AWNR: Japan Q2, Q3 & Q4

Mr. Valentines Day

Tuesday, October 26th 2004, 7:11pm

As alway behind with the news a bit, I managed to come up with some more rubish for the remainder of 1924.

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Q2

April 8, 1924
It has been announced today that Japan will include a number of larger vessels in its building program to be built for Chosen and Formosa. The building program for Chosen and Formosa is expected to start next year. Exact details as to what is going to be built are not given, but a navy official mentioned that none of these ships will exceed Japan’s upper limits of 40,000 tons for the hull and 15 inch for the main guns. The main reason of the building plan was to modernize the navies of Chosen and Formosa so they would have capable ships that can take on pirate ships.

Q3
July 7, 1924
Rohrbach-Metall-Aeroplan Co. A/S from Copenhagen has demonstrated its RO II flying boat today at Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Ltd. The initial impressions of the RO II were quite good. Several members of Mitsubishi plan to travel to Manila sometimes next week to witness the performances of Italy’s S.55 flying boat. While plans for both planes are not exactly known at the moment, it is rumored that Japan will probably place an order for both planes.

September 13, 1924
Today in Manila, the existence of SATSUMA was announced. Although there have been some speculations in the Empire regarding a coalition between India and the Philippines, it still came as a bit of a surprise to the people of the Empire. The people believe that the creation of SATSUMA was a good decision of the three nations, although there were a few who thought that some of the aggressive and hostile sounding lines should not have been used in the speeches. All in all, it is expected that this is a great step forward and the future of India, Japan and the Philippines looks promising.

September 16, 1924
Yesterday, an explosion in Manila harbour destroyed the cruiser Mindoro as well as the Battle Cruiser Basilan lying beside it and damaging, possibly beyond repair, the cruiser Mindanao.
Of the visiting Indian and Japanese ships, the Nagato was closest to the blast, and although it was still at some distance from the incident a few small bits of shrapnel still found their way to the large battleship. Still, Nagato did suffer one casualty as one of her sailors was hit in a rather painful location and was carried off to the sickbay. The ship’s surgeon successfully removed the small piece of shrapnel, but it is believed that the sailor cannot sit down for a few weeks.
“Just like Nagakura Shinpachi,” the sailor managed to smile despite the pain.
Nagakura Shinpachi was one of the three legendary swordsmen of the Shinsengumi and captain of the second unit during the early days of the Shinsengumi. During the Kyoto crisis of 1888, Nagakura was hit by a bullet in a rather unpleasant area of the body.
A member of the Bakufu was heard mentioning that perhaps the explosion was caused by someone who didn’t like the speeches on the day that SATSUMA was announced.

September 24, 1924
Tokugawa Onyanko, acting military commander in the absence of her elder brother, Tokugawa Kaetuza, and her elder sisters, Tokugawa Tsugako and Tokugawa Rueko, called for an increase of the Shinsengumi's activity after three men were arrested, who were trying to smuggle firearms and explosives into the country. She also informed the Bakufu that the ban on firearms was not enough and that it should be adjusted to a 'Weapons Ban' that would include explosives of any kind as well.
"It has become clear that the ban on firearms alone is not enough," Onyanko told AWNR: Japan. "An incident like what happened in Manila Harbour is very unlikely to happen in a Japanese harbour due to the restricted access to the ships. However, there are ways to get an incident, which has a similar result as what happened in Manila Harbour. With the use of explosives, these so-called 'liberators' could do tremendous damage. Therefore explosive devices must also be banned since they can seriously disrupt our way of life when they are in the wrong hands."
We expect that the Bakufu will have made a decision regarding the proposed 'Weapons Ban' within a week. We have our doubts if such a ban would have any effect in the lands of our SATSUMA allies, where culture and religion are more mixed than our nation, although the governments of India and the Philippines could always try it.
It has been reported that quite a few citizens interviewed by AWNR: Japan changed the 'Sons' bit in SALSA into something... ruder. (AWNR: Japan refuses to print this word)
No details were released of the identities of the three men arrested, but their futures look very bleak and it is expected that when the 'Weapons Ban' is announced, these men are no longer among the living. If they are lucky, they will only become about a foot shorter...

Q4
November 1, 1924
Today, the Bakufu has announced that they will support the new Weapons Ban, announced by Lady Tokugawa Onyanko.
As of November 1, 1924, no one in the Japanese Empire is allowed to carry an explosive device or explosive devices, except those who serve the Army of the Empire, and only when they are in uniform. Anyone caught breaking this law shall be considered to be an enemy of SATSUMA and immediately dealt with in the proper manner.

November 8, 1924
“You know… something was supposed to have happened on this day but I have actually no idea what it was. Was it an accident? Or a War? Perhaps it was an assassination? It could even have been a Celebration?
“Funny thing is that it is not just me. Other people that I have talked to seemed to have the same impression. Fortunately I write down everything in my diary, but strangely enough I seemed to have misplaced it so I guess that it will remain a mystery.
“Speaking of mysteries... It is a mystery why my new plane has not arrived yet. I had written a special letter to Savoia-Marchetti, telling them that I was very interested in their S.55 in order to replace my old plane that was lost two years ago. They replied that I was a special case but that they would send one to the nearest Japanese base as soon as possible.
“That was more than three months ago. I guess that it is time to write another letter and find out why I haven’t seen anything arrive yet.”
From a report by Aikabara Yayoko.
(OOC: What happened here? Well, I wrote down the date but didn’t put the news below it yet. I forgot about it and when I saw the date again between all the news bits, I had no idea what the plan was for this day. ^_^;

November 26, 1924
After India’s denunciation of the Russian Federation’s "Creeping Colonialism", the Empire of Japan, too, has denounced the actions of the Russian Federation.
“Using Kadharni-san’s words, ‘Russia has bullied its way inside a sovereign state,’ but how long until they stop using those tactics?” Takugawa Tsugako told AWNR: Japan. “India is greatly concerned that the Russians might go after various other nations that lie along its long borders.
“Ever since the end of our war with China, we have worked hard on the relationship between the two nations. We have now reached a point where we are getting somewhere, but if the Russian Federation decides to mess around and bully its way into China, they will certainly destroy decades of hard work by our diplomats.
“But for how long will they use these ‘Bully Tactics’ to get what they want? Our Allies India and the Philippines have buffer zones between themselves and the Russian Federation. Japan, however, has two prefectures that border the territory of the Russian Federation: Karafuto Prefecture and Etorofu Prefecture (*). So how long until they stop using these “Bully Tactics” and use action to take these territories from us? What if they do not stop there? What if they move on beyond Hokkaido?
“We hope that the other two FAR members have more sense and are able to convince the Russians to stop using these tactics before it might trigger a war that no one wants. If not, we will be forced to take action and bring this matter before the Council of the League of Nations.”

November 29, 1924
Today, the Armenian Ambassador visited the Shogun. The ambassador tried to convince Japan’s Military Commander that the mutual assistance pact that Armenia recently signed with the Russian Federation was actually an Armenian initiative, rather than what has now been called ‘Russian Bully Tactics’.
After the Ambassador left, the Shogun did have a different view on the situation, but it was not one that the Ambassador hoped for. “Like talking to a rock,” he told. “Although it could be because of the language barrier that he sometimes sets up. One moment he speaks English, and the next moment he is turning the conversation into Japanese and his wife has to translate everything. I got the impression that he did that on purpose.”
The Shogun now believes that some high ranking Armenian officials have been payed by the Russian Federation in order to make it look as if it were an Armenian initiative that brought forth the mutual assistance pact.
The Armenian Ambassador hopes that during his next visit he can convince the Shogun that bribery is not the case. Still it is more likely that (by using another ‘Language Barrier’) the Shogun will misinterpret a new explanation as well.

December 1, 1924
The Bakufu has looked over a plan today that will strengthen the Japanese forces in the North. The plan would not only include the strengthening of current fortifications and building new ones, but mobilizing Ashigara reserves in the area as well. However the plan does not include the mobilization of the other reserves or units of the Daimyo no Houmentai.
“We are not going to execute the whole plan at the moment,” a Bakufu official told AWNR: Japan. “We just want to make sure that we have a proper and modern plan ready to protect the North from any aggressors. Still, we shall be strengthening the current defense lines we have over there.”

December 19, 1924
“Well, I got a letter from Savoia-Marchetti today. They were surprised that the Osaka Flying Boat Base hadn’t received the S.55 yet. So they decided to do a bit of investigating. Turns out that they were expecting someone from the Osaka Base to pick up the plane and that it was taken away by a suspicious-looking Japanese pilot who apparently had crashed it somewhere in the Himalayas. Unfortunately I got the impression that the Italians think that all Japanese pilots are suspicious-looking. Still I have a suspicion that the culprit is none other than the flying lunatic who wrecked my Fokker F III a few years ago.
“This stupid stunt of his is going to cost me money! I will write a new letter to Savoia-Marchetti for a new plane and request them that they will send an Italian pilot to bring the plane, rather than having a Japanese pilot pick up the plane.”
From a report by Aikabara Yayoko.

December 28, 1924
Construction of Japan’s Antarctic Station for Environmental Observation (JASEO) was finished today. After a break of various months due to the harsh and dark winter of Antarctica, construction was again started last month.
The next step in Japan’s Antarctic Research Program (JARP) will be to construct the Mount Erebus Volcanic Observation Station (MEVOS). A group will leave in about a week in order to observe the area further to the south and determine a suitable location to build the MEVOS.