WesWorld

It's a long one...and you may have to flip back to Q2/22 for one reference. The Odell quote at the end can be found on a number of websites related to the historical portion of that particular event.

India, Q2/24

8 April

The Adventurer’s Guild of India has announced which feats it will sponsor in the 1924 fiscal year. The Rana made the announcement yesterday from the Guild’s headquarters in Alleppey.

“We are pleased to say that funding and logistical support will be given to the Awati-Soblok-Sagar team in their effort to reach the summit of Sagarmatha, or Mt. Everest, as the western world knows it. Unfortunately, these gentlemen can not be here today, as they are already in Nepal in preparation for their June attempt on the mountain”, the Rana said to a crowd of reporters and hopeful applicants.

“Basic funding has also been allocated for two projects testing long-range aviation, one for the purpose of mail delivery, the other for the purpose of passenger transport. In conjunction with the Pioneer Corps, we will fund the construction of a berm complex along a stretch of the coast southeast of Dhaka, to test new methods of controlling storm surges related to cyclones. Finally, we are cooperating with the Navy and the Meteorological Survey of India to develop a dedicated Antarctic survey vessel capable of supporting our scientific endeavours in that part of the world.”

“A number of smaller projects are also being funded, and a list will be handed out following the press conference.”

19 April

Indian forces in Asir are on alert following reports that King Ibn Saud of Nejd has conquered the kingdom of Hijaz. The region has been relatively quiet but it is believed that King Saud and his followers will strike at Asir, Makkah, or Medina soon.

“This news underscores the need to resolve our mandate request”, Foreign Affairs Minister Jal Kadharni observed. “Southwestern Arabia remains free of repressive rule - but not for long. The League needs to make a decision, and quickly, before it is too late.”

India’s forces in Asir currently consist of infantry, armored cars, aeroplanes, and light naval forces.

30 April

The Chief of the Chittagong Constabulary has confirmed that the weapons seized from the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition last month are foreign.

“The weapons are, specifically, Danish-built. Unfortunately, the serial numbers have been filed down, so we can’t determine where the weapons came from. We’re probing a possible connection to the slaughter of the crew of the steamer Khachchahr two years ago but have no further information at this time.”

8 May

Two soldiers are dead after being shot by a sniper in Chittagong this morning. The victims, along with a squad of infantry from the 75th Infantry Division, were awaiting a lorry outside a store in the city’s eastern district when the shootings took place. Police secured the area but were unable to locate the sniper.

17 May

Five members of the CCC have been killed and three soldiers injured following a raid on an apartment building.

“Acting on a tip, an army commando squad executed the raid this morning at dawn”, Defence Minister V. K. Chandra told reporters. “The guerrillas, however, were prepared and shot at the soldiers rather than surrender. They were killed when the soldiers returned fire.”

Several witnesses, none of whom would provide their names, told reporters afterward that there was no gunfire until several minutes after the raid began - by which time the commandoes were already well inside the building. One person told this reporter that he heard a voice begging for his life to be spared, followed by a gunshot soon afterward.

“That is patently ridiculous”, countered Minister Chandra.

The army did confirm that it seized an amount of weapons and ammunition, but did not provide an exact list.

26 May

A mortar attack on the Chittagong barracks has killed thirteen soldiers and injured dozens more. The attack came at the morning revel as troops of the 75th Division turned out for their morning parade.

Police investigating reports of suspicious activity in a warehouse not far from the base were taken under by several men equipped with rifles and a machine gun. Four policemen and two gunmen were killed in the exchange before the insurgents fled. Police confirm that the site was indeed used for the mortar attack.

2 June

The weapons seized in a raid in Chittagong on the 17th have been identified as Danish-made.

“Army commandoes recovered eight rifles, two machine guns, five pistols, and a volume of grenades and ammunition, all of it Danish-made. Most of the serial numbers had been filed away, but those on the machine guns were not. We have reason to believe that these two weapons, if not the entire collection, originated in Siam”, Defence Minister Chandra said.

The weapons are all said to be quite new, and may be part of recent arms purchases made by Siam in the past year or so. “We’re going to be contacting the government of Siam for some information in the next few days. If the weapons are coming from there, hopefully we can put a stop to it.”

6 June

The race is now on to climb Sagarmatha. Teams from Britain and India are both said to be pushing for the mountain’s summit in the next few days. Thought to be the world’s tallest mountain, Sagarmatha has so far resisted all efforts at reaching its peak, just over 29,000 feet above sea level. A team led by George Mallory approached with a thousand feet of the peak in 1922, but had to turn back after several sherpas died in the harsh conditions.

Mallory and Andrew Irvine are making a bid to plant the British flag on the mountain’s peak, while Indian mountaineers Bhaskar Awati, Vishnu Soblok, and Madhvendra Sagar are attempting to plant the tricolor and chakra atop the mountain. Both teams will have to contend with icy temperatures, harsh winds, and thin air in order to succeed, let alone survive the experience.

17 June

A long and bloody firefight in Chittagong’s harbour district has killed at least seven soldiers, five police, ten civilians, and an unknown number of gunmen belonging to the Concerned Citizens’ Coalition.

“Police searching a tramp freighter for illicit goods were shot and killed by concealed gunmen”, Defence Minister Chandra said. “Army commandoes were called in and seized the vessel after a prolonged engagement. A large quantity of weapons have been seized, and several prisoners have been arrested, possibly including some foreign nationals. The vessel, registered to the Siamese port of Phuket, has been seized and its crew are also being interrogated at this time.”

30 June

Both expeditions to climb Sagarmatha have ended in tragedy.

British geologist Neil Odell, investigating rocks partway up the mountain, had this account of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine’s push for the peak: “At 12.50, just after I had emerged from a state of jubilation at finding the first definite fossils on Everest, there was a sudden clearing of the atmosphere, and the entire summit ridge and final peak of Everest were unveiled. My eyes became fixed on one tiny black spot silhouetted on a small snow-crest beneath a rock-step in the ridge; the black spot moved. Another black spot became apparent and moved up the snow to join the other on the crest. The first then approached the great rock-step and shortly emerged at the top; the second did likewise. Then the whole fascinating vision vanished, enveloped in cloud once more.”

However, neither Mallory nor Irvine have been seen since. Given the limited amount of food and water they were able to carry, both are presumed to have perished somewhere on the mountain.

The Indian expedition of Awati, Soblok and Sagar turned back some eight hundred feet shy of the summit after leader Bhashkar Awati was swept off the mountain by an avalanche. Madhvendra Sagar was also injured by the avalanche and died sometime in the evening of June 10. Vishnu Soblok, the remaining member of the expedition, was able to return to the Indian base camp, suffering from frostbite and numerous bruises and lacerations.

26 April:

The recent events in Hijaz underscore the urgency of bringing the debate of As Salif to a close. The Filipino Government repeats its statement of 31 March, and calls for a vote on granting India a mandate in the area.

29 June:

The Filipino Government is very concerned about the alleged arms trafficking between Siam and the terrorists in Chittagong. We hereby call on the Danish and Siamese Governments to conduct a full investigation into the matter.

To clarify, India has not alleged that the Government of Siam is involved in the gunrunning; the evidence to date merely points to a supplier based in Siam. As indicated on 2 June, the Siamese government is being asked to participate in the investigation.

Though Siam has diplomatic relationships with Denmark, it remains a sovereign state, and as such should be able to render the necessary assistance to India without Danish involvement.

The govt. of Atlantis would like to offer military assistance, if needed, to help India secure the Al Salaf region. Atlantis is currently pulling out some of its forces from Turkey as a result of the treaty of Esenyurt in is in the prossess of rotating forces. Should the Govt. of India require assistance Atlantis is willing to lend a hand, should the League of Nations fail to come to an agreement.

The Philippines will also have some naval forces in the As Salif area in early July, returning from the summit in Bucharest. If these forces can be of assistance in any way, they are at India's disposal.

India appreciates the offers made by Atlantis and the Philippines, but feels it has sufficient assets to complete its proposed mission.

What India requires most is a LoN decision. This will allow fixed boundaries to be set, which will let India determine the exact amount of assets required to defend it, and also tell the people of Asir where they will be secure. Receiving the mandate will also allow India to undertake long-term programs such as infrastructure development, which will benefit the people of Asir more than the short-term projects the current uncertainty requires.

I think the matter could be decided during the 29th Council Session between June 11 and June 17, 1924.

OOP: What is a mandate legally? Wouldn´t a mandate allow India to establish a colony?

Here's article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations:

To those colonies and territories which as a consequence of the late war have ceased to be under the sovereignty of the States which formerly governed them and which are inhabited by peoples not yet able to stand by themselves under the strenuous conditions of the modern world, there should be applied the principle that the well-being and development of such peoples form a sacred trust of civilisation and that securities for the performance of this trust should be embodied in this Covenant.

The best method of giving practical effect to this principle is that the tutelage of such peoples should be entrusted to advanced nations who by reason of their resources, their experience or their geographical position can best undertake this responsibility, and who are willing to accept it, and that this tutelage should be exercised by them as Mandatories on behalf of the League.

The character of the mandate must differ according to the stage of the development of the people, the geographical situation of the territory, its economic conditions and other similar circumstances.

Certain communities formerly belonging to the Turkish Empire have reached a stage of development where their existence as independent nations can be provisionally recognized subject to the rendering of administrative advice and assistance by a Mandatory until such time as they are able to stand alone. The wishes of these communities must be a principal consideration in the selection of the Mandatory.

Other peoples, especially those of Central Africa, are at such a stage that the Mandatory must be responsible for the administration of the territory under conditions which will guarantee freedom of conscience and religion, subject only to the maintenance of public order and morals, the prohibition of abuses such as the slave trade, the arms traffic and the liquor traffic, and the prevention of the establishment of fortifications or military and naval bases and of military training of the natives for other than police purposes and the defence of territory, and will also secure equal opportunities for the trade and commerce of other Members of the League.

There are territories, such as South-West Africa and certain of the South Pacific Islands, which, owing to the sparseness of their population, or their small size, or their remoteness from the centres of civilisation, or their geographical contiguity to the territory of the Mandatory, and other circumstances, can be best administered under the laws of the Mandatory as integral portions of its territory, subject to the safeguards above mentioned in the interests of the indigenous population.

In every case of mandate, the Mandatory shall render to the Council an annual report in reference to the territory committed to its charge.

The degree of authority, control, or administration to be exercised by the Mandatory shall, if not previously agreed upon by the Members of the League, be explicitly defined in each case by the Council.

A permanent Commission shall be constituted to receive and examine the annual reports of the Mandatories and to advise the Council on all matters relating to the observance of the mandates.

India's interpretation is that a mandate for Asir would give India the responsibility of building up basic infrastructure, establishing a civil defence force and a modern economy, and developing a functional and effective government. When India and the locals are satisfied that this has been done, India would depart.

There are no strategic commodities like oil (at this time) or gold, the economy is basic (salt mining, crop growing, fishing) and the value of its location is debatable. So while one could theoretically corrupt a mandate and turn it into a colony, I really can't see any benefit to doing so in this case.

Of course, Yemen and the Saudis will probably think differently on the matter...

Thanks for clarification.

Now the SAE can and will also support the Philippines proposal.

Regards,

HoOmAn