Republican News 1919

[Logi]

Backtracking a bit...

April 1, 1919

"Guangzhou Radio Station reporting; President Hu Hanmin announced today that the Legislative Assembly just passed a bill outlawing the Middle Kingdom. President Hu Hanmin noted that bombing missions and land assaults on the now outlawed nation would begin in 5 seconds after his speech. The world's collective breath is held as we await the extermination of the outlawed nation."

[TexanCowboy]

April Fool's......

[Logi]

April  29, 1919
Guangzhou, Main Executive Branch, Presidential Office.

"I believe the Five-Year plan has been running long enough to sustain itself. If that's the case, I will take a step back from the plan and work on my pressing concerns, diplomacy. Mr. FengHuang I'm going to hand the assignment over to you. You are to oversee the Five-Year Plan."

"Leave it to me, Mr. Hu."

President Hu Hanmin rubbed his temples, "Could you tell an aide to bring me the files on our foreign relations on your way out?"

Fenghuang Yu smiled, "Of course."

[Logi]

May 6, 1919

"We finally finished up that treaty with Japan." President Hu Hanmin dropped his suitcase onto his tabletop. Flipping idly through the chart of foreign relations, courtesy of the Foreign Relations Department, Hu reviewed the relations.

"Hmm, perhaps a talk with the DKB is in order. Considering their extensive border with us and our chilly relations as of now."

Hu Hanmin quickly got back up and donned his coat. He walked briskly out of his office.

[Logi]

May 11, 1919

President Hu Hanmin walked silently into the door there Chiang Kai-shek acknowledged his presence with a small nod of the head. Hu glanced around the room at the officers standing around a table concentrating hard.

President Hu broke the silence, "How's it coming?"

Chiang Kai-shek lifted his eye off the table to reply, "Plan 40 isn't looking so favorable."

The officers continued their shuffle.

President Hu strolled leisurely towards the table, examining the pieces set up. "What's the problem?"

"Our troops don't have as much training as it should have and some of our weapons are obsolete compared to theirs."

"Oh, I was sure to get our researchers to push cutting edge, I guess I'll have to re-evaluate the Department."

The silence began again as President Hu and Chiang Kai-shek looked at the table.

President Hu broke the silence again, "Anything for a more favorable outcome?"

Chiang Kai-shek looked off to the wall, his mind in far-off thought. "Not at the moment. Seems we've done everything we can. I'll talk to you during those budget hearings."

President Hu nodded, and his eyes wandered off. He noticed a young officer sitting down reading a book intently. He slowly scrolled over, "The roar of revolutionary cannons is much sweeter than revolutionary literature, don't you think?" President Hu waved slightly at Chiang Kai-shek before exiting the room.

[Logi]

May 16, 1919
Preliminary Budget Hearing, Naval Department

"We need a flagship."

President Hu Hanmin rubbed his temples, "Don't we already have Li Ming and Huang Hun?"

The Director of Naval Affairs sighed, "Those are armored cruisers, we need a battleship."

President Hu nodded, "What... you want Juren to be built on dock?"

The Director shook his head, "We both know we do not have enough material for a 28,000 battleship, even if it is a fearsome and powerful ship. No, I'm having my subordinates churn out a design, a coastal battleship."

"Doesn't the Weisheng serve well enough?"

"It's, to be frank, very outdated. We need a modern battleship for national prestige."

"So I expect it's a minimalist design?"

"Yes, we are trying to keep it at the bare minimal in terms of speed and range, but strong and armored enough to keep foreign powers for getting the idea that invading us would be easy and fun."

President Hu Hanmin thought carefully, mentally calculating approximately how much materials he could divert to this cause. "Hmm, very well then. I will see what I can do. I suppose to make up for the lost of materials and build space we will be forced to buy foreign. Very well then."

[Logi]

May 18, 1919

What this system provides that others do not, is the rapid saturation of a target area, near instant shell-shock potential, and the relative cheap and easy of manufacturing.

The officer detailed the plans and designs for a Mobile Rocket Squadron.

The precedent has been set by the Rocket Cavalry Corps, we are simply taking it further and to the next level. Motorization of these vehicles as well as a hefty payload and they serve three times as effective as a Rocket Cavalry Corp.

The plan called for a fusion of a light armored car and a tank specifications. The need cited by the lack of experience in the field of lightly armored cars compared to heavy tanks as well as the higher speed and maneuverability of the former.

The rough blueprints called for a rack or other device for stored rockets along rails to be created. The rockets would be launched straight off the rails.

The officer persisted, the received the reply of test first and impress, mass manufacture maybe later.

[Logi]

May 24, 1919

The officer got what he wanted. Two Rocket Cavalry Corps had received mobile artillery units, amongst them the 80mm Rocket Half-track. As a result the entire corp had been renamed Mobile Rocket Corps.

Interest in rocket technology was increasing and experimental designs were being through around. Perhaps a rocket tank, a rocket-armed airplane, or rocket-armed ship?

Meanwhile the navy rapidly placed orders, it's newly finished docks flowed with orders. The Republic's building program was in full gear. Sixteen torpedo-boats and 28 motorized torpedo boats were being laid down. The large liner, the Wenbing, was floated out to make room for the yet unnamed CL21. Soon CA21 would be laid down as well.

The airforce was getting a long awaited supply of trainer planes, a thousand of them, in fact. The railroad building fever restarted once more.

The Republic was progressing, and booming. Or perhaps preparing for war in the eyes of some.

June 20, 1919

"I don't like this." Fenghuang Yu was on horseback, accompanied by a few. They looked out at the landscape before them. The horse slowly trotted so that the voices could be hear over the sound of horseshoes clapping on the newly paved road. "A conference over volatile Africa, especially when the Swiss are involved just says trouble." Yu Ming nodded, "I think conflict will inevitably be coming. Mostly likely Swiss-incited." The group looked out at the rice paddies of Chengdu. "I think we will be coming up to the site of the radio tower soon."

Ming nodded once more, "Such development is good, it is a kind gesture on the part of the Dutch. But I can not help but think what use this will have when the people of the countryside seldom have a radio." The sun was high and sky free of clouds. Yu replied slowly after deep thought, "We can change that. Have we not built a road for the people to use already? What is one radio for every village?" "Hopeful. We are mighty, yet weak, Yu. Rich yet poor. It pains be to see the difference between the country and the city."

"Of course. But I have had the fortune of seeing my village transformed into a booming city. And the misfortune of seeing it razed to the ground. Yet that is what life is. A cycle of reconstructing and tearing down." Ming Wei Yu smiled knowingly. "It is enough that we build roads, railroads, and schools. The people have lived without for so long that even minute changes are valuable. Do not despair for what is out of your power." For a short amount of time the walk was quiet.

"If war breaks out once more, what will we do?" The group was silent. "Of course, it would depend. It would depend on the actions of the northern tyrant for our actions." "You do not mean!" "Yes, of course. We must strike when a force is weakened by a multitude of forces." "Jumping on the bandwagon?" "There are many benefits." The group was silence once more and only the chirping of cicadas could be heard. A short distance from the path, the farmers at the rice paddies began to retire home for their afternoon meal. The sun shone as bright as ever. "Are we prepared?" "Perhaps not, but when our iron is glowing white, we must strike it."

"So Wei Yu, how did your assignment fare." "Poorly I believe, though I reported otherwise. The people simply do not expect what the Republic has to offer. They have lived too long in it, It is most unfortunate. It will be difficult if we ever decide on a Northern Expedition."

"Well...." Yan Zak Wing started slowly and the group quieted down. He had not spoken the whole trip until now. "It would be interesting to talk more, but we are nearly at our designation. Our topic is a bit sensitive to talk about in front of the Dutch. If we must converse, let it be later. For now, let us show them why the people of the Republic are know as excellent engineers."

And the group trotted up the hill to the site of the radio tower.

[Logi]

June 10, 1919
Bishan County, Chongqing

Shak-shak-shak. The half-track vehicle jumped with every bump in the dirt road and the soldiers sitting on the truck jolted awake with the bumps each time. The wheels kicked up excessive dirt as the tracks churned steadily away. From a distance, it looked like a flopping fish, the tired wheels were much less durable and reliable compared to the tracks. Next to the soldiers was a set of rails on a rotating ring. One soldier's hand was over a crate of 130mm Rockets. The soldiers' eyes were shaded by their metal cap but they glanced at the landscape every so often. In the front, behind the driver's seat, one soldier listened onto the radio broadcasts from Radio Station Guangzhou.

Following behind was another BT-FX whose driver happily hummed a tune.

A low rumble overhead foretold the approach of an aeroplane. The soldiers looked up, shielding their hands from the glare of the sun with their hands. A trainer plane most likely from Chongqing Airbase. One of the soldiers grumbled about the bumpy ride.

A support truck followed the two Half-Tracks. Some soldiers yawned. It was going to be a long day.

[Logi]

July 20, 1919
Central Cryptographic Institution

"Loud noise, I don't like it. Especially with that meeting for war going on."

"Sir, much of these lines are encrypted."

"Then get to cracking them. You know these things don't last long. Get the message out, for safety, enforce radio discipline for two weeks."

"Yes, sir."

"We don't want to be out in the unknown when this shit, whatever it is, hits the fan."

[Sachmle]

.... (What's the date for the Dar-es-Salaam conference again?)

June 19st start, figure it's June 28-30 by now.

[TexanCowboy]

Semi-Official message to the RRC, on July 26th

"It is with the greatest regrets that we must announce that our oil shipments to Macau must be, for the duration of this war, reduced by at least 60%, due to the Suez Canal being reserved mainly for military traffic, and those civilian ships that can pass have been carefully searched for any trace of explosives, which appears to be holding up traffic.

With all the regrets in the world,

etc., etc."

[Logi]

July 1st start, figure it's July 20-22 by now.

Thanks, date added.

-------

July 4, 1919
Central Cryptographic Institution, Zhangjiang

"Holy crap, this isn't good."

"What happened?" The officer moved over to the the former holding the message.

"First, the French are moving. Thankfully their message was not coded. Second, Romania has just acknowledged a war will be occurring."

"It can't be the Swiss Cheese can it?"

"So far, we don't know. But it would point that way. France was present in the Dar-es-Salaam Conference with the Cheese. Although the Romanians were not present, we can safely assume either the Dutch or the Scandinavians informed them.

The choke-point is the Suez Canal which would indicate Indian or Pacific War. The Indians are too busy paying off the French and the Arab-Persians have been silent for a good decade. East-Asia is silent, no problem. So the problem originates from Africa, probably Cheese incited over New Zion. Shitty bastards, we can't have a war occurring now!"

"Indeed, less oil at the peak production time will be disastrous. Get Main Executive Branch, tell them we need alternate oil source. Negotiate with the Persians or get our own fuel mixture. Let the Branch decide whether or not we take action."

[ctwaterman]

.... (What's the date for the Dar-es-Salaam conference again?)

July 1st start, figure it's July 20-22 by now.

June 19, 1919
Master Dining Hall
Karimjee Hall
Dar-es-Salaam, Deutsche Ostafrika

Start Date was June 19.... I figure we are comming up on July as we speak :)

[Logi]

July 5, 1919

"The opportunity is good, we might earn an excuse. Also, send a message to the Middle Kingdom, see if we can bait them to get involved."

Top Secret

TO: Rising Sun
FROM: Blue Tide

Operation Fever Approved. Begin preparations.