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May 5
General Election Day: The Conservative Party led by Stanley Baldwin has one a decisive victory over the Liberal and Labour parties. The main themes of the election were rearmament, housing and unemployment. The Conservatives hold almost the same amount of votes as 1931 and Labour made around a hundred seats gain from the Liberal party.
The new cabinet is composed like this.
Prime Minister: Stanley Baldwin
Chancellor of the Exchequer: Neville Chamberlain
Home Secretary: Sir J. Simon
Foreign Secretary: Sir Samuel Hoare
Colonial Secretary: Anthony Eden
Dominions Secretary: J. H. Thomas
Secretary for War: Leslie Hore-Belisha
Secretary for Air: Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister
First Lord of the Admiralty: Sir B. Eyres-Monsell
President of the Board of Trade: W. Runciman
Minster of Labour: E. Brown
Minster of Health: Sir K. Wood
Minister of Transport: L. Hore-Belisha

May 17
The Home Fleet has begun six weeks of exercises in the North Sea with five capital ships and two carriers taking part. Rumours persist the Navy is trying out similar tactics to the Buenos Aires raid of February 7th in South America.

May 20
The 20th Light Cruiser Squadron has been formed on the Clyde with six of the latest L Class cruisers.

June 6
The Foreign Secretary Sir Samuel Hoare today announced a summer European diplomatic tour to visit France, Netherlands, Germany and Nordmark to discuss various matters.

May 7th, 1935 - Berlin

The German government congratulates Prime Minister Baldwin and his Conservatives on their victory, and looks forward hopefully to continued good relations with Great Britain.

The Dutch Govt congratulates Mr. Baldwin on his victory and is quite willing to host in June.

Minutes of Cabinet Meeting on the South American situation.

Those present:
Prime Minister: Stanley Baldwin
Foreign Secretary: Sir Samuel Hoare
Colonial Secretary: Anthony Eden
Secretary for War: Leslie Hore-Belisha
First Lord of the Admiralty: Sir B. Eyres-Monsell

Stanley Baldwin: It seems the war is entering its mst violent phase and the seems not to be going the Africans way.

Sir Samuel Hoare: On land it is true thier northern Army is almost completley cut off and caught between an Argentine and a Brazilian pincer movement. It is almost certain Paraguay will fall to the UPAF regime. There is little the Africans can do about it.

Leslie Hore-Belisha: They still fear an overland invasion along the coastline to capture one of their Atlantic port, perhaps with an axis of advance to Buenos Aires. Brazil is moving southwards and this is splitting the RSAA into three piecemeal pieces. As long as they hold the sea routes open they should not lose the war in Uruaguay.

Stanley Baldwin: What are the chances of the Argentine Navy against the African Fleet?

Sir B. Eyres-Monsell: So far the Argentines have not committed any big ships to commerce raiding although rumors are the Brazilian battlecruisers are on the lose as we speak on another raid. If the RSAN loses a battle against them then the Argentines are sure to come out. The "Pony Express" we're hearing a geat deal about has made some spectacular raids but nothing war winning nor have they interrupted Argentine coastal traffic. The Buenos Aires raid was certainly a victory for the Argentines to force the RSAN further away from its main base at Bahia Blanca.

Leslie Hore-Belisha: Yes and being based upon land-based bombers makes severe questions to the threat of our own fleet to shore-based bombers.

Stanley Baldwin: Yes but that is not important right now. What is the threat to the Falkland Islands? Given Argentine noises about the islands will they use the war as an excuse to invade?

Sir Samuel Hoare: I think not. Argentina reiles on beef exports to us for foreign currency, without currency they cannot buy what they need. While we can send them some aid for Paraguayan refugees and war victims we should not send them anything of potential war value. Also why would they risk taking on another sea power? It would doom them to losing the war and risking strict reparations afterwards.

Stanley Baldwin: Maybe but I'm not taking any risks, the public would not stand by and watch the Empire being invaded. It would be worse for us if we were unprepared. Eden, old chap, you haven't said a word yet.

Anthony Eden: I agree it would be in our best interests to send forces to the islands to forestall any invasion, to ward off the Nordmark who have sent a powerful task force already and pledged a squadron of bombers to the Africans.

Leslie Hore-Belisha: Prime Minister we have drawn up a plan of action. We can send three thousand Royal Marines to Port Stanley via ship, also we have three flying boats and no less than six seaplanes ready for shipment to form a composite sqaudron to provide a twenty-four hour coverage of the waters around the Falklands.

Sir B. Eyres-Monsell: The Navy already has the 19th Light Cruiser Sqaudron and the 21st Destroyer Flotilla on station at the Falklands. If needed two cruiser sqadrons could be despatched from Jamaica.

Stanley Baldwin: All of those ships are elderly floating museum pieces.

Sir B. Eyres-Monsell: Perhaps if the government had spent more on remarmament or...

Leslie Hore-Belisha: Prime Minister, will you give your assent to the plan?

Stanley Baldwin: Let's put it to the vote gentlemen. All the ayes, all the nays. The ayes have it five all, let us hope this will placate the public that we are doing something on the war.

Sir Samuel Hoare: Let us hope the Dutch don't get involved, under the terms of SANTA they could send troops or ships to the Africans. What would we do then.

Anthony Eden: That is must unlikley, the Africans may be blood relatives but thier friendliness with the Indians would make the Dutch think twice before sending any real military aid. Some escorts in the Pacific would be enough to secure friendship while remaining far from the actual war.

Stanley Baldwin: I agree. The Queen may be a fool but her government has its head screwed on well enough. Still we must be wary of them.

Sir Samuel Hoare: The French are planning to reinforce their colonies in South America too.

Stanley Baldwin: There is no doubt genetlemen, South America at the moment is the world's biggest poweder keg of the moment. We must tread carefully.

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
Stanley Baldwin: There is no doubt genetlemen, South America at the moment is the world's biggest poweder keg of the moment. We must tread carefully.

Now, just watch, some blasted Smoking Filipino will show up and BOOM!

With a big smile on his face so you can't suspect a thing, "those Philippino's, such nice peap.....

[SIZE=3]*KABOOM!*[/SIZE]

Remember that the key to be able to spot the difference between a person from the Philippines and a person from South America is patience.
Sooner or later, the Filipino will blow his top.

I could play a random factor if needed. Chile's new border goes right up to Paraguay these days, and the lands may still be disputed (though with Paraguay ina fight for survival and political stability, I doubt they will be willing to fight Chile over the northern half of the Chaco).

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood

Stanley Baldwin: I agree. The Queen may be a fool but her government has its head screwed on well enough. Still we must be wary of them.

What's fun is she's normally the pacifist/humanitarian type. She's hosted the two Hague Peace conferences, she went to the relief of the Kongo, and later to Belgium's, she tried to first avoid, and then later bring the Great War to a halt- and aided that with the Kaiser's sanctuary. She signed Cleito. But she's fiercely protective and possessive of her people.

Herr Loeder on the other hand is normally much more militaristic and prone towards demonstating Dutch strength, but other factors effect this.

Quoted

Anthony Eden: I agree it would be in our best interests to send forces to the islands to forestall any invasion, to ward off the Nordmark who have sent a powerful task force already and pledged a squadron of bombers to the Africans.

Hmmmm, now I seem to remember the official and thus the line the UK Government line is:-

A neutality patrol, to make sure those Argies don't try and get at South Georgia, and a volunteer Squadron sponsored by some wealthy South Atlantic shipping merchants, surely Mr Eden reads the papers!

And what fills me with joy is that I wasn't even trying anything cloak and dagger, and the UK is still paranoid