The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 601 - 460: Diplomacy and Checks and Balances_2

Arthur was quite interested in making an appearance at the famous Paris Peace Conference in history.

However, upon reflection, he decided it was better to not. After all, no monarch of any country would personally attend such negotiations, and engaging in idle talk with the officials would be pointless.

Even if Arthur didn’t say a word, just sitting there would be uncomfortable. With his presence, officials would not feel at ease fighting for benefits, and Arthur would also be bound by etiquette, making it torturous for himself to sit there.

Instead of joining in the chaos, he thought it wiser to settle domestic affairs at home. After all, the status of a country isn’t determined by the size of its aristocratic class but by the strength of its national and military power, which is decided with an iron fist.

As the saying goes, territory is measured by cannons, and coastlines are guarded by ship guns.

Only with strong military power can a country win the respect of others.

As one of the four great powers of the Allies, Australasia was still highly regarded by many countries.

In particular, as the Australasia Army previously defended the Balkan front line, many countries, including Serbia, sought Australasia’s support in diplomacy.

This kind of diplomatic movement is quite common internationally since the interests of smaller countries largely depend on the decisions of stronger nations.

To put it somewhat cruelly, if the Four Great Powers of the Allies reached a consensus, even if they swallowed all the benefits, other countries wouldn’t dare say much.

Perhaps Americans would raise some voices, but until the U.S. military power is fully armed, Europeans don’t take American actions too seriously.

A powerful nation will inevitably have many smaller nations attached to it. The powerful can offer more protection to these smaller countries, which in turn become the markets for the powerful, expanding their influence even further.

This can be seen as a complementary relationship, and in an era of survival of the fittest, it represents the best possible outcome for smaller nations.

After a peaceful Christmas, the Paris Peace Conference was about to convene.

On January 16, 1918, the four great powers met in London, United Kingdom, and reached a consensus on the dominance of the Allies, as well as a tacit understanding on the distribution of their respective interests.

Although there were still disputes in certain areas of interest distribution, at least they had reached a general consensus.

The meeting of the Four Great Powers alarmed Americans, who were concerned they would be excluded from the distribution of benefits. In response, Americans urgently allied with Italy and turned to extensive media resources to launch a public opinion offensive.

Under American leadership, many American and European media outlets began questioning the intentions of the Four Great Powers and accusing them of conspiring to exclude all victorious nations and monopolize the interests of the defeated Allies.

However, such diplomatic tactics were mere itching for the Four Great Powers. The combined efforts of each country’s Propaganda and Intelligence Departments quickly quelled European public opinion.

Of course, each country’s Foreign Affairs Department provided a unified explanation, stating that this was just a routine meeting between the Four Great Powers. As for why the United States and Italy were not included in the meeting, perhaps they should have joined the Allies sooner.

Arthur postponed the annual report and victory parade in anticipation of the end of the Paris Peace Conference, which would officially be held after the conference ended, including the enfeoffment ceremony and rewards.

On January 27, 1918, the Paris Peace Conference was officially held in Paris, France, with participants from all countries, both Allies and the previously associated nations.

Former alliance countries, including the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria, participated in the conference. The treaty signed by the Allies and all former alliance countries would be merged and collectively known as the Paris Agreement.

On the night of January 26th, Prime Minister Kent received a meeting request from President Wilson of America.

Although he had no fondness for Americans, he could not rudely refuse a meeting request from the president of a powerful nation.

In the room prepared for the representatives of all countries at the conference, Prime Minister Kent met the charming President of the United States.

Upon their introduction, both men displayed the traditional demeanor of politicians, appearing like long-lost friends having a friendly chat.

Having talked for a few minutes, President Wilson, brimming with enthusiasm, said, "Prime Minister Kent, I think Australasia and the United States are incredibly similar, both being late-developing emerging countries with impressive industries, economies, and militaries. Good heavens, given our common origins as British colonies, we must be brother countries!"

Prime Minister Kent scoffed at President Wilson’s remarks. The United States had violently gained independence from Britain, while Australasia had peacefully formed; there were fundamental differences in their respective ways of founding.

Besides, Australia had a predominantly white population and closer ties to European bloodlines, while America’s racial makeup was rather chaotic.

The numerous American chocolates alone made Prime Minister Kent dislike the United States, let alone considering it a brother country.

However, the necessary diplomatic etiquette had to be observed, so Prime Minister Kent responded with a smile, "Perhaps so, Mr. President."

"It’s not a ’perhaps,’ it’s a matter of course, Prime Minister. We are extremely similar brother countries with the strength and status we need. Sir, don’t you think we should establish a new world order based on our own strength? Emerging countries need to increase their own voice.

We should communicate with the old powers like Britain and France to resolve conflicts and maintain world peace." President Wilson said confidently, shaking his head.