Richmond Times-Dispatch; Jan-June 1908

[Carthaginian]

*La Paz, California*

It was hot, dry and sunny... this was NOT how it's supposed to be the week after Christmas. The construction crews had scaffolding up all over the place; the base wasn't even a work in progress- it was a work just begun. The airship hanger was just scaffolding. Piles of tin stood all bout it, blindingly bright sentries standing guard over the place they would hang. Inland was the landing area... seemingy 10 times as big as it needed to be; maybe the winds were bad here.

Lines- nice, neat, military lines- of houses, or at least what might be called 'bungalows,' stood on the beach side of the hangers. A small post exchange near the water; it's shelves full of mostly beer, bread, milk, coffee and other essentials of military life. Then the fence that separated them from the outside world.

It wasn't a military post.
It might be in another 6 months... but right now it was a construction zone with 100 soldiers and their families living in the middle of it.

"WHY did they stick us out here again?" he wondered. Ever since that midshipman had brought him these TDY orders, he'd felt uneasy about this. Off in the distance, he noticed a smudge of black on the horizon- a coal-fired ship steaming inside the Gulf. They must be near the naval base.

"Wonder why?"

[Carthaginian]

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Today the Georgia State Legislature indicted David Shelton, a Democratic Representative from the Atlanta area, on charges of unethical behavior. Evidence from an undisclosed source has indicated that Mr. Shelton has been linked to businesses that are exporting poor workers overseas from within his district in an attempt to skew the vote in favor of Democratic candidates.

The working class and poorer citizens- especially Negroes- of Georgia have long voted Republican, and have been gaining strength as more moved into Atlanta from the countryside to claim better paying jobs. After the recent Senatorial elections, however, this gain had been reversed. Independent research has shown that the vast majority (over 80%) of the workers that are being moved to overseas interests from this area are from the predominately Republican-leaning neighborhoods. This has resulted in an imbalance in the representation of the voting public which gives the advantageback to the Democrats.

The investigation is ongoing. Whether or not others become involved remains to be seen.

[Carthaginian]

Paris, France
04 JAN 1908

Theodore Roosevelt strode towards the offices of the Prime Minister of France with his usual air of hurriedness. It wasn't that he was necessarily an inpatient man, nor one that abhorred the necessity of waiting necessary... he was just repulsed by missing the chance to do all the things that one could be doing instead of the waiting- precisely 1 hour and 45¹/₄ minutes of it today so far. He could have easily added an extra fifteen minutes of exercise to his morning constitutional and afterward had some more time in the hotel's fine bath, or spent the time searching for a guide to help him book a hunt for red deer prior to departing Europe... the latter being his preferred choice. His favorite Winchester was- as always- locked away in his steamer trunk with an ample supply of ammunition.

As he approached the elegant doors to the PM's actual office, Ambassador Roosevelt slowed his gait; this was difficult for him, but necessary- some people took offense at his eagerness, believing it to be two parts condescending impatience and one part demanding arrogance.

For this task, neither of these impressions could enter the equation.
For this task, only perfection- pure, undiluted success- would suffice.

In his calloused hand (a matter of pride, those callouses), Roosevelt carried a folder containing several documents, among them:
trade agreements and monetary concessions amounting to $14 million Confederate dollars,
operational data for the new class of torpedo rams being fielded by the CSN,
and finally, an agreement allowing France to keep one of the Rattlesnake-class cruisers that they had constructed for the CSN over the previous year.

In short- in his hands he carried the Confederacy's most valuable commodities.

He reached the door, gave the attendant his name, and waited to be called...

[The Rock Doctor]

I can only lament that I had no goons in the hallways to tackle Mr. Roosevelt and make off with his folder.

Ah well...

You do write very evocative news reports, by the way.  The human elements add so much to the story

[Carthaginian]

I can only lament that I had no goons in the hallways to tackle Mr. Roosevelt and make off with his folder.

Ah well...

You do write very evocative news reports, by the way.  The human elements add so much to the story

I said his Winchester was locked in his steamer trunk. Ambassador Roosevelt is very adept at hiding his skinning knife, however, and should never be considered unarmed. ;) Like as not, your goon would have been given the folder- sans it important contents- and a ticket home in exchange for his ears and scalp. ;D

Thanks for the complement... I try to put myself as an observer to what's going on.
Actually, if anything, I try to emulate yourself and Swampy.

[Carthaginian]

*posters that have begun appearing all over Dixie lately*

FARMERS, GROW MORE THAN JUST YOUR CROPS!
BUSINESSMEN, HAVE SOMEONE TO PASS IT ON TO
WHEN YOU ARE GONE!

Dixie needs more fine, strong men
and
more loving, compassionate mothers!

You don't have to wear a uniform to do your part!
Bigger families mean less hired hands- more profit!

THE MORE OF US THERE ARE, THE STRONGER WE ARE!

[The Rock Doctor]

Go forth and multiply!

[swamphen]

It's "Populate or Perish" time, I see.  ;)

[Carthaginian]

Well, I do have the lowest population of any of the 1st World Countries in N-verse. It's time for my people to get to reproducing!

[Korpen]

Well, I do have the lowest population of any of the 1st World Countries in N-verse. It's time for my people to get to reproducing!

Not really, the Neatherlands only have a bit more the 16 million people in the homeland, its the 30 million people on Java that is pushing up the total population for the Netherlands.

[Carthaginian]

Well, I do have the lowest population of any of the 1st World Countries in N-verse. It's time for my people to get to reproducing!

Not really, the Neatherlands only have a bit more the 16 million people in the homeland, its the 30 million people on Java that is pushing up the total population for the Netherlands.

Well, I have no colonies as yet, and a total of just under 33 million.

So c'mon, people... start makin' like bunnies- be good at multiplication.

[Carthaginian]

*Another poster, this one appealing to people's sense of religious duty*

[P3D]

Average family size of 5-6 children apparently not enough.

[Carthaginian]

Average family size of 5-6 children apparently not enough.

It's not so much that we want LARGER families... we want MORE families, though 7-8 kids for those that can support them would not be out of the question. Ultimately, people are going to have as many children as they can support.

What the Confederate Government is aiming at with this program is the growing urban section of the population- people that make the money to support more kids, but DON'T need the help on the farm. They need to start producing more children. We're also aiming to appeal to the sentiments of those who might not be having any children- confirmed bachelors of 30+ and 'spinsters' of over 25- who might think they are too old for families.

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.

[Borys]

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 :)