WesWorld

The Berlin Observative, 21 July 1921

1. Customs Officials Deny Blunder
2. Indian Ruler Meets with Chancellor
3. President Departs for Stockholm
4. Last Communist Returns from Stockholm

1. Customs Officials Deny Blunder

Customs officials insist that they acted appropriately in allowing rogue Argentine diplomat Guillermo Gonzalez into the country. Hans Muellenbach, in charge of the Cuxhaven bureau, told a scrum of reporters last night, “When Mr. Gonzalez arrived in our offices, we had received absolutely no paperwork from Denmark requesting extradition. More to the point, we did not receive documentation from Argentina, revoking Mr. Gonzalez’s diplomatic immunity, until well after he had cleared Customs. Under the circumstances, I see no other way we could have handled the situation.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice says that Gonzalez will be arrested if only he can be found. “Now that we have received notice that he has lost his immunity, as well as two separate requests for extradition, we will seek to locate and detain Mr. Gonzalez”, stated Karl Schroeder, Assistant Deputy Minister of International Law.

Schroeder added, however, that he was not confident that an arrest would be made: “The fact of the matter is, you can travel a great distance in three days. I would not be surprised if he had already left the country - and even if he has not, he could be anywhere within the country at this time.”

As for the dual requests to extradite Gonzalez, the government seems to know how it will proceed if and when the man is arrested. “Argentina has advised us that Mr. Gonzalez lost his immunity effective July first. The first request for extradition we received after that date was from Denmark. Therefore, in the event that Mr. Gonzalez is detained, there will be a hearing to determine whether or not there is sufficient evidence to justify extraditing him to Denmark.”

2. Indian Ruler Meets with Chancellor

Indian Ruler Rajiv Canagasundrum and Chancellor Joseph Wirth met yesterday at a hotel in Hamburg, the first official meeting between the two countries since before the war.

“We discussed a broad range of issues such as trade and international affairs”, commented Wirth afterward. “Our relations have been somewhat cool since the war, and we would both like to see them improve once more.”

Although no formal date has been set for future meetings, Wirth said, “We are discussing the possibility of a state visit by President Ebert to India in the next year, with a more formalized agenda.”

As expected, a rowdy crowd of pro-right protestors gave the Indian sovereign a rude greeting, yelling slurs and throwing garbage at his motorcade. The protestors, still angry about a perceived betrayal by India during the war, were mostly content to vent their rage from a distance. However, two men are now in a local hospital after they breached the security cordon and attempted to reach the Raj. Witnesses told the Observative that the two men were caught and severely beaten by the Indian ruler’s Strongmen before being arrested by local police.

3. President Departs for Stockholm

President Ebert left for Stockholm yesterday via chartered yacht. He and a small delegation will represent Germany at the Nordmark state funeral, to be held on Monday, the 25th.

The solemn occasion marks the first visit by a German leader to its historic rival in many years, although there is no indication that either nation is seeking stronger ties to the other.

4. Last Communist Returns from Stockholm

A leader of the Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands has returned to Kiel after being deported from Nordmark. Joachim Deck was one of several communists to address the Greater Assembly of Nordmark National Labour Organizations earlier this month. Deck sustained a concussion and broken arm in the fracas that resulted, and remained hospitalized for several days.

Deck denied that the injuries were suffered at the hands of the Feminists for South Georgia, despite Nordmark media reports to that effect. “I was brutally assaulted by the Nordmark army - at least three of their soldiers attacked me. I have called on the Government to protest the atrocity, but they are ignoring me.”

Deck has no immediate plans to return to Nordmark. “My comrades agree that perhaps Nordmark is not quite so ready for the Revolution as we had initially thought.”