Richmond Times-Dispatch 1910

Carthaginian · January 31, 2008, 03:05:20 PM

21AUG10
CSS Vicksburg
Off the California coast
1500PST

"Send to fleet command: 'Swiss traffic into/out of Acapulco on noticeable increase stop. Recent activity includes number of laden freighters stop.' List the suspected names of the freighters next, and then end 'Continuing observation awaiting relief stop. R. J. Reynolds, Commander, sends end.' You get all that Yeoman?"

"Yessir. Why they got us out here watching the shipping going into the DRM, Sir?"

"We're not watching what's going in, remember... just what's coming out" the captain said with a smile and a wink. "Now send that over air to La Paz. I want them to check the schedules for all the freighters that we've spotted this week. Maybe something interesting can be gleaned from all this."

P3D · January 31, 2008, 03:30:08 PM

Note:
The single freighter that Herr Kranitz used was scheduled. And as I have got no response from mods on the issue yet, not even a single rifle or shell was delivered to account for any increase in traffic.

Carthaginian · January 31, 2008, 03:54:38 PM

Quote from: P3D on January 31, 2008, 03:30:08 PM
Note:
The single freighter that Herr Kranitz used was scheduled. And as I have got no response from mods on the issue yet, not even a single rifle or shell was delivered to account for any increase in traffic.

You also mentioned that the Swiss were the only people really trading with the DRM. Thus, the 'increased activity' is independent of your storyline entirely... especially since several nations are experiencing piracy in the area and the Swiss are moving in to pick up the slack to bolster their sagging economy post-war.

My ships have been monitoring the shipping in this area for almost a year now, and they have been in constant contact with La Paz. It's not too hard for my patrols to notice ships, pass along identities and get information about the ships' ports of call- especially if those ships are scheduled and bonded. ;) Noticing a ship and getting conformation that it's last port of call is, say, Orange instead of Japan or Siam is very easy.

Should anyone start supplying the Socialists, the CSA wouldn't have to try too hard to notice- either the insurance rolls of various groups would have information as to the ports of call (past and intended) of a scheduled merchant, or an unidentified ship would be sailing through waters known for piracy- anonymously and uninsured- which is bound to attract attention.

EDIT: A ship with a modified appearance and faked identification would, in an area like this, be the acme of foolishness. If a ship was solidly identified as camouflaging her identification intentionally to avoid the scrutiny of anti-piracy patrols, it would be rather obvious she was at cross-purposes with lawful trading practices. Boarding such a ship and investigating it's purposes for concealing it's true identity would be well within international law.

The Rock Doctor · February 01, 2008, 07:39:51 AM

What jursidiction is La Paz in? CSA?

Edit: Never mind, it's CSA. I was just thinking that it wouldn't be necessarily easy to get info on a specific freighter - at least, current info - in an era where most records are being moved by hard copy by ship. Especially if the ports the ship did stop in belong to countries that aren't necessarily enjoying good working relationships with CSA.

Carthaginian · February 01, 2008, 09:11:43 AM

Quote from: The Rock Doctor on February 01, 2008, 07:39:51 AM
What jursidiction is La Paz in? CSA?

Edit: Never mind, it's CSA. I was just thinking that it wouldn't be necessarily easy to get info on a specific freighter - at least, current info - in an era where most records are being moved by hard copy by ship. Especially if the ports the ship did stop in belong to countries that aren't necessarily enjoying good working relationships with CSA.

Hardly.

Lloyd's and other insurance brokerage houses would still have their 'master list' of insured vessels, and telegraph communication would make us have reached the point where gathering this kind of information 'on the spot' is JUST NOW possible.

Vicksburg's Captain is just spotting a ship, looking it up in the Lloyd's Register, phoning home and asking "Who insured Freighter X, and what were it's ports of call and overdue dates?" Someone at La Paz just looks at the insurance lists (which anyone can get a copy of if they have holdings), cross-references, and calls the Captain back, saying "Freighter X is owned by Lyke's Lines, insured by Liberty Mutual. Homeport is Biloxi, sailed Jan 2; overdue at Key West after Jan 17, overdue at Charleston after Feb 21, overdue at Lorient after after Mar 30."

Even sailing captains had lists like this aboard their ships, listing all known sailings of merchant vessels, what flags they flew, and where they were going and when they were supposed to get there... they were just more difficult to update in those days. Getting the insurance lists would be the hardest part, and any nation's intelligence services would be able to procure a copy of something so widely circulated.

Carthaginian · February 05, 2008, 09:36:04 PM

09DEC10
Richmond, Virginia
Capital Building
0800EST

"Have the offers been sent, Thad?"

"Yessir."

"Then, now we wait, and see just how happy Christmas will be."

Carthaginian · February 07, 2008, 07:03:19 PM

25DEC10
Richmond, Virginia
President's House
0800EST

Found by Eleanore as she 'emptied the trash' in Teddy's sitting room:

BEST WISHES ON DAY OF SAVIOURS BIRTH STOP MY CONTACTS ACCEPT YOUR OFFER STOP FURTHER COMMUNICATION WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGH MORE CONVENTIONAL CHANNELS STOP ALL WILL BE WELL ALL WILL BE WELL ALL MANNER OF THINGS WILL BE WELL STOP GOD SAVE DIXIE END

The Rock Doctor · February 07, 2008, 07:10:06 PM

It's a good thing she bothered to look.

Carthaginian · February 07, 2008, 07:14:53 PM

Quote from: The Rock Doctor on February 07, 2008, 07:10:06 PM
It's a good thing she bothered to look.

Well, not like Teddy hadn't read it already.

The Rock Doctor · February 07, 2008, 07:17:06 PM

I believe he received messages in a corner of a couch not so long ago, so I really couldn't be sure about that.

Tanthalas · February 07, 2008, 07:31:50 PM

IDK /confusdicated

Carthaginian · February 08, 2008, 10:57:14 AM

Tan:
One of Teddy's 'contacts' within the Admiralty has a habit of leaving messages as to the goings on in the Admiralty in a tobacco poke behind a couch cushion for the President. Rock was wondering if this was another 'drop' location, or if Eleanore was really 'dumpster diving.'

The Rock Doctor · February 08, 2008, 10:59:22 AM

Indeed. Sorry about the confusion.

Carthaginian · February 08, 2008, 04:39:31 PM

30DEC10
Manassas Junction, Virginia
President's Hunting Lodge
0400EST

Teddy, Thad, and several other men sat around the fire, drinking coffee and shooting the bull. The remains of breakfast were spread on the table, and shotguns with field jackets hung atop their barrels were propped by the door. The hunting lodge outside Manassas Junction was traditionally a place where the President and his close friends could come to relax while remaining in close proximity to Richmond. At the moment, the men were preparing for a morning of hunting squirrel... and discussing issues better left out of the busy environment of Richmond.

After all, a cornfield wasn't the only place that had ears everywhere.

Cast of characters:
Theodore Roosevelt, President
Thadeus Deveroux, Vice President
Colonel Joe Wheeler Jr., C.S. A.
Josephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy

Teddy: "The proposal has been accepted. We are to begin acting according to the specified terms with the start of the new year. This is a strange move for us to be making, i know, but I believe it a rational one. Our economic influence will likely be strong enough to bring about the desired political end, and with the military aid we'd give, they would stand a far better chance of preserving themselves as a coherent nation."

Joe*: "The Trans-Mississippi is ready for restructuring. Most of our cavalry units would be preserved, but the infantry would be held in reserve state. Also, I've been speaking with a probable commander for the Gulf Coast command which would be reactivated with a minimum force after the switch-over is complete."

Josephus: "We have several plans for ships prepared, and are ready to fund the infrastructure promised as early as 1912. Production of the 12" rifles can be started by the latter part of this year, and their secondaries can be 5.5" and thus simply added to any current standing orders that we might have."

Thad: "Congress will authorize the economic assistance funding... I've already seen to the Senate's cooperation. The House is a bit questionable, but we can probably carry it with some 'convincing'."

Teddy: "Then, gentlemen, I suggest that we begin to consider which part of the acreage we shall cover this morning. I hear that the little beasts are particularly plentiful in the area near Bull Run Creek thanks to a prodigious amount of acorns."

*NOTE: This is NOT Joseph Wheeler (a.k.a. 'Fightin Joe,' a.k.a. 'War Child'), but rather his eldest son. He is, at present, a recently promoted Brigadier General and commanding forces along the DRM border, though he has been recalled to Richmond at the request of his father's friend, Teddy, for a special conference.