WesWorld

Not much this quarter, but what is here is interesting.

*********************

The Manila Times
8 April 1924

The staff of the Marina de Filipina faces a dilemma: the "D-1" class destroyers Solitario and Avestruz were refit just prior to the "D-9" disaster; while the rest of the "D-1"s are being scrapped, these two ships are like-new, and the staff cannot decide what to do with them.

In addition, our battleships are getting old, and the 'Coast Defense Ships' to be built next year will be nothing more than stop-gaps. The MdF desires to purchase a newer battleship, but as one anyomous naval officer said, "Dreadnoughts do not grow on trees"...

***

The Manila Times
15 April 1924

Malaria Season is now upon us. Dr. Watson of the Filipino Health Service reminds us that malaria is not caused by bad air, and is not contagious, but is rather spread by the mosquito. He advises all Filipinos to take steps to avoid exposure to malarial mosquitoes...

***

The Manila Envelope
21 April 1924

Has it escaped the notice of our "Government" that we are at the mercy of the Dutch when it comes to our oil supply? That's right, 99.2% of the petroleum products used in these islands originates in the Netherlands East Indies. Handy for shipment; dangerous if we ever make the Dutch angry! Meanwhile, the Russians have a glut of oil - so much they don't know what to do with it all. Am I the only one who sees the oppertunity we are missing?...

***

The Manila Times
29 April 1924

Ever since the Filipino delegate to the League of Nations annouced our support of India's mandate at As Salif, the Muslim populations of the Philippines have been unsettled. Yesterday on Mindanao two youths were arrested after throwing petrol-filled bottles at a passing Army truck...

(OOC: what were Molotov cocktails called before Molotov?)

***

The Manila Evening Times
3 May 1924

The Filipino Naval Staff believes they may have found an answer to the Battleship Problem, and perhaps the Destroyer Problem as well.

The government of Atlantis has a number of ex-Austrian ships that were interned as war reparations at the end of the Great War, including the battleships Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand and Radetzky, and it is rumoured that they are now looking to dispose of them. While not the most modern of ships, the Radetskys are newer than our Manilas, and the Foreign Office has sent an inquiry to Cleito as to if any of these ships might be available.

As for the destroyers, the atrocious seakeeping of the Solitario and Avestruz would not be a problem in the placid Mediterranian, and a number of navies there might be willing to take them off our hands...

***

The Manila Times
18 May 1924

The sailors of the Marina de Filipina are quite enthused with the 13.7mm machine guns fitted to the ex-Italian ships delivered a few months back, and it is expected that this caliber will become the standard of the Filipino armed services.

***

The Manila Evening Times
12 June 1924

There was a small riot this afternoon in the Old Town section of Manila. Details are lacking but it appears to be another demonstration against our support of India at As Salif.

***

The Manila Evening Times
28 June 1924

This paper has learned that a report circulating in the upper echelons of the Marina de Filipina states that the Spratly Islands, currently officially unoccupied by man or beast, might be one of the sources of the pirate activity that has plagued the South China Sea over the past five years...

Quoted

(OOC: what were Molotov cocktails called before Molotov?)

No idea, but reading a bit on grenades here, it looks like an invention from WW2.
I'd like to think of Manzo flying around in a plane with a couple of such bottles which he will drop on the enemy (if his allies are lucky)
The Japanese originally called it "Manzo's Sake", but later renamed it to "Manzo's Ouzo" after his visit to Greece.
Perhaps in the Philippines, it has something to do with Commodore Garcia... something like "Garcia's Champaign."

Quoted

Originally posted by Swamphen
In addition, our battleships are getting old, and the 'Coast Defense Ships' to be built next year will be nothing more than stop-gaps. The MdF desires to purchase a newer battleship, but as one anyomous naval officer said, "Dreadnoughts do not grow on trees"...

If the Filipinos are interested in getting a reall battleship the SAE might be able to make an offer. Currently the RSAN is down to 13 (of 14 allowed) capital ships due to the modernisation of both HERTOG-class BCs. However, once those ships are back in active service the RSAN has 15/14 capital warships and has to get rid of one unit. The ship in question will be RSAN MADAGASCAR - a ship with twice the size and number of 30,5cm main guns as your MANILA-class pre-dreads.

If you´re interested, feel free to contact your local battleship-dealer....

Quoted

The Japanese originally called it "Manzo's Sake", but later renamed it to "Manzo's Ouzo" after his visit to Greece. Perhaps in the Philippines, it has something to do with Commodore Garcia... something like "Garcia's Champaign."

Unfortunatly, I don't think the good Commodore is bright enough to come up with such an idea. Such a waste of a good champagne bottle too!

I move that the WesWorld equivilant of the Molotov cocktail be called Manzo's Ouzo.

Ironically enough while looking through my sorces for the Turkish Yavuz, under Moltke, right before it is info on the Molotov cocktail. It was first used in 1937 by the Chinese against the Japanese in fighting around Shaghai.

Looks like Manzo will just have to rely on his presence to scare the "£$%^&* out of people!!!!!!

Hooman wrote:

Quoted

If the Filipinos are interested in getting a reall battleship the SAE might be able to make an offer. Currently the RSAN is down to 13 (of 14 allowed) capital ships due to the modernisation of both HERTOG-class BCs. However, once those ships are back in active service the RSAN has 15/14 capital warships and has to get rid of one unit. The ship in question will be RSAN MADAGASCAR - a ship with twice the size and number of 30,5cm main guns as your MANILA-class pre-dreads.

to which I counter:

H. RULES FOR DISPOSAL AND CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP OF VESSELS OF WAR



I.



The present Treaty provides for the disposal of vessels of war in the

following ways:

(i) By scrapping (sinking or breaking up);

(ii) By converting the vessel to a hulk;

(iii) By converting the vessel to target use exclusively;

(iv) By retaining the vessel exclusively for experimental purposes;

(v) By retaining the vessel exclusively for training purposes.

The present Treaty does not provide for disposal by way of sale to another Contracting Power or to a non-Contracting Power.

3H(I) is well known, thanks.

The above was a player-to-player information put on an open board because there´s nothing to hide. Everybody who can read reports and count to 15 will be able to see there´s one capital unit too much.

Rest assured that if the Fillipinos are interested there will be a way to work around that paragraph in character play. It just has to be done right and/or coupled with an interesting story...

Quoted

It was first used in 1937 by the Chinese against the Japanese in fighting around Shaghai.

Ah, but history has already been changed. It was first used in 1924 by rowdy Muslim youths on the island of Mindanao...the Mindanao Cocktail?

(Note that it's Mindanao and not Mindoro - the news above has been edited.)

Is it just me or does anyone else sense a little "snipiness" in the air at the moment?????????

Now that I look at those rules, wouldn't it make sence to have a rule that circumvents the prohibiting of sale to contracting and non-contracting powers by forceing them to join the CT if they purchase a capital ship from a CT signatory?

This could work, but the purchase would still go through as it would have to happen first for the condition that they have to join the CT to kick in!!

Not nessasarilly, it would be a sub rule, the very first thing to happen would be an agreement by both party's to make the sale and join the CT. then the sale would occure and the non-contracting party would join the CT.

I think this would be a good way to persuade possible capital ship seeking nations to abide by the CT.

The only problem would be if all the signatories would agree with the rule, and I sence that some will not like the idea due to a possible sabotage of their nefarious plans!

Quoted

Is it just me or does anyone else sense a little "snipiness" in the air at the moment?????????

It's the *pant, gasp* heat... *whew!*

Folks, I am not sure why that rule change is needed. The CT specifically forbids the disposing of ships by sale to whoever. Or rather what would happen is that if you sell a ship to anybody, it would still be counted against your numbers and tonnage. So what would a rule change achieve?

LA is absolutely right. The ownership (or the change of it) is important.

The reason why Peng and I inserted this phrase after some lengthy discussion was to prevent players to simply sell their old vessels to non-player countries (accourding to some story line) and gain something in return (x tons of material for example) out of the blue.

With hindsight it might have been better to also insert a phrase allowing the change of ownership depending on x, y or z, but that would have been a very complex paragraph.

Changing things now is not possible - except a Second Claito Treaty Talk is what you have in mind. Or we have to do it out of character.

Nevertheless, I can think of scenarios making it possible. You just have to stick to the text of the CT and work around the word "sale" for example. And that´s just one chance - the most obvious of course.

More when it becomes reality....

Regards,

HoOmAn