Chapter 366: "Reciprocity"
"According to the news from New York, the first day alone saw over two thousand people leaving Chicago. In the coming days, that figure might top ten thousand. Given the current situation, we might get tens of thousands of migrants…."
"All right, Thomas. There are plenty of Germans across North America – a group we can't ignore. Your immigration bureau needs to reach deeper into the American heartland, especially rural areas and port cities. We must try to intercept some of them as soon as they arrive in America."
"Your Highness, by 'intercept,' you mean to persuade them to return to Europe?"
"Anywhere but the U.S., yes. Of course, take care not to arouse suspicion among Americans."
"No worries, Your Highness. The American government is practically worthless; it shouldn't pose any obstacle."
"I'm not talking about their government but about the real Americans—the country's big money men who truly hold power. If they find out we're poaching their population, they won't be happy."
Thomas quickly understood. True enough, the federal government might not scare them, but angering U.S. financiers, the real power behind the throne, would be no joke. The essence of the Civil War was that Northern capitalists seized Southern labor, raw materials, and markets. Their hunger for labor never ends. East Africa draining population from America directly undermined that base.
Yet at the mention of "labor force," Thomas's eyes brightened. He spoke up:
"Your Highness, how about restoring the American slave trade?"
Hearing this, Ernst instantly caught on:
"You mean sending our Africans to the U.S.?"
"Precisely, Your Highness. If we lure away U.S. whites, we should reciprocate. East Africa's got Africans in abundance. Could we try shipping them out, as a cover for the people we remove from America?"
Ernst:
"That's a clever idea. But how do we do it? Evading anti-slavery laws is no trivial matter."
He'd long considered funneling out Africans. Now that Thomas mentioned it, perhaps it was time.
Thomas answered with another question:
"Your Highness, have you heard of a place called Haiti?"
"Sure, a small island state in the Caribbean."
Ernst was well aware of Haiti's predicament. It had once been a wealthy colony (the "Pearl of the Antilles"), but after independence, global powers had systematically strangled it. Haiti took on massive debts to France, culminating in perpetual poverty and government dysfunction. Now, in 1871, they were still mired in debt and incompetent leadership.
Thomas:
"You truly know everything, Your Highness. Yes, I propose we use Haiti for our scheme."
"Why not Cuba or Mexico, which are closer to the U.S.?"
"Haiti is a black republic, and crucially, that government is so corrupt that you can buy your way to anything. In short, the Haitian government has no moral scruples. A black-run nation openly receiving African immigrants wouldn't be suspicious; they already renounced slavery, at least on paper. And to the rest of the world, we can claim we're not trafficking slaves but simply transferring them to a black country. No one can accuse us of wrongdoing."
Ernst:
"Agreed, but how do we get Haiti's government to cooperate?"
"Bribe them, obviously. Haiti's presidents have always been short on virtue. Yearly hush money would let us pass a 'Bring Africans to Haiti' decree or whichever department we have to bribe. And if the president falters, we can bribe customs officials. The Haitian administration is riddled with holes—like a sieve—so we can't fail at smuggling people in."
Ernst:
"Indeed, the Haitian government's 'virtue' is…lackluster."
Thomas pressed on:
"We send black Africans to Haiti, forging Haitian identity papers from Haitian consulates. That way our kingdom isn't linked to slavery at all. For added safety, we'll label them 'ship crew and laborers' plus 'relief supplies for Haitian famine.' Once on Haitian soil, it's out of East Africa's hands. We put on a show of shipping a bit of food with them – it's cost-effective compared to letting them remain in East Africa."
Ernst:
"Yes, we burn a bit of food shipping them out, but it's still worth it."
Truth be told, that little 'relief food' might not suffice in feeding these Africans. Likely it worsens Haiti's hunger crisis, but Thomas found it "worth it."
Thomas concluded:
"Lastly—and here's the main point—Haiti can't feed large numbers, so they'll leave. We do Haiti a 'favor' and build a path for that overflow, straight into the Caribbean—and on to the southern plantations of America, making their owners very happy to accept them. We just help them slip across, so they'll sign 20- or 30-year labor contracts, basically re-enslaved but within the letter of the law. They'll scatter across the U.S."
Of course, that means East Africa shoulders the main transport costs, effectively giving away laborers for free. The kingdom must even pay out bribes. But for Ernst, the overall benefit was worth it.
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