5 July 1904
"What is happening with the Netherlands?", inquired President Rey Alizandro. "This sounds rather peculiar."
"Nobody is precisely certain", Foreign Minister Torres responded. "They have terminated their claim to their holdings in Indochina and are abruptly evacuating their citizens. There are rumors the French have somehow caused this to happen, but only rumors."
"Do we care?", asked Ricardo Alizandro. "Never mind, of course we do. If the French and Middle Kingdom go to war over it, it weakens France here. That can only be a good thing."
Torres' head bobbed from side to side, as if he were not certain whether to agree or not. "There is no indication that the Netherlands will be following suit with its other posessions", he said instead.
"Still, a power vacuum in Surinam could be an issue if one comes about", Rey commented.
"France might seek to exploit such a vacuum", Benicio Delgado observed, "Yet she seems to be experiencing some political paralysis while Palpete is incommunicado. I would be more concerned about the Anahuac exploiting a vacuum in the south of the colony."
"The Army of Guyana can spare a regiment or two to tackle that if we have to", Ricardo stated. "Securing the coast will be more important if we want to keep the place - to that end, I'd like to have a regiment on alert for transport to Paramaribo, along with a squadron from the Armada."
"So long as they are merely on alert. I don't wish to add the Netherlands to the list of nations we're antagonizing if I can help it", Rey said.
18 July 1904: Pimichin Project, 140 km SE of Puerto Infrida, Colombia
Dynamite crackled in the distance as some obstacle - rock, fallen tree, whatever - was obliterated in the little Terni River. The sound had become routine over the past months as Gran Colombia set to work on its latest canal project, the Pimichin. Already a simple cart track had been established between the landing at Terni and on Pimichin Creek, sixteen kilometres away. Now obstructions in the river bottoms were being cleared in between the arrival of freight canoes and small barges carrying supplies for either the project or the more distant Army of Guyana to the south.
It was the war to the south that had caused the project to be created in the first place. The most effective way of moving materials into the Amazon Basin was by river, but the Amazon had its headwaters in (nominally) French Brazil, creating the possibility of a blockade if the Marine Nationale ever decided to do so. A literature review by Department of Industry bureaucrats had turned up to possible options for connecting the Amazon and Orinoco river systems, however.
The other option was called the Casiquiare Canal, a three hundred and fifty kilometre long natural offshoot of the Rio Negro that had meandered quite accidently into the Orinoco. European explorers had documented its existence over a century earlier, and noted that it was at least three hundred metres wide, good enough for a variety of riverine craft. However, the currents at the Casaquiare's lower end were as high as eight knots in the wet season, making for a risky downstream voyage and rendering an upstream trip impractical to most smaller craft. Over the long term, some of the rivers entering the Casiquiare could be diverted to reduce its volume and flow rate, but it would take a fair bit of time and effort that the government didn't want to invest just yet.
By contrast, the Terni and the Pimichin were, though small, fairly sedentary and suitable for small craft. The isthmus between the two were close to ideal for construction of a small canal, consisting of low hills and swampland.
The initial Gran Colombian work party had consisted of a few hundred men who'd built a camp, in January, for the larger work party that arrived in February and March. Those men had carved out the cart track, now in use by a number of ox carts to move supplies or even small boats between the rivers. In June, they'd started on the new canal, a slightly meandering eighteen kilometre long route having now been surveyed. Cutting through swamp wherever possible, the canal would have a depth of two metres over a ten metre width, with the width at surface averaging twenty-two metres (giving it gently sloping and, hopefully stable banks).
"Three more years of this...", groaned Oscar Marcos, a veteran of the Darien project, splashing himself with brackish water as he drove his shovel down.
"Consider yourself blessed", countered Guillermo Renaldo, depositing a shovel's worth of red mud into a bucket. "I've heard that the overseers had at least two thousand other 'penal contractors' executed after we finished at Darien."
"Three more years of this", Marcos repeated, in a falsely cheerful tone.
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swamphen
Posted: Jan 27 2007, 09:22 PM
Großeadmiral Sumpfhühn
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That's what, six canals under construction now?
(Note to CSA-self: begin work on Cross-Florida Barge Canal.)
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Desertfox
Posted: Jan 27 2007, 11:31 PM
Commander Johann Wyss
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Let's see there's the joint NS-Rohan one across Nicaragua, the French one across Costa Rica, two in Grand Columbia, and the joint Siam-NS one across the Kra Isthmus. I dont know if there's any others.
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Maddox
Posted: Jan 27 2007, 11:46 PM
Hegemon
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The Peace Canal between the Middle kingdom and Korea....
One of the agreements for a seize fire between the Middle Kingdom and New Swiss.
Phoenix is spending serious resources to make it a very big moat.
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The Rock Doctor
Posted: Jan 28 2007, 09:44 AM
Hegemon
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I consider the Darien Canal to be essentially completed in terms of physical labor requirements. It's now a matter of waiting for enough water to accumulate in Gatun Lake. That has freed up a good portion of the work force for alternate uses, and so some have gone down to Pimichin.
Note that Pimichin is a much smaller project in all respects than the other canals in question - just large enough to move river boats through.
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The Rock Doctor
Posted: Feb 4 2007, 09:43 PM
Hegemon
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5 September 1904
"In two months - perhaps less - we're going to be at war with France", Rey Alizandro told his cabinet ministers.
Minister Escalante nearly choked on his coffee. "What? I thought they were sitting quiet?"
"That has changed", Minister Torres sighed. "We have received a message from Minister Paixhans in Paris, re-asserting French control over Brazil. This also appears to include Amazonas and Roraima. They are telling us they will be sending forces to Manaus and anticipate negotiating with the Anahuac. They tell us to expect the forces in early November."
"Which means we should expect them sooner", Benicio Delgado stated.
"Probably. Can't trust them any farther than you can throw them", Ricardo Alizandro declared.
"Now what?", asked Escalante. "That isn't a declaration of war."
Rey bristled. "France has repeatedly attacked our canal works, and our naval forces, without provocation. They've estabilshed a satanic cult on our border and allowed it to run roughshod over the continent, forcing us to sacrifice thousands of lives, including that of my father, to stop them. I will be damned if I am going to back down from the French now. If they land a single man in Amazonas or run a single vessel up our portion of the Amazon, I will give them a war that will shake their rotten empire to its core." He looked over to his uncle, who nodded slightly.
"I've issued orders to General Geolog to resist French incursions", Ricardo said. "He's already moving his supply dumps inland, out of French naval artillery range, and he's digging in for a seige against Manaus. Establishing other strongpoints along the river in both directions to interfere with French landings there. I understand the naval officer in charge is surveying to establish a depot upriver along one of the tributaries."
"And since the French did refer to discussions taking place after matters are resolved, I've sent them a strong recommendation to start talking before they arrive and the situation deteriorates", Torres added.
"Glorious France won't negotiate with lil' ol' us", Ricardo observed with considerable sarcasm.
"Probably not", Torres agreed. "Nonetheless, it is worth the effort. If nothing else, it may buy your people some time."
"I want authorization to run another convoy into Manaus. I want to top up their supplies, add a few more smaller naval craft, and bring in some materials Geolog doesn't have. Mines, for example. A barrier along the river could be a real shock to a French convoy making for Manaus."
Ricardo didn't have long to wait for an answer. Rey nodded almost immediately. "Put the entire military on alert. I don't want the French taking a stab at the Canal, Cuba, or anywhere else, for that matter." He tapped his finger on the table a few times. "Aright, quickly - the Island Commonwealth situation."
Benicio Delgado cleared his throat. "The most important thing we know at this time is that we don't know everything. This is not just a matter of the Commonwealth cracking down on a few discontents. Somebody is making a play here."
"Is it ever anything else?", Ricardo asked.
Torres held up a slip of paper. "We received this request from the New Swiss to move thirty thousand troops across the isthmus in October. The President directed me to refuse this request, along with coaling requests at the Galapagos. I also communicated some concerns to the Swiss, who came back with an apology for their inaccurate initial request and a modified request to transport three thousand troops overland. We haven't yet responded to that one."
"Surprise. The Swiss are involved", Escalante said. He shook his head and reached for the box of cigars sitting in the middle of the table.
"Being the capitalists they are, I'm sure they're seeking to profit out of this somehow. Perhaps another port enclave", Minister de Soto noted.
"Leaving us with the prospect of the Swiss encamped in our front yard", Ricardo said. "The Swiss can be useful at times, but I can't say this notion excites me."
"For now, we're going to have to focus on France", Rey stated. "But I want constant updates on this, and I want the players to know that we're not going to be amused at any stunts next door."
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The Rock Doctor
Posted: Feb 5 2007, 09:31 PM
Hegemon
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9 September
"Your update", Minister Torres began. "M. Jardan is the French intermediary, and his latest correspondence does recognize our position on Amazonas and Roraima. I have asked for clarification on what they're proposing to deploy and what they intend to do with the Anahuac."
"That could be encouraging", Benicio Delgado noted. "Or merely a ploy."
"We will see."
"What about the convoy?", Ricardo asked.
"That was also asked. I would not rely upon it." Torres sipped at his coffee. "I have also sent a note to the Austrians about these rumors they are involved in the Commonwealth situation. I will let you know if I get a response from them."
"Is the Commonwealth up to repelling a strong assault by the Swiss if that's what it turns out to be?", Rey Alizandro asked.
Delgado frowned. "Up to date information on their army is lacking, but historically they've not maintained a large force. If the Swiss get troops ashore, and can maintain the beachhead, they'll probably take the day. Eastern Kingdom airships operating in support would be a very powerful scouting tool. Possibly an offensive tool as well, depending on the circumstances. We've not yet seen how effective they are in this regard."
"We might soon enough", Ricardo remarked.