Chapter 327: Nikola Tesla
In September 1912, with a command from Arthur, the Department of Sports in Australasia was officially established, temporarily managed under the Civil Affairs Department.
This meant that the position of Minister of Sports held a political rank similar to that of a mayor, but was still part of the government's Civil Affairs sector.
Arthur's intention behind establishing the Department of Sports was not only to fulfill the promise he had made to the Minister of Propaganda, Grant, by recommending someone for the position of Minister of Sports, but also to further formalize the development of the sports industry in Australasia.
After the Sydney Olympics, many people in Australasia had already shown an interest in sports. With Arthur's encouragement, various sports associations began to emerge within a short period of time. From athletics and swimming to shooting and football, various sports associations required a more formal department to manage them.
After all, sports in this era were highly susceptible to political influence, and could also significantly affect politics.
Arthur's first step was to establish the Department of Sports, and the next step would be to organize various sports events, positioning Australasia's sports development among the world's leaders.
In fact, Arthur's confidence stemmed from the fact that the development of sports worldwide was still in its infancy.
Countries with better conditions, like the great powers, could allocate funds to build training grounds and improve athletes' meals. Countries with fewer resources might rely on temporary recruits for athletes, with varying levels of training, some of whom might have been selected simply out of curiosity.
This is why the question of whether the host country of the Olympics would cover travel expenses played a crucial role in determining whether countries would participate.
If this opportunity could be seized, and Australasia could develop its sports industry to maintain a strong sports nation status, it would not only create many new forms of entertainment for the common people of Australasia, but sports would also become extremely important for Australasia during times of peace.
In the future, Australasia's own sports events would gain prestige, bringing recognition and popularity while generating substantial revenue from these sports leagues.
The huge attention that football and basketball leagues receive in later years shows that once Australasia becomes a leader in these sports, it will never lack fame or wealth.
Although basketball had already been invented, its influence and fame were nothing compared to football. At least in the case of football, conditions had already been met to create international competitions. If Australasia could seize this opportunity and host the Australasia Cup, it might even have a share of the football scene.
Of course, the specific planning for the Department of Sports would have to be handled by the future Minister of Sports.
Arthur had a general framework and vision for the development of the Department of Sports, but the specifics of how to implement them would depend on the efforts of the department.
After consulting with Minister Grant, he recommended a candidate for the Department of Sports: Harry McDowell.
Harry McDowell was an important figure in the United Party, with some experience in sports management, so he was not completely inexperienced in the field.
More importantly, as a candidate from the same United Party as Minister Grant, if Harry McDowell became the Minister of Sports, it would further strengthen the United Party's power.
Arthur had expected Minister Grant to recommend one of his own people and did not mind at all. For Arthur, as long as the United Party was under his control, who became the Minister of Sports was of no concern.
After giving his nod, McDowell's appointment as the new Minister of Sports was nearly a done deal.
Following the official announcement from the government, Harry McDowell formally took office as the Minister of Sports and began to implement various reforms and improvements in sports across Australasia.
At Arthur's suggestion, Harry McDowell was already preparing to host the first football tournament in Australasia, the Australasian King's Cup.
It was expected to be held in 1914 and then every four years thereafter, becoming the most prestigious and largest football event in Australasia.
If all goes as planned, the first Australasian King's Cup will take place at the National Stadium of Australasia, a large venue that can accommodate 50,000 spectators.
Arthur was looking forward to this new event, and the scale of the Australasian King's Cup would be international, making it a global football competition.
The specifics of the event's organization would be entrusted to the Department of Sports and Harry McDowell.
Arthur was content to relax and wait for the results of the department's planning.
As time moved into mid-September, tourists from Europe and all over the world not only hadn't decreased, but their numbers were still on the rise.
This increase in tourists also posed a challenge to the public safety in Australasia. This led many of the police officers originally deployed to maintain order during the Olympics in Sydney to remain there and continue their duties.
The Minister of Public Safety, Robert, had to be one of the busiest ministers during this period. With so many foreign tourists, the safety of these visitors and the social order became the greatest challenge for the Australasian government.
No one could afford to make any mistakes during this time, as it could affect Australasia's international reputation and its ability to attract immigrants.
It was well known that Arthur placed great importance on Australasia's international reputation and its ability to attract immigrants, which directly determined the number of immigrants the country could attract.
If there were issues with public safety, it would not only draw attention and accountability both domestically and internationally but could also bring down Arthur's wrath.
Not just in Sydney, but many of Australasia's famous tourist destinations had additional police patrols deployed to prevent any accidents.
Taking advantage of the increase in foreign tourists, Arthur tasked the Royal Security and Intelligence Bureau with monitoring the foreign visitors, particularly focusing on whether any of them were well-known scientists, physicists, chemists, or other intellectuals from Europe or America.
If any were found, Arthur instructed the Bureau to notify him immediately and try to recruit them.
After all, anyone who could afford international travel, besides aristocrats and capitalists, were very likely to be renowned experts or professionals.
Talented individuals were often highly compensated. For example, renowned physicists and chemists in Europe would easily earn salaries exceeding several hundred or even a thousand pounds if they worked for their respective countries.
Even a prominent professor at a university could accumulate an income exceeding a thousand pounds, which would more than cover the cost of international travel, since these individuals were part of the upper class.
If such talent were to come to Australasia, it would be a missed opportunity not to recruit them.
Arthur had an extreme desire for talent. If it weren't for Australasia's longstanding emphasis on talent and Arthur's willingness to spend large sums to recruit intellectuals from Europe, Australasia's technological progress would have been much slower.
After receiving Arthur's command, the Royal Security and Intelligence Bureau made foreign tourists their primary focus.
Although the management of foreign tourists wasn't very strict in this era, it was still relatively easy to identify their professional backgrounds.
The Royal Security and Intelligence Bureau's first priority was to identify tourists who appeared to be scientific researchers, then investigate their identity and background to see if they were among the talents Arthur was looking for.
After a month and a half of investigation, the Bureau had identified over a thousand individuals among the hundreds of thousands of tourists who were likely to be involved in scientific research.
After another half month of investigation, the Bureau finally submitted a report to Arthur.
Based on the preliminary investigation by the Bureau, there were indeed quite a few scientific researchers among the tourists in Australasia.
Among them, about 40 were scientists who enjoyed relatively high recognition in their respective countries.
Of those 40, only one was internationally renowned. The remaining 39 were well-known in their own countries or industries.
Although the number was small, Arthur did not greedily pursue more. For Australasia's talent recruitment program, this was an unexpected windfall.
What delighted Arthur the most was the one internationally famous researcher: Nikola Tesla.
Of course, Tesla had no connection to the famous car company in the future. He was an extraordinary man, almost a god-like figure.
The alternating current network widely used in Australasia was originally invented by the famous Tesla.
Upon learning that Tesla was in Australasia, Arthur immediately ordered the Royal Security and Intelligence Bureau to closely monitor his every move. They were to find out why Tesla came to Australasia and what he had been doing before he arrived.
There were too many legendary stories behind Nikola Tesla. Whether it was his dispute with Edison over direct current versus alternating current, or the countless inventions and studies throughout his life, Tesla had earned his place as one of the most famous inventors and physicists from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.
Upon receiving Arthur's command, the Royal Security and Intelligence Bureau began their investigation into Tesla and even contacted some intelligence agents in the United States.
(End of Chapter)
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