Although the chance of war breaking out in Europe was slim at the time, neither the cabinet government nor Arthur dared to gamble on that one small possibility.
Judging the current situation and preparing in advance was the first thing Australasia had to do.
However, from the standpoint of national interests, Arthur did not wish for World War I to commence just yet.
After all, if World War I were to break out, countries would naturally impose certain restrictions on emigrating populations. At that point, it would not be an easy task for Australasia to attract more immigrants.
In other words, during the imminent outbreak and the actual onset of a war, the number of immigrants to Australasia would certainly decrease drastically.
This was an unavoidable circumstance, as many common people dreaded war. If there were a war, many would certainly choose to migrate abroad.