The Hague Convention on the High Seas

[Darman]

The Dutch invite all sea-faring nations to join them in The Hague to discuss the recent proliferation of piracy, particularly in the Far East and Caribbean, and to discuss the rights of neutral vessels during wars at sea. 

Please post who your nation is sending and in what capacity. 

[Walter]

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Count Federico Luigi
Minister of War: Lt. General Ettore Bertolè-Viali
Minister of the Navy: Rear Admiral Augusto Riboty
+ a few dozen members of La Guardia Svizzera (=/= Guardia Svizzera Pontificia).

Capacity: Fully charged on day 1 and, according to the formula t = Q_p/I^k, they can last a while as long as they are properly charged each day with proper food. ;D

[Walter]

Federico Luigi: *Gets up and reads from paper* "I would like to... thank the Dutch Govrnment to... uhm..."

Augusto Riboty: "No need to start right now. The other players haven't posted yet whether they will be sending someone to this meeting and who it will be."

Ettore Bertolè-Viali: "Yes. Even this Darman fellow, who started this thread and runs the Netherlands, has not indicated who will represent the Dutch at this meeting."

Federico Luigi: "But we need to start right away! In December we all get replaced by a new government!"

Augusto Riboty: "Considering that Navalism hasn't started yet, we all assume that this meeting takes place in 1869, but it is quite possible that Darman planned it for the start of 1870, which would mean we would have to leave and let the Lanza government members take over."

Emilio Visconti-Venosta, Giuseppe Govone & Stefano Castagnola/Guglielmo Acton: *waiving from the side door*

Emilio Visconti-Venosta (next minister of foreign affairs): "Better move over B-team!"

Giuseppe Govone (next minister of War): "Yeah! The A-tam is here!"

Stefano Castagnola/Guglielmo Acton (next two ministers of the Navy): "We are Borg. Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated."

Federico Luigi: *groan* "God save us. Players! Hurry up! Send your teams over quickly before it is too late!!"

Emilio Visconti-Venosta: "Nonono. Just take it easy. We have a lot of time."

Stefano Castagnola: "We advice you..."

Guglielmo Acton: "... to take it easy..."

Stefano Castagnola: "... and think hard..."

Guglielmo Acton: "... as to whom..."

Stefano Castagnola: ".. you will send..."

Guglielmo Acton: "... to this meeting..."

Stefano Castagnola/Guglielmo Acton: "... in order to be assimilated."

Shooting Guardia Svizzera: "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

Hovering Guardia Svizzera: "ELEVATE! ELEVATE!"

Blindfolded Guardia Svizzera: "MY VISION IS IMPAIRED! I CANNOT SEE!!"

Ettore Bertolè-Viali: "Quick trusty Guardia Svizzera! Take him out now!"

Shooting Guardia Svizzera: "I OBEY!"

Hovering Guardia Svizzera: "I OBEY!"

Blindfolded Guardia Svizzera: "I OBEY!"

Ettore Bertolè-Viali: "Excellent!"

Blindfolded Guardia Svizzera: "... BUT MY VISION IS IMPAIRED! I CANNOT SEE!!"

*Shooting Guardia Svizzera & Hovering Guardia Svizzera start fighting Stefano Castagnola/Guglielmo Acton*

Federico Luigi: "... I think it is better to hold a break and wait what will happen."

Other: "Agreed."

Emilio Visconti-Venosta: "There better be some cake. If there is no cake, we will riot!"

Other: "YEAH!!"

*exit all*

[KWorld]

The US will send our ambassador to The Hague, Hugh Boyle Ewing, along with the naval attache' to the Netherlands.  Ambassador Ewing will be representing the United States, and has full power to negotiate a treaty.  His signature, of course, does not bind the US until the President counter-signs it after approval is granted by the US Senate.

[KWorld]

Austria-Hungary will send it's naval attache' to the Netherlands, as an observer.  [Austria-Hungary wants to know what's going on, and if it likes the results of the discussion, it will sign on later.]

[Darman]

The Netherlands will be represented by its Foreign Minister, Theodorus Marinus Roest van Limburg as well as its Prime Minister, Pieter Philip van Bosse. 

[Jefgte]

France  will be represented by its Foreign Minister, Théophile Delcassé; its Minister of Colonies, Albert Decrais;
its War Minister Gaston Callifet & its Minister de la Marine Jean-Marie Lanessan.

[Darman]

Her Royal Majesty, Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdoms of Greater Britain and Ireland shall be sending to The Hague George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon, the administration's Foreign Secretary, Hugh Childers, her First Lord of the Admiralty, Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, her Secretary of State for Colonies, and the President of the Board of Trade, John Bright.  The Royal representatives have been instructed to bring before the Convention the issues of declaring legally sanctioned blockades of ports, the rights of neutral vessels on the high seas to limited interference by belligerents during times of war, the rights of neutral ports to host belligerents' vessels for limited periods of time, respect of neutral waters by belligerent warships, and the arming of merchant vessels during times of war, among other considerations to be brought before the Convention at the proper time. 

[Logi]

Japan will send an attache' to the Netherlands, as an observer. [Japan should not be considered strong enough to negotiate as a independent party yet and will therefore just watch and if the terms are acceptable, sign later.]

[Darman]

Japan will send an attache' to the Netherlands, as an observer. [Japan should not be considered strong enough to negotiate as a independent party yet and will therefore just watch and if the terms are acceptable, sign later.]

[Japan is at the same level as all the other great powers, no?]

[Logi]

[Gameplay wise yes, but IC no. You'll have to completely make up extensive history for that to be even remotely true. If I'm going to rewrite some 300+ years of history prior to our sim start date, I might as well go and play Risk. I hate Risk.]

[KWorld]

[The US is sending the local ambassador and attache' because it would be difficult for the US Secretary of State or Secretary of the Navy to perform their official duties when away from Washington for the extended period such a trip to the Hague would require.  When you include period travel time of 9+ days each way from the US to the Netherlands, plus travel time within each country, plus the time required for the conference itself, we're probably looking at 6 weeks or more.  A high-level Japanese delegation would require substantially more time to travel the distance.]

[Guinness]

The mechanism of the Sublime Porte is lurching into motion.

If there were a standing ambassador from the Ottoman Empire to the Netherlands, it would likely be his responsibility to attend, but there is not.

So the bureaucrats debate as to whether or not a representative should be sent, and if so who.

[Walter]

If there were a standing ambassador from the Ottoman Empire to the Netherlands, it would likely be his responsibility to attend, but there is not.

Why not? The Ottomans hate the Dutch? :)

[Darman]

If there were a standing ambassador from the Ottoman Empire to the Netherlands, it would likely be his responsibility to attend, but there is not.

Why not? The Ottomans hate the Dutch? :)

They dislike Dutch cocoa