Richmond Times-Dispatch; Jan-June 1908

[Carthaginian]

Ahoj!
In Russia and Poland there used to be a tax paid by "overage" bachelors.
It still was an improvement on previous customs - guess why one of the Russian terms for an unmarried man is "whip-boy" (hlastiak), while in Poland the tax was called "the bullwhip" ...

Borys, who qualifies for a good whipping :)

LOL... I lie that.
Great piece of trivia, Borys.

And for the record, I'm pushing 30 with no kids... so I'd be right up there with you in line for the whipping post. ;)

[Desertfox]

There has to be room for growth somewhere... I can't seriously be stuck with the land area to support 100+ million and the lowest population in N-verse.

Same here, I have the second largest country in terms of land area, but the second smallest population of all PCs.

The publisher of the above poster is going to get a LARGE order...

[Borys]

Ahoj!

The publisher of the above poster is going to get a LARGE order...

And don't forget the whips ...
Borys

[Desertfox]

I won't forget the whips! ;D

[The Rock Doctor]

Men all over the CSA will be showing their wives the posters, protesting, "But it's our patriotic duty!"

[Borys]

Headaches are Sin!
And unpatriotic.

[Borys]

Ahoj!
Small correction - the best translation for the Polish tax would be "steer tax".
Sorry for misinformation.
Borys

[Carthaginian]

Ahoj!
Small correction - the best translation for the Polish tax would be "steer tax".
Sorry for misinformation.
Borys

That's even worse!
Instead of just whipping you, they fix it where you CAN'T have kids!
VERY counterproductive.

[Borys]

Ahoj!
Shit! Another gap in my English!
So steer=ox?
Unless there is a better bovine equivalent to "stud", it's the "bull tax" then.

I hate it when I make such mistakes!

Borys

[Carthaginian]

Ahoj!
Shit! Another gap in my English!
So steer=ox?
Unless there is a better bovine equivalent to "stud", it's the "bull tax" then.

I hate it when I make such mistakes!

Borys

LOL... in English, a 'steer' is a castrated bull, generally grown for beef.

And the problem in understanding is MINE... not yours.
You can understand English.
I can't speak a lick of Polish.
You're doing far better than I.

[maddox]

Ah, Bonjour monsieur l'ambassadeur, welcome to my small bureau. (Rooseveld wonderingly gazes over the casual grandeur)

How Can Glorious France help you, and the Confederation you so valiantly serve.
Premier Paixhans, the honor is mine, that you could meet me on such a short notice. I have the latest proposals my government has been agonizing over.

You mean, the issue of a closed Caribbean region, the Great Canal that shortly won't need the influx of laborers anymore and the wish for the population growth for the CSA. I must admit, that information campagne started about that is worth to be followed.

Yes premier, it is these matters we of the Confederate States of America have designs and future views about.
One of the things we would like to ask again of Glorious France is the Haïtian problem.
The southern Powerhouse, Gran Colombia, made us worried with their proposal to take over the non profitable West Indies from France. Envoy Jardan did do a good job as negotiator to defuse the tensions between our states over the Caribbean.
And our politicians have found a possible compromise. But this compromise still needs the full approval and generousity of France. As she still would have to sacrifice a part of the Glorious Empire in the name of precious peace.

I'm well aware of the plans on the Caribbean as visioned by Gran Colombia and the Confederated states. And does any of the 2 believe, if France excerts itself, the region wouldn't be peacefull. Possibly under the smoke of many a fire?
But France has grown out of such a barbarisme. And sees the potential of letting beautifull gems of colonies go from the bosom of civilisation.
But such a commitment has a price. Otherwise every state would come to France and beg for a piece of the body that makes up our Glorious Republique.
Is your country willing to pay such a price?

Yes Premier. After a lot of closed sittings my government has hopefully found a fair transaction to conclude this transfer of lands.
For the transfer of Haïti the CSA offers France the compensation of lost income for at least 6 years.
And the fifth of the Rattlesnake cruisers. This ship, and all the technology it represents will be French. Our engineers will welcome any of the French shipbuilders and engineers wishing to gain the total and complete knowledge of these technologies.

Monsieur Roosevelt. France would accept the offer. But I have to ask for a few changes. Not big ones, nor a demand for more money.
As you know, the Rattlesnake cruisers were build in Halifax. And Halifax has its share of UKN engineers. Whose knowledge about propulsion has no equal on the world. They remarked that the turbine units as used on your tough cruisers are a bit out of date. We also know that your country possesses more modern turbines. Even if we have our turbine supplier,the UKN, we are most interested in the new Conferated turbines.

That seems a reasonable change to the proposal. I do not see any reason why I can't set that in the contract.
Any more, Premier Paixhans?

Yes. And that is to avoid people or countries getting upset. France would like to keep Port Au Prince as a fleet base. Of course we can share the berths there for the patrols we have to execute to keep the Caribbean free of monsters like Agrival.

Didn't France got the information that Agrival is dead, killed in a sword duel with a Rohirrim swordsmaster?

Of course France has heared those rumors, but Peru is a secretive country, and we don't put Agrival above faking his own dead. So we refrain from making statements in that respect.
But I think we could use a bit of refreshment, care to join me for lunch?

[Carthaginian]

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!

CSA PORTS TO BE OPENED TO COMBAT VESSELS!!!
ALL BELLIGERENTS MAY MAKE PORT IN DIXIE!!!

Today, at a little after 1:00 PM Richmond time, the Confederate Congress decided to re-open our ports to ships of all nations involved in the conflict currently engulfing the world. Any ship is welcome to dock- warship or merchant- however no ship of one belligerent may leave port within 24 hours of an enemy ship, and any attack upon shipping within Confederate waters will immediately result in the seizure or sinking of the vessel in question.

Ships will be allowed to remain in port for no more than 24 hours (excepting delays necessitating from the departure of enemy vessels) within a 3 month period, during which all hospitalities will be extended to them as a body and their crewmen as individuals. The Confederacy, however, reminds the sailors of both the New Swiss and the  Alliance that our cities are not their battleground. Any crimes committed against members of a belligerent nation's military will be tried to the fullest of Confederate military law- a code not known for it's leniency.

Again, Confederate ports will be open to ships of all nations involved in the currnt conflict.
This will begin at exactly midnight, February 1st, 1908.

[Carthaginian]

"Good morning, Mr. Secretary."
First Sea Lord Edwin Anderson welcomed Secretary Roosevelt into his office. As admiral of the entire Confederate Navy, he was responsible for overseeing all the secret projects that the Secretary was cooking up... from the reasonable to the damnably foolish right out to the utterly insane.
So far as he was concerned, the project they were about to discuss fell firmly within the latter category. The new plans on his desk for the specialized ship were just too bizzare.

"Good morning, Sir! How goes things at La Paz?" Roosevelt was hopeful for his little pet project at the aerodrome in southern California. The Confederate Air Force assets there were seconded to Navy control for these tests. Specialized ships for trials had been put on hold, but simulated exercises on land had been ongoing since the first aircrews had arrived.

"Things have reached an impasse, I'm afraid, Mr. Secretary. There can be no further testing without converting a test ship to see if it can be done. Practicing it on land can only take us so far. If we're really going to be able to test your theory, then we MUST see if it's possible to refuel and rearm them while actually AT SEA. The Air Corps is also wanting their airships back. I've managed to stave them off till the beginning of 1910, but after that, i cannot guarantee the continuance of thi..."

"That's a small bother, Sir, a small bother. By that time, I'll be President and I'll be able to force the Air Corps to comply!" *"My God... does the man's arrogance know no bounds" the sailor thought.* Roosevelt slapped his leg and continued "Yes, by 1912, I look to have the project perfected and completed. Perhaps the first ship will be completed before I leave office! BULLY! What a thought! Something completely new and innovative, and all at my insistence; mark my words, Sir, this will change the face of naval warfare! One day in the near future, we'll be able to use air assets to find battlefleets long before they contact us!"

"Yes, Mr. Secretary... perhaps we will- IF the sea will cooperate."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to force the sea into submission... your men always do!" And like a shot- without even a 'farewell', the cataclysmic cyclone that was the Secretary of the Confederate States Navy was out of his office, allowing blissful silence to return.

"If airships work at sea, you pompous, arrogant upstart, it'll not be because you made it happen." The First Sea Lord picked his coffee back up and began regarding the new draft plans for the ship that had arrived.

[The Rock Doctor]

BULLY! 

Awesome characterization there.

[Carthaginian]

Thanks much.
As always, I try to learn form my betters. ;)