UNK News and Stories 1920:

[ctwaterman]

The Corner of Whitehall and King Charles was less then a block from #10 Downing and only a few scant blocks from Trafalgar Square.   The stately white building was the home of the United Norman Kingdoms Foreign Office.   And today January 26th was the start of what should be a very long week.   Sir Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, KG, PC, FZL, DL had been charged by his Sovereign with creating a position paper on foreign policy.   The paper was to end nearly 7 years of diplomatic isolation the Kingdom has fallen into after working so hard to found the Nassau treaty.  The Nassau treaty had proven to be a bit of a disappointment for the Norman Kingdoms.  The friendship clauses, the trade clauses, and even the technical trade clauses all worked.  But the desire to form a force for peace seemed to have failed.   The military aspect of the treaty and Sir Grey blamed this and many other things on the French had forced others to form their own alliances.   France has frightened Bavaria into an alliance with the East Sea Confederation and with the Dutch, the so called Leipzig Pact.   Well with a new Prime Minister soon to be in power it was time for a change.

The First order of Business would be to meet with all the foreign office department heads starting with the most important European Affairs.   Sir Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL would be in his office in less than an hour.  They had much to discuss the alliance system in Europe the instability they caused.   The War in Poland was a new factor and would probably occupy a significant amount of time!  With that in mind Sir Grey got out of his 1918 Rolls Royce Ghost while the doorman held the door entered the Foreign Office London Times Financial Herald under his arm and headed for his office where his secretary was already waiting with his second cup of tea for the day.

Sir Grey and Sir Balfour sat in Sir Grey Office a pot of tea  and cookies on the side board and a small bevy of secretaries to take notes along the wall.

Sir Grey:  Well it appears that there is a bit of a bother going on in your patch Sir Arthur would you like to start with that or should we go further back the Empire of Italia is your sphere as well but their war in Africa falls a bit outside of it?
Sir Balfour:  No the war in Eastern Europe is seems to be where to start we can always go back and cover the Zionist problem later!

Sir Grey: Very Well.

Sir Balfour:  Well it appear to be a strait forward problem one of the Bavarian Monarchies the King of Saxony I believe may or may not have been funding Polish Revolutionary elements in a move to either expand his Kingdom within the Bavarian and Swiss confederation or to break away and form his own kingdom.   We are not exactly sure which case is true at this time.   The Ukrainians went through with some scheme to elect a monarch ignored all the titled heads of state with legitimate claims on their territory and elected some peasant girl to be their ruler.   I personally think this was a ploy by powers moving behind the thrown as it were!   This Hetman Skorpadski appears to give all the orders for Queen Margarita government.   He made some deals with the Russians to secure Ukrainian borders and has apparently appointed a lunatic Bishop Khrapovitski to run the new Ukrainian state religion.   The new prelate of Kiev immediately started changing laws to forbid freedoms to other religions.   What sort of an Idiot attacks the Catholic Church when it shares borders with well 2 staunch catholic monarchies the KuK and Bavaria and Bavaria allies the East Sea Confederation.   To sum it all up the Hetman has done something to piss off the Russians, had border clashes with Bavaria and early this month apparently invaded the Kingdom of Saxon.  In addition he has dispatched his fleet to attach the Bavarian coast in the Adriatic.  That Coast is the Duchy of Friuli, the duke of Friuli is of course the Cousin of the Emperor of Italia and I think you can see where this is going!

Sir Grey:  Indeed I can, we have a madman in charge of a significant part of central Europe and he has started a war that in all likelihood is going to spread faster then anyone can even try to put it out.  There is a religious nut aiding that madman and he seems bent on starting a religious war based on Orthodoxy.   I had really hopped the world had moved beyond such concerns!

Sir Balfour:  Exactly my lord,  already the Habsburg Empire is mobilizing, the East Sea Confederation has started to do the same, the Italian have warned the Ukrainians and I am reliably informed from the Admiralty that large sections of the ESC fleet stationed in Scapa Flow are soon to raise steam and head for the Adriatic.   We many be looking at a general war in Eastern Europe by summer, I say the only reason the pot has not boiled over already is that it's the middle of winter!
Sir Grey:  Well the Horse Guard are keeping an eye on the situation and I understand the Admiralty are not adverse to having less of an East Sea Battle Fleet sitting on our borders.  But is there anyway you can see to head off this war before it become general.  We really do not want to see to dramatic a shift in the balance of power in Europe.

Sir Balfour:   Not with directly involving the French.   And given how military and diplomatic secrets have been slipping out of France recently I simply do not think involving them would be for the best.  If you can not predict the outcome reliably then best not to roll the dice.   Who the French bureaucrats would sell any information to would be highly speculative.  The level of decadence and corruption in Paris has to be seen to be truly believed.

Sir Grey:  Well in that case all we can do is to offer our services to mediate the dispute if necessary or even possible.   And as a last resort try to maintain some semblance of order and balance of power on the continent if we can not.   *Hearing the Chiming of Big Ben* well I have another appointment soon how about we meet again this afternoon after tea and we can review our current treaty as the impact on the nations of Europe.

Sir Balfour:   Excellent I will see you then.

[ctwaterman]

Sir Grey and Sir Balfour met again a little before 4PM having had a quick and early afternoon tea.

Sir Grey: Well Arthur lets go over our treaty concerns on the Continent starting with the Treaties of New York.

Sir Balfour:  That one is the most simple, both treaties nearly Identical are treaties of friendship and understanding between ourselves and France.  The first was in 1901 and the second one was in 1908 of course since you signed that one you should be familiar with it.   There really does not seem to be much we can do about them we could unilaterally discard them as the French Did with their no war in Europe declaration?

Sir Grey:   No we do not want to do that not until well after we have negotiated something to replace them.    Next would be the treaty of London then?

Sir Balfour:  Yes, the Treaty is nearly Identical to the Treaty of New York but is between ourselves and the Empire of Italia.  Those treaties were both superseded by the Nassau treaty in effect but language to indicate such was not added.   Also we need to make sure expiration dates of treaties are added in the future.  Nations have interests not friends or wives we need to be flexible to support who and what we need to when our nations interests are threatened.

Sir Grey: I agree, that brings us to the Karlstad treaty.

Sir Balfour: Hmmm good treaty similar to the New York and London treaties.  The Karlstad treaty was signed in 1909 but with a definitive end date of 5 years and an automatic renewal of 5 years so it has just officially lapsed.   I would recommend we approach the East Sea Confederation and discuss a new understanding with them.

Sir Grey:  I will recommend that to 10 Downing in a few weeks when the new PM takes residence.  So that only leaves The Treaty of Nassau?

Sir Balfour: Nations have interests not friends or wives we need to be flexible to support who and what we need to when our nations interests are threatened.  The Nassau treaty has its good points and it has some very bad points.  The treaty basically tied our foreign policy to the whims of France, Italia and the Confederates.   It also allowed us to gain access to some technology we might not otherwise have developed on our own.   However there are other ways to accomplish these goals without forming a military alliance that we are tied to.   I understand why the Empire of Italia forced the confrontation with New Zion I honestly think there had to be a better way?  My recommendation Is that within the next year we notify our Nassau treaty partners that we intend to withdrawal from the treaty when it expires in 1923.  Between now and 1923 we should be able to create a more acceptable coalition and trade treaties with Italia and the Confederates I am not sure about France.

Sir Grey:  The Lord of the Admiralty and the Horse Guard in a quite a Tift about the French security breaches so no a military alliance with France is out of the question for a few years at least.   An updated treaty of New York without the military clauses is probably the best we can hope for in the near future.

Sir Balfour: Agreed, so I will dispatch a delegation to the East Sea Confederation to start working on a new treaty of friendship and understanding while your work on softly extracting us from Nassau.   Have you heard about a group meeting in Rome called the Curia of Nations?

Sir Grey:  No I have not what it is the Curia of Nations?

Sir Balfour:   Well gentlemen really should not spy on each other but I have picked up a bit of gossip!  It seems that the Empire of Italia wanted to form a group of liked minded individuals basically staunchly catholic and monarchies to meet and talk out their problems?  I am not sure who are official members but it appears to be most of Italia larger neighbors minus France.

Sir Grey:   Interesting do you have any information on what they discuss?

Sir Balfour:  Honestly No they meet they have lunch or dinner they go to parties!  It could be a social club but you and I know just how much real business gets conducted during these social gatherings.  The Norman Kingdoms do have a large number of practicing Catholics and we are also nominally a Monarchy do you think we should try to gain admittance?

Sir Grey:  I will mention to 10 Downing and have them bring it up with His Majesty but really I would just see what they are up too.  I would personally wait until invited but that is up to His Majesty and the Prime Minister.  Well it is getting late Arthur so why do we not adjourn for Dinner at the Exeter I will see you next week at the usual time.

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Sir Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, KG, PC, FZL, DL Tuesday started off much the same as the preceding day just with a meeting with a different department head.  Sir Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, GCB, GCSI, GCIE, PC was the Under Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs and thus in charge of everything along the Pacific Rim.

Sir Grey:   Good morning Lord Lytton how was your trip.

Lord Lytton: Please Sir Grey call me Robert all my friends from Eaton do.
Sir Grey:  Thank you Robert, please call me Edward.  As you know the Kingdom is trying to formulate a long term foreign policy with objectives and I really need to be brought up to speed on the Far East I appears the Pacific is due for another one of its periodic explosions.

Lord Lytton:  That it is Edward that it is!  First we have the two China busy in a protracted civil war a horrible mess and the Disease and Death toll there is likely to be incalculable. And on my way home one of my stringers informed me there may be another war against New Switzerland.

Lord Grey: Really we have a war here in the Med that may impact trade so who or what is attacking New Switzerland now.  Have the Brandenburg decided to continue the war they started with the Italian do we risk being drawn into this war.   Or perhaps Japan or Iberia they might have something to gain?

Lord Lytton:  Well nothing official yet for some reason both sides have not made much appeal to the outside world as of yet.  But the Maori have from what I can tell declared war on New Switzerland and a large fleet was noticed in the Central Pacific several weeks ago.  There simply is no telling what is going on out in the hinterlands of the Central Pacific at this moment.  Any Information my diplomatic agents could gather would be weeks if not months old by the time it was forwarded to us here in London.

Sir Grey:  Well something more to worry about we will have to see if there is anything we can do after we get a diplomatic copy of the Declaration of War and the New Swiss reply.  After all a fourth pacific war really is not in any ones best interests economically.   So what if any treaties do we have that cover the Pacific Rim.

Lord Lytton:   Well the Great Canal Treaty covers our obligations for our investment in the Canal Project but we really do not have any real treaties with any of the Pacific Rim nations accept for the CSA and Rohan and those both fall under the purview of the Viscount of Boston and his mob.  I did receive a letter from some chap in the Middle Kingdoms Foreign Office just before I left Saigon however it appears that the Middle Kingdom is looking for foreign suppliers of munitions made in to their specifications and they are looking to extend formal diplomatic channels and recognition.

Sir Grey: Potentially an opportunity depending on who is likely to win the Chinese Civil War.  So they want munitions I am sure someone will be willing to sell them explosives for cash money but we will have to see If we are to remain neutral there will be no sale of finished weapons.  Raw materials are a completely different matter. 

Lord Lytton: Understood we pass the note up to His Majesty and we decide who to support the Chinese Monarchy or the Republicans in the south.

Sir Grey:  Precisely, now I think it is time to question Admiralty House to see what if anything they can discern about this supposed Maori and New Swiss War?  In addition get your chaps on it as well spread a few quid around the pubs in the Kingdom of Australia see what we can find out from that end.  And with that I believe we are done until next week My Lord.

Lord Lytton: And good day to you as well My Lord until next week.

[ctwaterman]

Sir Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, KG, PC, FZL, DL Wednesday morning meeting was not one he was looking forward to.  The Under Secretary for American Affairs was an unmitigated Liberal Democrat and new money to boot.  But Sir Joseph Patrick Kennedy, 1st Viscount of Boston, KG, PC, DL was a force in Politics in the America and as such simply could not be overlooked.  The fact that they were political opposites would have to be overlooked for the good the Kingdoms.

Sir Grey:  Welcome to London Viscount Kennedy, how was your voyage.

Sir Kennedy:   Acceptable Sir Grey acceptable.  So Labor is finally out and we shall be able to return to a more proactive foreign policy?

Sir Grey:  That is what all these meetings this week and next will determine.   Seven years of domestic over everything and catering to the mob well that is finally over but what to do about the mess the world has become.  So let us review you bailiwick just how strong our relationships in the Americas and is there any threat of war?

Sir Kennedy: War no I should not think so!  Our relationship with the Confederated States of America is strong, as well as our relationship with France means there is little threat of war.

Sir Grey: Excellent so far the Americas have been the only stable continent I have received reports on.  And, our treaty relationships would you care to comment on those?

Sir Kennedy:  The Nassau treaty was very popular and trade and scientific exchanges between Harvard and some of the Confederate Universities has been quite good.  However the older treaty of Richmond was allowed to lapse but since Nassau basically replaces it that is not of great concern.  The Treaty of Mithlond with the Kingdom of Rohan has also unfortunately been allowed to expire as well?

Sir Grey:  The Treaty of Mithlond with Rohan that is unfortunate we will have to immediately work to renew that treaty it was most beneficial.  However we have a problem as well the Kingdoms will be moving to withdrawal its participation from the Nassau treaty, would you care to comment?

Sir Kennedy:   Why? Would we wish to withdrawal from the Treaty of Nassau?   You yourself worked very hard to establish it and it has brought economic and scientific prosperity to the Kingdoms.  So what has changed that you would support the Kingdoms withdrawal from so effective and profitable a treaty?

Sir Grey:  Sadly I have to say the secondary aim of the treaty has been exactly as you stated Joseph.   However the economic and technical aspects of the treaty were as I said secondary objectives.   The Primary objective was to create a political entity dedicated to peace and stability in Europe and the Americas.  The plan was to perhaps entice other nations to join that treaty and to start creating a body of international agreements and laws.  The French undid two years of negotiations and plans with a simple declaration ending the Neuschwanstien treaty!  We will need to update our treaty of friendship and cooperation with the Confederate States of America and with Rohan as the Kingdoms will be withdrawing from Nassau by 1923.

Sir Kennedy:  Of all the unmitigated Gaul.  I will have to get our ambassadors in Richmond and Edoras to begin negotiations to renew both expired treaties perhaps something more modern and like the old treaties with appropriate expiration dates?

Sir Grey:  That would be excellent Joseph stability on at least one continent would be a great worry off my mind.   So we will meet again next week at the conference to formulate overall policy!

Sir Kennedy:  Until then Edward!

[ctwaterman]

Sir Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, KG, PC, FZL, DL second meeting of the day was with the Under Secretary for Middle Eastern and African Affairs, Sir George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marques Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC.  Having already spoken to the Under Secretary's for European, American, and Asian affairs, that really only left the Middle East and Africa.

Sir Grey:  Welcome George I understand you son will be starting at our old Alma matter soon.

Sir Curzon:  Yes Edward, Eaton is a tradition that is hard to break.  However I think a couple of semesters at either Harvard or one of the other American Universities might be in order as well diversity will serve him well when he takes his place here at the Foreign Office.

Sir Grey: Excellent, as you know His Majesty's government and the New PM have asked me to put together a little policy paper a proposal so I need to know what is going on in your slice of the world.

Sir Curzon:  Well, Edward we have never had any real treaty obligations with any of the nations found in the Middle East or Africa, only in Sierra Leone do we have any serious financial or military interests.   There are some interesting new Political Movements in the Devine Port the Greens I think they call themselves but I need to get someone inside to know more.   They apparently are a religious organization and they have been outlawed in the Mughal Empire I believe.  I think they are mostly against corruption and I understand they have a book published and I am trying to get a hold of a copy of it but no luck so far.

Sir Grey: Interesting in the abstract but do you see this leading to instability in the Devine Port in the near future.

Sir Curzon: No it is hard to tell with these Muslim religious groups when or if they will break out into a local revolt.  But I do not foresee the Ottomans having any trouble putting this group down if that happens anytime in the near future.  On the other hand there is an opportunity in the Ottoman Empire.

Sir Grey:  There is what sort of Opportunity.

Sir Curzon:  Not long ago the Ottoman Empire began looking for Foreign Investors to invest in oil extraction from the Ottomans Far Eastern and Persian Gulf territories.   If we could get proper concessions then this could prove to be a very profitable trading partnership.

Sir Grey:   Well write that one up and forward it to me I will take it before the Horse Lords and the Lords of the Admiralty before I commit to presenting it to the PM and his Majesty.   Would this be a military of civilian investment?
Sir Curzon:  I could see it being either or both depending upon what the Ottomans wish to gain from the transaction.  The one that most interest me is a simply joint stock company where we encourage investment and we get half the stock and the Ottomans get half.

Sir Grey:  Sounds interesting is there anything else?

Sir Curzon:  Well there is New Zion!  I have gone over the treaty ending the war and it appears that someone talked the Italians and Brandenburg out of simply partitioning the country.  The results are that New Zion will bear the financial burden of the war and I expect it to take them at least 20 years to recover and pay off their debt.

Sir Grey:  That long?

Sir Curzon:   The DKB took minor casualties and thank god the French did not demand repayment.   But our allies the Empire of Italia took serious shipping losses, large amounts of damage to the 11 Corp they deployed to the region.  What it really comes down to is how much credit on the war debt will the DKB and Italia give to New Zion for the Stock in the New Zion national railway network and the New Zion oil company.

Sir Grey:  Interesting but probably not something we want to interfere in but something we should keep an eye on.

Sir Curzon:   under stood my Lord.

Sir Grey:   The Conference begins next week so enjoy some time at home and say hello to your wife for me.

Sir Curzon:  I will Edward I will.

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Tuesday January 26th 1920 London Times Herald
Yesterday speaking before a gathering of Norman and Irish businessmen gathered in Manchester to discuss the possibility of increased trade between the Norman Kingdoms and the Republic of Ireland Lord Blafour under Secretary for European affair's had the following to say.

"His Majesty's government views with great favor the establishment of free trade with the Republic of Ireland.   There can be no greater benefit to human understanding then peaceful commerce between two nations.   The Irish Republic has proven to be a peaceful and friendly neighbor whose neutrality the Norman Kingdoms both respect and which the Norman Kingdoms would greatly object to should that neutrality be violated by some power foreign to the peaceful people of Ireland."

Today in Parliament a bill was put forward by the Conservative Party Bench to exclude all Irish goods and Workers from the tariffs, taxes, and tithes due on goods and services both imported and exported.   The Bill includes roughly five million pounds in waived fee and taxes that will accrue to the Irish Republic to aid the expansion of the civilian economy.

[ctwaterman]

Early February 1920

Actors:Foreign Secretary:
Sir Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, KG, PC, FZL, DL
Under Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs:
Sir Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, GCB, GCSI, GCIE, PC

Sir Edward Grey sat at his desk as Sir Robert 1st Earl of Lytton sat across from him drinking a cup of Tea.

Sir Grey:   Well Robert reports from the Pacific seem to be few and far between.   So what if anything do you have to report.

Earl Lytton:   Besides gossip picked up off the docks in a dozen ports from Neu Kiel, Manila and Kobe to just name a few.  Honestly Sir Edward there just is not a significant amount of information available.  The Undersea capable running through Brandenburg from Phoenix appears to be operating we are unsure about the New Swiss controlled cables.   There are lots of rumors the Swiss fleet was spotted here or there a major naval battle was fought you can pick the winner!  To be honest our assets in that part of the world well it was never a real priority.

Sir Edward:  Has either side tried to contact you directly or indirectly?

Earl Lytton:  No they have not Sir Grey, and that is slightly confusing I have not heard that either side has as of yet contacted any significant outside powers.  If they have they are keeping it extremely low key.   Has your attempt to build a coalition met with any measure of success.

Sir Edward:  No I am sorry to say that the feelers I put out to find a coalition to put forward a peace proposal has not met with any success.  I believe we had one or two polite responses that they were looking into or considering the matter.  Over all any attempt to broker a peace deal simply will not work if we try to push it forward alone.

Earl Lytton:   Well the NUS and Gran Columbia have moved a small fleet into the Pacific and I understand the Iberian have moved some ships as well.   But I think we will need to take precautions that we do not end up with the same pirate activity we encountered during the 2nd Rift War.
 
Sir Edward:  Yes the Prime Minister, the First Sea Lord and myself were discussing that last week and the Admiralty will be doubling the number of cruisers on trade protection in the Atlantic in the coming weeks.  I think the First Sea Lord said something about filling the North Atlantic with enough cruisers to scare any sane pirate into the Pacific.

Earl Lytton:  Well barring any support from the Pacific Powers such as Japan, CSA, Rohan, or even Gran Columbia and the Southern Cross alliance there is nothing to be done but to let the Maori and the New Swiss continue beating on each other and driving up the cost of shipping insurance for everyone.

Sir Edward:  No there does not appear to be anything concrete we can do for now.  We will meet next week to see if anything has changed and If either side contacts you forward there correspondence to me immediately.