Chapter 256: Italy's "Refugee" Reception
"Knock, knock, knock…" came a knock at the door.
"Come in!" answered a voice from inside the study.
Tom walked in holding two telegrams. Ernst was busy handling East African documents. As the Crown Prince of East Africa, he couldn't let his elderly father, Constantino, shoulder all the burdens, so many affairs were processed by Ernst first, after which Constantino would carry them out. In this way, if there were matters he couldn't decide on his own, Ernst could still discuss them with Constantino.
"Your Highness, the branches in Hamburg and Trieste just sent these telegrams. At the moment, every spare ship under Hechingen's Oceanic Fleet has been cleared for use. But, frankly, the number of vessels isn't enough to fulfill your assignment."
"I understand. How many ships can they gather?"
"In total, sixty-four. The rest must keep handling their existing assignments—for example, delivering grain and other goods to Marseille at the moment. In fact, pulling these ships out has already affected the company's overall operations."
"All right. Go contact our old friends—the Dutch shipowners. Let them temporarily handle the North German migrants, since they already know those routes. For the Austrians and Italians, get in touch with some other shipping lines in Trieste; they should be able to carry some portion. Once the Suez Canal is open, it's not too hard for those Mediterranean-based ships to reach East Africa. As long as we agree on the price, there won't be a problem. Regarding our cargo transport—the goods bound for Marseille—let the Italians handle that. If that still isn't enough, we can try other countries, like Greece or Spain!"
Finding enough ships had always been challenging. If it were in the Far East, maybe, but Europe—surrounded by the Mediterranean and the North Sea—was full of so-called naval powers, especially Italy and Greece, which offered cheap freight rates and had plenty of available ships.
Before the Suez Canal opened, ocean-going trade was mostly in the hands of Atlantic-coast nations—mainly Britain, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and France. Ernst had chosen to cooperate with the Dutch because their political baggage was the lightest; once you paid them, there wasn't much fuss. Moreover, they traded as far off as Japan and Korea, fitting Ernst's own migration routes.
Now that the Suez Canal was open, Ernst had more options. Both merchant and naval vessels from Austria-Hungary could pass straight through the Suez into the Indian Ocean. From what Ernst knew, Franz had secretly used Italian ships to smuggle military weapons to Rome.
As for how Ernst learned that, it was simple curiosity. He also wanted to know how Austria-Hungary managed to ship an entire army's worth of equipment into Rome. Rome, after all, sat on Italy's western coast, surrounded by the Kingdom of Italy, yet the Austrians had evidently found a route of their own.
As the one who set that event in motion, Ernst asked Franz directly. Franz didn't hide it: the solution was very straightforward—negotiate a price with Italian shipowners and let them handle everything. Ernst admitted that he learned something from this. He also scrutinized East Africa's conditions to avoid such loopholes. But East Africa was essentially "closed off" to the outside world, a one-way valve for inbound trade only. Though it did have two free ports, they were merely places for foreign ships to stay, kept open to avoid giving others an excuse to intervene. The British at sea often brandished the slogan of "free trade," so East Africa left Mombasa and Dar es Salaam as open ports.
Now that the Suez Canal was open, practically every European vessel crowded the Red Sea, and the East African coastline "lacking in markets and resources" had declined in outsiders' eyes. Only East Africans and Arab traders still crisscrossed those waters.
…
Right under the nose of the Kingdom of Italy, Austria-Hungary had fully prepared the troops and weaponry to support the Papal States in Rome, just waiting for the Italians to bite the bait. Thus, starting from August, Hechingen's ships were freed up in anticipation of a potential large-scale Italian migration or, more accurately, war refugees.
In truth, as early as June, Hechingen's fleet had been quietly getting ready in the German territories. After France declared war, people from the Franco-German border regions—and even from Alsace-Lorraine—boarded East Africa's emigrant ships as stowaways bound for new lives. Alsace-Lorraine, once part of the Holy Roman Empire, was inhabited primarily by Germans under French rule, speaking High German (really, the southern German dialect). By coincidence, so did the Hechingen royal family. Meanwhile, those in Prussia and the northern German states used Low German dialects.
Besides, southern Germany, Alsace-Lorraine, and Austria-Hungary were all Catholic areas, whereas northern Germany was different. This was one reason the southern German states were naturally inclined toward Austria (Austrian German stemmed from Bavarian dialects).
From East Africa's colonial era to its emergence as a kingdom over the past three years, the surplus population of southern Germany had basically been absorbed by East Africa. Coupled with the ongoing war, Baden and Württemberg might experience population decline. Bavaria's circumstances aren't entirely clear, but probably about the same.
Southern German and Austro-Hungarian immigrants constituted the bulk of East Africa's ethnic German population. With the Hechingen royal family originating in southern Germany, East African culture as a whole tilted more toward the south German character. That was actually for the best: Austria-Hungary was half-dead, with no real will or capacity to engage overseas, while Prussia was far too strong. Therefore, partnering with Austria-Hungary was more reassuring.
Besides, East Africa and Austria-Hungary were separated only by the Mediterranean and around three million square kilometers of Egypt. In theory, Austria-Hungary could look after its smaller East African "ally" at just the right distance—neither too far nor too close.
Meanwhile, Ernst had already allotted space for the Italians in Zambia. Vast tracts of land needed population there, and there was no need to be picky; they'd simply build new towns wherever the natives were concentrated. Wherever settlements existed, conditions wouldn't be too harsh, and one could utilize the local "workforce" to develop new land.
Italian immigrants would be spread across Zambia together with East Asian and German migrants, while a portion of people from the east would be relocated to guide them in agricultural production. East Africa's agriculture took place on high tropical plateaus, very different from both East Asia and Europe in its climate and farming methods. Early on, East African agriculture drew partly on local tribal knowledge and partly on specialists from South America and Mexico. After three years of experimentation, it evolved into what's now the "East African model." These new immigrants would similarly require help and guidance from more experienced settlers.
Zambia's climate was identical to East Africa's highlands—same rainfall, same latitude (though Zambia was inland). So developing it according to the East African highland model posed no problem.
…
"Tom, there's something else. In Marseille, keep things discreet. We only handle raw material imports and product manufacturing. Let the Medina family do the rest. Outside German territories, our rule is to let everyone profit without directly meddling in politics. We'll let our allies handle that side."
"Yes, Your Highness. I'll make sure to double-check everything and avoid any missteps."
As for the friendly forces within France aligned with the Hechingen royal family—such as the Medina family—they needed support. The Franco-Prussian War presented just such an opportunity. Ernst was convinced France would lose, but not to the extent of unconditional surrender. At the very least, the French people wouldn't surrender collectively. Meanwhile, leveraging this war, the Medina family could build its reputation in southern France. After all, Prussia would only push as far as Paris, leaving Count Medina free to proclaim his "patriotic ardor" in the rear and earn French popular support.
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