baron said, Charles opened his eyes wide, and he was really shocked.

"The mission of the central bank is not to maintain a surplus, but to stimulate business and the economy! The government should expand spending and increase people's income!"

If this were not 1847 but the 21st century, he would almost think he was standing in front of a Keynesian disciple.

[John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), born in England, is one of the most influential economists in modern Western economics. He founded macroeconomics and influenced political decision-makers throughout the world. 】

And the purpose of his visit to Charles today was also obvious. He was trying to show his favor to the Duke of Treville's family. He just wanted to win over allies for himself, and by taking the credit of sending Duke Treville to the board of directors, he would draw the Duke into his own camp and lay the foundation for the Bank of France to implement his policy proposals in the future.

But selfishness is selfishness, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with his thoughts.

In this era when classical economics prevails, people usually look at the national economy as personal finance. They always seem to feel that every penny spent by the government is a penny less, and the entire economic policy of the government can only maintain Monetary stability and fiscal surpluses.

Read the original article in Liu#9@书/吧!

When the economic crisis comes, business circles in various countries generally believe that deflation is the only cure. There must be a strong currency, a balanced budget, cuts in government spending, and lower wages. In this way, they speculate, prices will probably be low enough for people to start buying again. Then they hung their heads and did nothing, quietly waiting for the end of the economic crisis and letting unemployed workers fend for themselves. 19) years later, this is how the entire world responded to the Great Depression.

It will not be until four full years later that people will think about whether more government spending can be used to promote employment and maintain workers' minimum income during the economic crisis to slowly boost consumption. For the first time, the ideas of Keynesianism were followed, but it was not Keynes’s home country, Britain, that did so first, but the United States and Nazi Germany.

Unexpectedly, in the mid-19th century, nearly 100 years before Keynesianism was implemented, there were people in the economic field who had such a deep understanding of it. It is really amazing.

Seeing Charles' surprised look, the banker couldn't help but smile apologetically, "Oh, Mr. Treville, I'm so sorry. I just said it casually. You don't have to take it to heart..."

He sighed inwardly, it seemed that this young talent was nothing more than that.

"No!" Charles suddenly shouted loudly.

"Huh?" Baron de Beauvain was a little surprised.

"No, what you said makes sense!" Charles beamed with joy, almost forgetting to hide himself, "I think so too. As the main bank of our country, the Bank of France should and must play its own special role. Especially now At a time when the economy is sluggish across the country - perhaps across Europe - we should be even more This should be considered... Think about it, there are so many unemployed workers who have no food and clothing and cannot feed their families. They should be rescued from the perspective of stability if not compassion, otherwise, once they fall into despair, they will give them help. France has brought endless turmoil... Wasn’t this the reason for the disaster that swept through France decades ago?”

The baron looked at Charles as if he knew him again.

This young man is really interesting.

"You are right. Even if we do not consider the welfare of the people, at least for the safety of our property owners, we should give the poor enough job opportunities to survive."

"However, to realize your idea, we still have important problems to overcome." Charles continued to state.

"Problem?" The Baron looked at Charles with some amusement, "Can you tell me?"

"Gold! As long as the currencies of European countries are still linked to gold and other precious metals, we, or other European countries, will not be able to implement the kind of stimulus policy you mentioned, because the annual increase in gold is very limited, and we will not be able to carry out large amounts of gold. Issue more currency, otherwise it may cause currency collapse..."

The baron's eyes lit up.

"Let's go over there and talk. It's too tiring to stand and talk like this." The banker pointed to the sofa in the corner next to him.

Charles followed suit and went with him.

"What you said is indeed very reasonable. The franc is linked to gold and silver, which makes it impossible to implement large-scale currency injection, so it is difficult for the government to spread its construction across the country." It seems that because he has found a close friend, the baron seems to be happy. Feeling happier, he picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Let's keep talking!"

;