Chapter 85 The Diplomatic Delegation from the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Time passed, and soon it was June of 1901.
After months of waiting, Arthur had nearly given up hope on the Dutch agreeing to the immigrant purchase plan.
But to his surprise, a fleet from the Netherlands quietly arrived in Australian waters, sailing from the Dutch East Indies.
Had the Dutch fleet not used signal flags early on to indicate peaceful intent, the Australian Navy might very well have mistaken them for invaders.
The fleet was led by Dutch Foreign Minister Herbert von and the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, Willem Rosben. Accompanying them was an even more distinguished guest: Queen Emma, the mother of Queen Wilhelmina and widow of the late King William III.
Queen Emma's status was highly esteemed, not only as the mother of the current queen, Wilhelmina, but also as the former regent of the Netherlands.
Upon receiving the news, Arthur was surprised and immediately ordered Prime Minister Evan to go welcome them personally.
He also had a welcome banquet arranged and invited his mother, Princess Louise, to attend so she could host Queen Emma on equal footing.
Soon, Prime Minister Evan had successfully brought Queen Emma, Minister Herbert, and Governor Willem to Arthur's estate.
As the royal family's first official residence, the small estate served almost all the functions of a palace—it could host emergency cabinet meetings and entertain foreign dignitaries with banquets.
At the banquet, Arthur finally met Queen Emma, Minister Herbert, and Governor Willem in person.
The exhaustion from their long sea voyage was apparent. Governor Willem was in relatively good shape, but Queen Emma and Minister Herbert looked visibly fatigued.
The banquet naturally divided into two groups. Queen Emma and Princess Louise sat together, accompanied by the mischievous Margaret and Patricia.
On the other side, Minister Herbert and Governor Willem were engaged in a serious discussion of international affairs with Prime Minister Evan, never forgetting their diplomatic roles.
This left Arthur awkwardly seated in the middle, unable to join either side of the conversation. He had to look for an opportunity to politely excuse himself.
Because of this, Arthur didn't know what was said on either side. He wasn't concerned about Evan's discussion—any important matters would be reported to him later.
But the conversation between Queen Emma and Princess Louise was another story. Topics between women were not something Arthur could participate in, nor was he likely to be informed of them.
However, judging from their expressions, the two seemed to enjoy each other's company. With similar status and life experiences, the two women appeared to connect on a deeper level.
After the banquet, Queen Emma was arranged to stay at the estate, while Minister Herbert and Governor Willem were housed in Australia's finest hotel.
Although the hotel was simply a series of converted private apartments for receiving high-ranking guests, it was luxuriously decorated, catering exclusively to royalty and dignitaries. It featured hot springs, fountains, gardens, private meeting rooms, and offices.
After allowing the guests a full day of rest, Arthur invited Minister Herbert and Governor Willem to a formal meeting the following afternoon.
After all, for the Netherlands to dispatch such a high-level diplomatic delegation, there had to be important matters to discuss.
Though the previous night's banquet had seen lively conversation between Minister Herbert, Governor Willem, and Prime Minister Evan, seasoned politicians never reveal their true intentions over dinner.
In the meeting room of the government building, Arthur met Minister Herbert and Governor Willem once more.
After their rest, both men were clearly more refreshed. Governor Willem, in particular, looked fully recovered.
"Your Grace, the Duke of Australia!" the two men bowed respectfully as soon as they saw Arthur.
Arthur was taken aback—he hadn't expected such deference from two senior officials of the Dutch Kingdom. But he quickly composed himself and nodded back with a smile.
"Minister Herbert, Governor Willem, may I ask the purpose of your government's mission? If it's simply about the immigrant purchase plan we previously proposed, a transoceanic telegram would have sufficed. There's really no need for such a formal and elaborate visit," Prime Minister Evan said with a polite smile, probing for details.
A diplomatic team made up of a cabinet minister and a colonial governor, reinforced by the presence of the queen dowager herself, was equivalent to an official state-level diplomatic visit.
And yet, this was the perplexing part. The Netherlands and Australia had no hostilities or conflicts—but likewise, they shared no mutual interests or friendly relations.
In fact, Australia and the Netherlands had some competition in Southeast Asia. While not hostile, their relations were certainly not what one would call close.
Given this context, the sudden arrival of such a formal Dutch diplomatic delegation left everyone guessing as to its true purpose.
"Your Grace, Prime Minister Evan, and distinguished guests, please rest assured," Minister Herbert said sincerely as he stood. "Governor Willem and I are here solely to establish a cooperative relationship with Australia. After learning of Australia's plan, the government and Her Majesty the Queen have quickly approved your country's immigrant purchase proposal. We are very willing to assist with immigration acquisition and are prepared to draft a formal treaty."
Arthur remained silent for a moment, noting Minister Herbert's sincerity.
Though it seemed strange for the Kingdom of the Netherlands to make such a show over something relatively minor, there was no downside for Australia—so the talks continued.
"In that case, Minister Herbert," Prime Minister Evan continued, "may I ask how many immigrants your government is willing to sell us each year? What is the price per immigrant? How will the capture, transport, and international arrangements be handled?"
Purchasing immigrants wasn't as straightforward as it sounded. Moving natives from the Dutch East Indies to Australia required careful planning—not just capturing them, but transporting them discreetly and successfully.
The manpower and resources required were significant, and Australia, with its limited soldiers and naval forces, lacked the capacity to capture and transfer natives on its own.
"We're willing to take on the capture and transportation of the natives ourselves," Minister Herbert replied with a smile. "We can deliver them to any port in Australia—you need only receive them."
(End of Chapter)
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