Chapter 135: An Unexpected Guest
On November 12, 1902, as the year drew to a close, Australia welcomed an unexpected guest.
At the beginning of the year, the island nation had signed an alliance treaty with the British Empire. The goal of this treaty was to contain Russian expansion in East Asia and to protect the interests of both countries.
In fact, this treaty would eventually contribute to the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War two years later. After defeating Russia's Far Eastern forces, the island nation would gain recognition from the major powers, officially becoming one of them in both strength and status.
However, this had little impact on Arthur and Australia. Australia's sphere of influence was still limited to Oceania; it had yet to even touch Southeast Asia, let alone the distant East Asia.
Still, Arthur had not expected to receive a visit from a delegation of the island nation.
This delegation arrived by fleet, with most of its warships being modern vessels built in Britain. Even the naval personnel had been specifically trained in the UK.
Because the island nation had devoted all its resources to building a navy, its maritime force was now considerable, already capable of rivaling some major powers.
Arthur did not understand the purpose of this delegation but nevertheless welcomed them with a polite smile and had Butler Hunt receive them.
He also ordered the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs to accompany the visitors and discreetly find out the reason behind their visit.
Thus, an unusual commercial negotiation took place in the Australian government building.
The meeting included Australia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Royal Butler Hunt, and the island nation's delegation led by Koichiro Tozawa and diplomatic envoy Toshimigi Hirano.
From the outset, Koichiro Tozawa appeared extremely respectful. Even though his country's strength far surpassed that of Australia, he still greeted them humbly, saying, "Honorable Deputy Foreign Minister of Australia, Mr. Hunt of the Royal Household, please allow me to express our highest respect to Australia and His Grace the Duke."
"Australia has a strong relationship with the British Empire, and our island nation has just signed an alliance treaty with Britain. As the saying goes, a friend of a friend is a friend. I believe we can establish a friendly treaty of our own to strengthen our cooperation," Tozawa said bluntly.
"Mr. Tozawa, we understand your proposal. Could you clarify what kind of cooperation you're referring to?" the Deputy Minister asked with a professional smile.
"Australia is a prosperous and resource-rich mining country. Many of its minerals are exactly what we need at the moment. I propose we establish a trade treaty to strengthen ties between our two nations and help resolve our mineral shortages," Tozawa explained.
Although the island nation had, after decades of modernization, established a reasonably developed industrial sector and begun westernization and its rise, it was still hampered by its geographic limitations. Its narrow landmass and island structure meant it lacked abundant mineral resources, which in turn restricted industrial development.
Take steel production, for instance—a key metric of industrial capacity. While the island nation's steel mills could produce over 50,000 tons annually, and even more if pushed, the domestic supply of coal and iron ore was insufficient. Steel output fluctuated depending on the availability of those resources.
In contrast, Australia was far better off. After just two years of industrial development, its annual steel production ranged between 61,000 and 93,000 tons. And most importantly, its coal and iron ore supplies were virtually unlimited.
In fact, Australia's steel production had already surpassed that of the island nation. While still far behind the major European powers, it was roughly on par with the average European country.
And this after only two years of development—whereas both the island nation and European countries had spent decades getting to that point.
Australia's natural resource advantages were undeniable.
The Deputy Foreign Minister nodded calmly, though his mind was racing.
Before the meeting, Arthur had explicitly warned that the island nation—from its government down to its people—was untrustworthy. Australia could not become its ally.
While Arthur hadn't ruled out the possibility of trade, his tone made it clear that the island nation wouldn't get easy access to Australia's resources.
"Mr. Tozawa, it's true that Australia is rich in mineral resources. However, we are currently facing a serious issue—due to our limited population, our mining output is insufficient. After supplying our own industrial needs, there may not be much left to offer your country," the Deputy Minister said with a polite smile after thinking it over.
"If the issue is a shortage of labor, we can send a team of miners to assist Australia with production. Of course, the extracted resources would still belong to Australia, and your government would only need to pay the miners' wages," Tozawa offered.
With tensions between the island nation and Russia continuing to rise, the possibility of war couldn't be ruled out. And in the event of war, a nation with scarce resources would face serious supply challenges.
Though the island nation had received significant financial support from both Britain and the United States, what it lacked was a close, efficient source of materials.
While the U.S. and Britain could provide supplies, they were far away and charged exorbitant prices.
Australia, on the other hand, was geographically close and rich in mineral resources.
Moreover, Australia had a solid relationship with Britain, and the island nation had just signed its alliance with the British.
From their perspective, Australia was the perfect supplier of raw materials. That was the real reason this diplomatic mission had been sent.
"That won't be necessary, Mr. Tozawa. We will handle our own mining operations. For now, we do not require assistance from your country. However, we are willing to export a portion of our resources to your nation. We're even prepared to divert some supply from local factories if needed. But you must understand—without profit, those capitalists won't yield easily. So, prices may increase. Still, rest assured: the price won't exceed double the current rate, and we'll organize an expansion in production as quickly as possible," the Deputy Minister said with a pleasant smile.
(End of Chapter)
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