Chapter 16: The Cotton Crisis

Franz was naturally unaware of the concerns of the British, as he was still troubled by the Suez Canal project at this time.

There were two main problems:

First, the Canal Company's extensive use of slave labor had led to public condemnation in Europe;

Second, the construction costs of the canal had overrun, necessitating additional investment.

The second issue was easy to solve, the Canal Company had decided to issue more stocks to raise funds, and the problem could be resolved before long.

Under normal circumstances, it would not have been difficult for France and Austria to suppress European public opinion. In those days, there were not many humanitarians, and few people would stand up for a bunch of Egyptian slave workers.

Moreover, these slave workers were provided by the Egyptian Government, and the Canal Company had paid them.