Chapter 267: The Sudden Change in the German Olympic Committee
It has been more than a month since Arthur's tour began, and even though he had been prepared for this, he was beginning to long for home. After all, Arthur was a new father, and having been away from Sydney for over a month, he found himself missing his little ones.
Once he returned to Australasia's mainland, the rest of the tour became much simpler for Arthur. His control over Australia's mainland was strong, and with the assistance of the Royal Security Intelligence Bureau, he was able to keep track of news from each state. This meant that the tour was now more of a process. It was important for the officials to know that Arthur would occasionally check on their work, keeping them cautious and motivated to continue helping the country develop.
Arthur's inspections focused on three main aspects: the living conditions of the residents in each city, essentially the people's morale and support for the government; the industrial situation around the city; and the agricultural situation. The importance of industry cannot be overstated; no matter what kind of industry, it plays a vital role in the nation's development. Agriculture was even more crucial—"People live by food," as the saying goes. Without enough food, everything else, such as education, healthcare, and industrial development, would be meaningless. In a situation where the people were starving, Arthur could not guarantee what they might do.
Therefore, Australasia's strategy was simple: first, ensure that all citizens had enough food to avoid hunger, and then focus on other development issues. This approach was something both the government and Arthur were doing very well. Although the population of Australasia continued to grow, the government was able to ensure that no one went hungry.
After spending a few days at the Leonora Industrial Base, Arthur finally boarded the industrial railway to return. The Leonora Industrial Base was the most important construction plan for Australasia's industrial development in recent years, which is why Arthur stayed there for several days. He needed to inspect the current progress of the industrial base and ensure that there was no corruption or embezzlement involved—something Arthur absolutely could not tolerate.
If everything went smoothly, the Leonora Industrial Base would become Australasia's largest and most centralized industrial base, and Western Australia would be the country's industrial center. Such an undertaking could not be allowed to be hindered by anyone, as it concerned both the future of the country's development and its fate in the upcoming wars.
After leaving the Leonora Industrial Base, the rest of the tour became much simpler. Arthur only spent a little over a week traveling by industrial railway, finally arriving back in Sydney by mid-December. With the approach of late December, another Christmas was approaching.
Arthur remembered that the previous Christmas had brought the good news of Queen Mary's pregnancy, which had kept him occupied with family matters for almost the entire year. Since returning to the Sydney Palace, his children, William and Anna, were now two months old. Though they could not yet clearly say his name, the baby sounds and their affectionate gestures made Arthur know they were calling him. He had even tried to teach them to say "Dad," but ultimately gave up, as they were still too young to manage such a task.
Just as Arthur was enjoying his time with his children, Foreign Minister Andrew and Minister of Propaganda Grant Wilson arrived to interrupt his peaceful life.
"Your Majesty, the President of the German Olympic Committee has suddenly passed away, and the Germans may abandon their rights to host the next Olympic Games," Foreign Minister Andrew said hurriedly as soon as he saw Arthur.
The Summer Olympic Games had been held four times since its inception, with the number of participating countries and athletes increasing each time. The previous year's London Olympics had broken records for participation, becoming a sensational event that drew attention from much of Europe and the Americas.
Hosting the Olympics brought the host country worldwide attention and could significantly enhance the nation's international influence, which was exactly what Australasia needed at this time. If Australasia could host the Olympics, it would not only increase its visibility but also attract more immigrants from Europe.
"Is the information accurate? What is the International Olympic Committee's response?" Arthur immediately asked, intrigued.
"The news seems reliable, Your Majesty. The Germans have not concealed the news and have already expressed an intention to forfeit their rights to host the upcoming Olympics," Foreign Minister Andrew replied quickly.
"This is good news. The Foreign Ministry should immediately contact the relevant German authorities to confirm if they will indeed abandon their hosting rights. If they do, inquire if they would be willing to transfer the hosting rights to us," Arthur said, after a moment of thought. "This is a great opportunity."
This had also happened in history, though in May of that year. After the sudden death of the German Olympic Committee president, Germany had announced its abandonment of the fifth Olympic Games, which were then handed over to Sweden, who had long wished to host the event.
Arthur had thought that this event might not occur in the same manner, but now, the German Olympic Committee president had indeed passed away before the new year.
For Australasia, there were two positive aspects to this. One was that the time had been pushed back, making the mess worse, and Sweden would have to consider whether they could take on the responsibility. The second was that due to Australasia's strong relationship with Germany, if they chose to forfeit, there was a good chance the rights could be transferred to Australasia.
"This is indeed good news, Your Majesty. I will immediately contact the German sports department and the German government. If it's confirmed that they are giving up the hosting rights, I will officially request the transfer of the rights to us in the name of the government," Minister Andrew responded.
"Yes, get it done quickly. We are not the only country vying for the Olympics. We cannot let someone else take the opportunity before us," Arthur said, signaling to Minister Andrew to act swiftly.
Once Minister Andrew had left to carry out his orders, Arthur turned his attention to Minister Grant Wilson and said, "Grant, if we do secure the rights to host the Olympics, your department will have a lot of work ahead."
Grant Wilson nodded seriously and replied, "I understand, Your Majesty. Rest assured, whether for foreign or domestic publicity, the Propaganda Department will do its utmost to ensure the success of the Olympics and spread the news as widely as possible."
Although the Olympics had already garnered much attention from various countries, Arthur understood that he had to ensure the event was widely publicized to prevent any surprises. If the Olympics were broadcast on a global scale, the participation of major countries would be ensured, creating a political atmosphere where no country could afford to stay out of the competition.
Arthur believed that his Olympics would surpass the previous ones, even if it was not as impressive as the London Olympics hosted by the United Kingdom. However, he was confident that it would at least surpass the previous three Olympics in significance.
"Of course, Grant, I have one more task for you," Arthur said, after a brief pause.
Grant Wilson immediately sat up straight, paying full attention.
"This isn't a major issue, Grant. If we do secure the hosting rights, we will need many athletes to participate. As you know, our sports system is still developing, and many of our athletes are more interested than truly passionate. If possible, I want you to help build up the sports department and establish a complete sports system in Australasia, so that we can be prepared for the future Olympics. Can you handle that?" Arthur smiled and relaxed the previously serious atmosphere.
Grant Wilson breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "No problem, Your Majesty. We still have two years, so it is definitely possible to establish the sports department and train a group of athletes. However, it may not be easy for these newly trained athletes to achieve notable results in the Olympics."
(End of Chapter)
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