Chapter 61: Journey to Germany
"I never expected the British government to help us with immigration," Arthur nodded and said with a smile. "For us, having the immigration plan unopposed by the British government is already a success."
Although Australia couldn't stop the majority of migrants from heading to the United States, it could still attract a share of European emigrants thanks to its own development and friendly ties with both Britain and Germany.
As long as Australia could attract around one-tenth of Europe's total emigrants, that would mean seventy to eighty thousand Europeans relocating to Australia each year.
Is one-tenth a huge share? Not really. Historically, after the establishment of the Commonwealth, Australia liberalized its immigration policy and began attracting migrants on a large scale.
As a result, Australia's population grew from just over 3.7 million at the start of the 20th century to over 19.4 million by the start of the 21st—a nearly sixfold increase.
Over that century, more than 100,000 people immigrated to Australia each year, becoming permanent residents and citizens.
A significant portion of these were Europeans—at least 50,000 to 60,000 Europeans settled in Australia annually.
And all of that occurred without any external support. Now, with Arthur's guidance, Australia had ample development funding, aid from both Britain and Germany, and an expanded sphere of influence that now included New Zealand and British New Guinea.
With no external threats and no internal chaos, Australia was in a golden period of development. In the eyes of Europeans, this made Australia even more attractive—perhaps even more than it had been historically.
The three ministers all nodded in agreement with Arthur's perspective.
As long as the British government didn't interfere with Australia's immigration policies, Arthur's popularity among the British public alone could slightly boost the number of British migrants heading to Australia.
And Arthur still had many aces up his sleeve. After all, Australia's development had only just begun.
On December 11, 1900, witnessed by numerous media outlets and the British public, the British Empire and the Australian government signed a treaty for aid to Australia, which took effect the very next day and would last for ten full years.
Because it bore the signatures of both Edward VII and Arthur, the treaty held formal legal authority.
To honor Queen Victoria's contribution to this agreement, Arthur proposed naming the treaty: "Treaty of Assistance to Australia Based on the Will of Queen Victoria at the Isle of Wight," officially abbreviated as the Anglo-Australian "Isle of Wight Treaty."
Since this treaty did not include any military or diplomatic obligations—only terms for financial, material, and equipment aid from Britain to Australia—it was largely overlooked by other countries. It was viewed merely as a demonstration of Britain's support to a friendly state within its sphere of influence.
The reason for incorporating the Isle of Wight and Queen Victoria's name in the treaty was twofold. First, it genuinely stemmed from Queen Victoria's will—without her instructions, Britain would not have agreed to such a treaty. Second, it used Queen Victoria's lingering prestige to grant the treaty greater legitimacy.
Even if Britain changed monarchs in the future, this treaty was likely to be honored in full.
Edward VII agreed to this naming in part due to his own intentions. Referring to Queen Victoria's will once more was a way to remind the British public that their new king was faithfully carrying out her final wishes—an act that conveniently won him additional public favor.
With different motives but aligned interests, the two monarchs reached a brief consensus on the naming of the treaty.
With the treaty signed, the diplomatic mission in Britain had achieved complete success, and there was no need to linger.
Thus, Arthur led the Australian delegation away—despite Edward VII's "reluctant and heartfelt" attempts to keep them—and decisively headed for their next destination: the German Empire.
Thanks to media coverage, the British public was somewhat moved, interpreting Arthur's departure as a necessary sacrifice for state affairs, even though he longed for the homeland he had just left behind.
While there were no tangible benefits from this, Arthur's public image improved slightly, and more people sympathized with his situation.
Such is the power of controlling public opinion. Even a few small British newspapers, in key moments, could wield notable influence.
Since Berlin, the capital of the German Empire, is located inland in Central Europe, the fleet had to dock at the German port of Hamburg before continuing by land.
Because Wilhelm II had been notified in advance, a welcoming party was already waiting at the port when Australia's fleet arrived.
Calling it a "delegation" might have been a stretch—Australia had no major international reputation yet, and it would have been awkward to send high-ranking German officials to greet them.
To show respect, Wilhelm II sent his son, Crown Prince Wilhelm, to meet them.
As the heir to the German Empire, Crown Prince Wilhelm's status and rank were certainly appropriate.
Also, since he was close in age to Arthur, Wilhelm II naturally believed that the two would get along well.
At this time, the Crown Prince was receiving military training in Potsdam and was regarded by Wilhelm II as a satisfactory successor.
As Arthur and the delegation stepped onto the port in Hamburg, Crown Prince Wilhelm walked up with a smile, showing no sign of arrogance: "Your Highness Arthur, welcome to Germany!"
Technically, Arthur was Crown Prince Wilhelm's grand-uncle. But due to the Crown Prince's noble status, it would have been inappropriate for him to call Arthur "uncle" in public. "Your Highness" was a respectful compromise—it showed deference while preserving his own dignity.
"Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince," Arthur replied politely with a smile and a nod.
"I had planned to take Your Highness on a tour of Hamburg before heading to Berlin, but my father is urging haste, so I'll have to take you directly to Berlin first. Once everything is settled, I'll personally show you the beauty of Germany," the Crown Prince said apologetically.
Both Wilhelm II and Arthur wanted to start negotiations and sign the treaty as soon as possible.
As a result, after docking in Hamburg, Arthur and his delegation had to depart immediately by land for Berlin.
Only by doing so could they reach Berlin within the expected timeframe and officially begin talks with Germany.
"No problem at all, Your Highness. In fact, getting to Berlin quickly is exactly what I was hoping for," Arthur said with a smile and a shake of his head.
(End of Chapter)
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