What to do?

[maddox]

I'm afraid Glorious France also has a tiny interest in a conflict in the Caribean....  New Rhun-Great Canal anyone...

[Ithekro]

The French Canal is in an awful position if there was a war between Gran Columbia and Rohan, as it is basically the "neutral" strip of land between them.  Also it would be the default "neutral" canal of the three Central American canals.  It currently prevents a simple ground war.  Everything will have to be moved by air or sea.

The question is...what state is MesoAmerica in anyway?  Rohan spent some effort to get them away from the Followers of the Eye (and I seem to recall providing funds for a warship or two), plus the Confederates have been trying to keep the socialist or banits down on their side of the border.  The two seem to be keeping the MesoAmericans....stable.  Rohan's armies in Gondor are perfectly able to take on the MesoAmericans if the need arises, and they know it.  The Confedrates would probably jump at the chance to take more of MesoAmerica if the cause was right (or just perhaps).  Keeping them in line afterwards would be a long term project I guess.

I don't see Rohan going after the Philippines as a territory to hold.  Perhaps a force to crush any support coming from the Pacific side in a war, but long term?  I doubt it due to the distances involved.  (The Swiss or others might jump and the chance though).  Rohan's long range projecting power has not (to my knowledge) been crafted to gain and hold lands, but to get in, wipe out any Followers of the Eye, and then leave.  They don't have quite the supply train nor bases to do prolonged campaigns at this time (unless they decide to take and make bases and increase their supply line with more ships).

It all depends on reasons I guess.  For the right reason Rohan would help Iberia in MesoAmerica, though would frown on them keeping it as it would mean even more Europeans in the Americas.

[miketr]

Its really moot as Iberia isn't going after MesoAmerica I will let the new GC player make is own mistak... I mean choices... ;)

Michael

[TexanCowboy]

Its really moot as Iberia isn't going after MesoAmerica I will let the new GC player make is own mistak... I mean choices... ;)

Michael

You know nothing about the plan to make all canals in the region irrelevent!  :P

[Ithekro]

Three canals...all fuctional.

Gran Columbia's is in the historical location.
Rohans' is more or less in the American's idea of where the canal should have been (would have if the investors hadn't chickened out because of a little volcano erupting...and that the Panama Canal was already started when they could just buy that one up)

The French Canal...is in the most difficuly place it would seem.

Rohan's idea for having the canal was national security first, trade second.  A simple move across the canal is a lot faster than sending ships around South America...especially since from one coast of Gondor to the other is not all that far away (unlike from say Virgina to California like American warships would have to due historically).  Moving people from one coast to the other is easy...moving a warship is not...thus the need for a canal.  Making sure that Rohan's Navy can always get from Pacific to Caribbean Sea is way the canal was built.  Not risking having it shut to the Navy if either Columbia or France decided Rohan may not pass.