Paris Temps

[Ithekro]

They most certainly do do just that even in the present to get people from China to the United States.  It is crimimal, but it happens.  We are talking nearly slave trade quality movements of people here.

[Desertfox]

Will the ships be French or Chinese flagged? If Chinese they probably wont arrive. If French they will face delays and fees (if they need to stop and recoal).

[Borys]

Ahoj!

You cannot justr shove them into merchant ships without any facilities to handle human cargo, for a two0-month-long voyage. Canton-Panama 53 days with 10 knots.
6-7 knots.

If our troops can travel on freighters, so can coolies. Simply assume double transport mode capacity. They don't have much in way of belongings.
Borys

[P3D]

It is a bit longer than any transatlantic slave trade route. And we are speaking about 6 to 8-week-long voyage here. If you are using simple merchant ships, you have to do at least a minimal amount of conversion - installing new decks for accomodation, ventillation equipment and basic sanitation to keep at least the resemblance that it is not a slave trade.

Installing water tanks, etc. Or you have to restrain the passengers to avoid mutiny. Then the story will eventually come out, considering the amount of ships needed. Glorious France trafficking in slave trade, when even Orange is treating its black chattels better?

Soldiers are not travelling in freighters, either. Some percentage of the merchant marine is passenger ship, they are used for troop transport. Only equipment and ammo travels in freighters.

Desertfox also has a valid point, the transpacific route is a mere 9000 nautical miles. The majority of ships simply does not have the range.

Anyway, my point is that converting the merchants is such an extensive work, that you'd better use existing troop transports - they also have the range to cross the atlantic without having to rely on the Swiss. They could be more packed than usual, but France would conserve its dignity.

[maddox]

Oh people. Oh. France is contemplating the use of Coolies. But is by no means sure. For the same amount of trouble these are the dregs of the MK, criminals, lazy, disease ridden unwanted etc, or Minister Dupuytrens fear, soldiers.

Also, the only thing that could lean towards slavery accusations is Le Monde. France is a vehement opposant to slavery in effect. If you look at the conditions France is offering to the OR in exchange for the Zulu's....And to the Zulu's themselfs.

Or the new import from the CSA. Lucy's story is just one of many. I just hope her husband survives the hellish work.

And, as Rocky pointed out, it's not that france doesn't have an own pool of labor. 18 milion calcuttans....  I guess 100 000 hard working little eating Calcuttans can be imported too.

[maddox]

Hotel Napoleon , Paris

Ah, monsieur Grange, how was your Haiti trip?
It was very satisfactionary, in all respects ;).  I must admit, the masterstroke of Minister Capet to get Zulu females from the Orange republic, as well as workers from the CSA is very much improving the situation there.  The army in charge for the build of the modern "Kraals" and very busy building new villages for the other workers was a good idea, it gives our engineers a very strong incentive. The advantages are to big to be denied. The Zulu ladies seem to appreciate the trouble that the engineers do.  I have seen, and participated in at least a wedding feast each week. Of course, there are problems. Some of he Zulu men on Haiti seem to be rebellious, and desinclined to do honnest work. The best we can get them to do is herd cattle. And even that not too well. But when a zulu is rebellious, we ship them to the canal. Even after a few months it has become a good incentive to keep in line. And even the stipend we give them makes them silent. They can buy stuff.... If they behave.
Luckely , we have L'institute Pasteur. Otherwise nothing of this would be workable.
The current cost of the medical attention Haiti and the Canal Zone have is staggering, but the benefits in the future can be huge.  Imagine a Cote Ivoire diseasefree.... Or a Tchaad.

So, Zulus are usefull except being warriors?

Yes premier. And we got already requests from some to go to the military. Everythings better than to toil in the soil for them. 
Funny, one of the biggest men I ever have seen, even now you can call that manmountain obese, is a zulu accepted by the army.  He learned enough French in less than 4 months to be accepted in the army. He even requested ,and got a new French name. I believe Louis Mtandi Legrand will do good in the army.

And the Confederates?

These men are honnest to god men. Black or white. Not that I can make a difference between the christian sects among them, but give them a job, enough food, and money to send home they are moving mountains.
Oh, that reminds me. An emmigrated French professor in Alabama, a friend of mine, has a student, very young, but so intelligent it would be a waste to keep him over there. I'm tempted to get that  boy a grant.   The coincidence is that his father is Ironman John.

Ironman John?

Didn't you got the reports?  Oh, I understand. Sorry premier.  I'll explain.

He was one of the first to travel over to the canal. If you see him, he's just an avarage negro. Not tall, not a muscled guy, nor a manmountain. But one of those guys, full of bone and tendon. He's already a legend at the canal. 
He started as a mud man. The guys who are preparing the ground for the steam shovels. His experience as a farmer came true and after a few weeks he was head of a team. That team has invented ways to do the mud man job so much faster that it effectively gives an advance of 2 to 3 months in finishing that time.

A hard working negro with an intelligent son?Sounds like a miracle to me.

I only can say, I have read the reports, I have recieved the request. I myself am willing to set up a scolarship. Even from my own money if I can't secure a state scolarship.  And even then, if  that bou comes over, his parents will suffer a loss of working hands, so I'll arrange a stipend to go to the mother. What about $ 15 a month?

What's that in Franks?

8 Premier. Only 8 Franks.

That sounds ridicolous.  If that young man is realy so bright, and Ironman john, so inventive, I wouldn't like to see less than 80 franks.  France has a reputation.

Premier, 10 franks is the avarage wage of a French skilled worker.... That is what Ironman John now earns, and can send to his wife.  We pay for board and food.
The Zulu females in Haiti get 1 frank a month.

[maddox]

March 25th 1907

Premier Paixhans offices.

Messieurs, now we can be reasonably sure that the New Swiss didn't lie about sinking Terrible and Indomptable.

How Premier?  These ships are the size of battleships and have enough guns to beat off a fleet.

How I don't know, but they did it. And if we go with their press release, we can conclude that they or used a fleet, or used a pretty clever ambush.  But we're talking idiots, so, they used a fleet.  Unfortunatly, no evidence of what they really did is available. The New Swiss embassy in the Netherlands is gloating and is sending barbed messages trough the onofficial channels.
What brings me to the Dutch silence on the matter. It has happened in their backyard. And we know they have several warships in the area. At least on patrol were they can reach the hotspot fast.

But premier, what about the convoy. The ships can be replaced, but the 750 civilians are very important. Imagine what pressure New Swiss can put upon Firenj with those as hostage.

I wouldn't wonder about that. Talk to a few Algerians, and learn their view. It isn't pretty.
What I find more disturbing that New Swiss again is starting to call France piratical. I tought they learned their lesson with the Clipperton issue.
But first of all. We probably lost 2 important warships. Or else if they got in NS hands, torougly compromised.We need to replace them as soon as possible. With ships equal or better.

Premier, our building program is maxed out, and the UKA can't do more either. But we can start repairing Gloire. She's still in Touranne. At least that gives us her back.She's 12 years, but 1905 and 1906 didn't brought the funding for her repair. And now we can't supply the metal as all the capacity is used on the 18 ships we're building at once. The money isn't a problem.

Money isn't an issue. So, get a draft, send out a communiqué. I want Gloire back at any cost. And if we're going balls out, modernise her.
12 years is a long time, if you see everything that changed in those years.

Premier, I do have a question. The Austrian naval attaché von Fernseher asked the most curious of questions. He tried to make me explain why we paint our cruisers pink ... does he think we are queer or what?
Pink cruisers?  Depending on area and purpose our ships can be grey or black hulled with a white superstructure. And it's the commanding officer that has the last word for this. That austrian guy loves the absinth if you ask me.

Premier, we did banish Absinth by law in 1905
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A letter/telegraph send to about every large shipyard with experience building warships.

"Glorious France is offering a golden opportunity.
The large cruiser Gloire needs a complete repair and modernisation.
Your shipyard is chosen to offer its services to Glorious France . Terms and agreements are flexible.

By the hand of the Premier of Glorious France, Paixhans"

[The Rock Doctor]

Tempting as it would be to have her repaired in a Gran Colombian yard - where we can see what damage we inflicted on her - there's just no spare capacity at this time.

[maddox]

Towing her over the Pacific will be a feast on itself.  She was just rusting at the quay, no maintenance , and only the most rudimentary repairs to get her home. So after almost 3 years of neglect and accumulating damage, it is a surprise she's still afloat.

[The Rock Doctor]

You can't even count on that for long - she might go rogue and sink a visiting Swiss squadron, right?

[maddox]

After being repaired with scavanged materials and painted pink?

It rings a bell.   Wouldn't that be called operation pettycoat?

[Korpen]

Were is Touranne, indochina?

[maddox]

Tourane is Da Nang, in the Nverse, the main French naval base of Indochina.

[Korpen]

The Sembawang shipyards thinks it would be possible to conduct a refit of the French ship in 1908 , but it will be very, very expensive.

[Borys]

OOC
Subig or Manila are also candidates ...
As I have BP available, maybe an Iberian-Habsburg bid will be tendered.
Borys