Chapter 334: Grain Reserves and Immigration
The British were able to complete the design of the 15-inch naval guns in just over two years from 1912 to 1915, and equip them on the Queen Elizabeth-class battleships. Arthur believed that with the fusion of British and German artillery technology, Australasia might also achieve such a feat.
Even if it couldn't be done within two years, Arthur was confident that, within the timeline of World War I, Australasia's technical experts could overcome the challenges of mastering the 15-inch gun technology.
Currently, Australasia was at the forefront of the world in battleship and super-dreadnought development, even among the strongest nations. Such an advantage needed to be maintained, and efforts should be made to continue improving it.
During a cabinet meeting in November, the Australasia government also decided on a new course of action: preparing for a potential European war. The government would stockpile vast amounts of strategic materials, food, medical supplies, military weapons and equipment, and various rare minerals, all as part of its preparation.
As 1912 came to a close, Arthur knew that the time left for preparation was running out. Australasia's golden period for attracting immigrants might only last another six months. If war broke out as it did in history, it would be difficult to attract immigrants after 1913. After all, during wartime, immigrants would be valuable sources for military manpower and could also be used for civilian economic production.
After a war broke out and many soldiers were conscripted, civilian production would inevitably slow, so a large population would be needed to compensate for the loss in manpower.
"Prime Minister Kent, from now on, expand our grain production scale as much as possible. Aside from some necessary grain exports, reduce the scale of exports and increase our reserves of grain," Arthur said seriously to Prime Minister Kent during the cabinet meeting.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Prime Minister Kent nodded solemnly.
"If necessary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Propaganda Department can assist by releasing news about potential food shortages and price hikes in the future, encouraging the public to stockpile grain. If the European war breaks out, the food in our hands will not only bring us considerable profits but also bring more benefits. For the public, stockpiling grain will be beneficial as well," Arthur said with a smile.
The government's stockpiling of grain was intended to be sold abroad during the European war to gain substantial profits. Encouraging the public to stockpile was to prevent them from being forced to buy expensive food during future price hikes.
After all, when food prices increase in the future, Arthur planned to take advantage of the situation to profit from Europe, not let his people suffer.
At present, the prices of grain and meat in Australasia were not high, so stockpiling a reasonable amount of grain would not be a major burden for the public.
After hearing Arthur's order, Foreign Minister Dezer nodded in understanding.
Since the media in Australasia was controlled by the Ministry of Propaganda, which was under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Dezer understood the importance of this task and took it seriously.
Thanks to the royal control over public opinion, the two main newspapers, the Australasia Daily and Victoria News, had a high level of credibility. In addition to these two major newspapers, smaller local newspapers from various states and the government-run national newspapers also had good credibility.
Since public opinion in Australasia was largely under royal control and monitored by the Ministry of Propaganda, smaller newspapers would have a difficult time publishing fabricated stories, as doing so would invite consequences from the Ministry.
As a result, any news published by large newspapers in Australasia would be trusted by the public, especially if it came from the royal family's newspapers, which were seen as reliable sources of truth. If someone were to claim that news published by these two newspapers was false, they would only receive dismissive laughter and be told to "get lost."
More importantly, all newspapers, big or small, were legally responsible for the news they printed. If someone dared to publish false information, especially about the government or the royal family, the newspaper would be shut down, and all involved personnel would face imprisonment.
This strengthened Arthur's control over public opinion. As long as the royal newspapers published something, no other media outlets could refute it.
The day after the cabinet meeting, several media outlets, including Victoria News and Australasia Daily, began publishing reports that due to natural disasters like droughts and floods, global grain production might decrease.
The Australasia Daily even predicted a large fluctuation in world grain production over the next few years, urging the public to stockpile grain in preparation for a potential food crisis.
In response to the news published by the newspapers, the Australasia government announced the next day that, except for some cooperation with the UK and Germany, it would significantly reduce grain exports and increase domestic reserves.
With the government taking action, the people naturally believed it, and they responded by starting to stockpile grain.
Of course, the reason for encouraging the public to stockpile grain was to protect them from the upcoming rise in food prices. Therefore, the government would place limits on the amount of grain each household could purchase.
Theoretically, each household was allowed to buy only up to 500 pounds of grain, to prevent a crisis caused by excessive stockpiling and insufficient reserves.
After reassuring the public that the government would increase its grain reserves and ensure no one in Australasia would run out of food, the 500-pound limit on grain purchases was accepted by the public.
In addition to increasing strategic food reserves, attracting immigrants was also a key topic discussed at this cabinet meeting.
Everyone knew that during wartime, great powers would not allow large numbers of citizens to emigrate. It would weaken their control over certain regions and diminish the country's potential before a war.
Moreover, many people feared war, and they were part of a large population. If no restrictions were placed on them during wartime, it was likely that tens of millions of people would scatter abroad when war broke out.
These people could come from all walks of life, including vital talents. If their departure wasn't controlled, it would show a lack of respect for the war about to unfold.
Therefore, before the war began, it might be Australasia's last opportunity to attract immigrants.
To bring in more immigrants before the war, Arthur issued an order for the Ministry of Civil Affairs to collaborate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to attract immigrants from major European countries, with the support of the cabinet government.
This time, the conditions for immigration to Australasia had been significantly improved, with nearly a 30% increase over previous conditions.
In addition, anyone wishing to immigrate to Australasia would have their travel tickets reimbursed, and the government would provide them with housing and food before they officially obtained nationality.
This new immigration policy, once announced, would undoubtedly attract more immigrants to Australasia.
At this time, many Europeans were looking to emigrate, especially since war seemed increasingly likely. Many peace-loving individuals who did not want to experience the horrors of war were already planning to immigrate to peaceful countries.
Countries like the United States and Australasia, which were far removed from European conflicts and enjoyed favorable geographical positions, strong industries, and economic scales, were naturally top choices for these would-be immigrants.
Currently, the top destinations for European emigration were: the United States and Australasia in the first tier, European colonies in the second tier, South American countries in the third tier, and Asian countries in the fourth tier.
Although the immigration numbers in Australasia had already set new records for the year, no one would ever complain about having too many people.
Arthur's goal for the last two months of 1912 was to attract at least 200,000 immigrants.
The changes in immigration policies made Australasia's appeal to immigrants rise to a new level. But at the same time, the costs of immigration were steadily increasing. To attract even more immigrants, Arthur relaxed the restrictions on where immigrants could come from.
As long as they were from European countries and were white, there would be no limits on immigration, encouraging all European whites to immigrate to Australasia.
To fulfill Arthur's mandate, the Australasian government put in considerable effort. If immigrants had to purchase their own tickets, it would be a huge expense. Therefore, the government rented over ten large ocean liners from Europe to safely transport immigrants to Australasia.
Furthermore, the government not only covered the cost of tickets but also provided food for the immigrants during their journey, further enticing more people to move to Australasia.
Additionally, the government decided to deploy warships for escort duties, ensuring the safety of the ocean liners and the immigrants, while also showcasing the naval strength of Australasia and reassuring European immigrants that Australasia had the ability to protect all of its citizens.
(End of Chapter)
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