September 1864 copy of the Britannic Times has showed up and for non scabble players here are the highlights:
1) After taking advise from his dog and his lawyer. President Thier of the recently bankrupt French Republic decided that his attempt to ignore creditors in the hope that they would go away has not worked and he will need to talk to at least some of them.
- So far Thier seems to have accepted a Russian bid for Khorrom which would clear French debts including interest to Russian bond holders and leave France with £40m plus to put towards paying other bondholders.
- A similar British offer for French colonies which would clear debts to British, Italian and Austrian bond holders is also under consideration. Its not yet clear if these colonial sales will provide enough to clear capital plus interest on bonds held by German and French investors in the £200m of French bonds defaulted on or if Thier intends to pay anything to these people at all.
2) As high interest rates in France following the French Government default starts to feed through into costs of production prices in France have shot up. Some also blame higher import costs, French bond holders putting up their prices to recover their losses and the Babbage array for the inflation which seems to have taken hold in France.
3) As a result of the inflation and lack of faith in the Government caused by the default many inside and outside France like the Comte de Vigny now believe the Republic will fall shortly. But will the blow come from the Royalist Right as the Comte hopes? Or the Reds and the Radical left as the Czar and others fear?
4) In London the talk is also about “revolutions” but in this case the revolutions concern science and art rather than any political challenge to our dear Queen or her mostly popular Prime Minister.
5) Also in London Sir Charles Ogle is reported as visiting from the America’s and James Cornel has been set free from Milbank Prison.
6) Strange people and doings are reported down in Somerset. Or is that just the effect of the Cider consumed by the locals?
- Strange persons and doings also reported on the isle of Bitra which is put down to aliens from Atlantis or perhaps the effect of extreme heat or drinking washed ashore cider or its local version made from fermented coconuts.
7) In Berlin another new roof has been fitted to the Japanese owned Berlin Oil Manufacturing Building (BOMB). Hopefully this one will last a bit longer than the last couple.
- Japanese activity also reported from the West Coast of the Wild West were they are looking for Hagi and Jackalope. Not sure why they want to find Hagi and Jackalope but probably something to do with being bored with diet of rice, seaweed and raw fish.
- But oddly no news or activity reported from Berlin or Paris about the fact that the Mahdi has invaded a German colony and slaughtered Germans and menaced French Nuns. Must be a first time ever that Berlin and Paris have not had an opinion on anything let alone an outrage like this.
New Government has been formed in Italy and yet another new dawn has been declared for Italy. Hopefully this one will last a bit longer than the last couple.
9) Liberal opposition peer and Anglo-French Opium Baron – Lord Farnworth Junior. Has started work on the private Albion Arsenal in the Union capital of Washington DC. In view of the number of outstanding feuds of the House of Farnworth with Dr Fu-Manchu and others the decision of Washington planners to allow this can either be viewed as stupid, corrupt or really, really optimistic.
10) Oddly rather more outrage directed at planners in the CSA capital of Richmond for allowing second Japanese House of Silk. Widely viewed as a danger to the moral fibre of red necks everywhere.
11) In Massawa, British forces under General Gordon have ended the rule of the Mahdi and secured the safety of King Addis and Graham Shaw but were unable to stop the Mahdi’s men from killing some Russian merchants.
- Some skirmishing but currently fighting in province is limited by fact that the British want to fight with Naval gunfire support while the forces of the Mahdi are staying inland and out of range of English Naval artillery.
- It is doubtful if the Czar will be as silent as Paris and Berlin about this latest outrage. But he may show a bit more respect for the German Government rights over Massawa than the British.
12) In Bela and along the Slave Coast after smashing up the local culture and trade routes. The HEIC is now reported to be forcing local children to attend schools where they at hit with hard balls and forced to play cricket. Its character building and good for them according to the HEIC.
13) Showing signs of such character building or perhaps the effects of too many cricket balls to the head Mohammed Shah aka Ramesh Kapoor aka The Milk Tray Man. Decided to visit his lady love in Fort Albert not by catching a train to the front entrance and asking for an appointment. But by avoiding tigers and cobra’s as he crawled through the Sunderbonds mangrove swamps, swimming the moat and then scaling the ramparts.
- After which effort he was then arrested by the HEIC company troops who wanted to know why he had broke into a HEIC military base without an appointment and why he had murdered their former CEO at the cricket?
14) In the Far East the Russians continue to probe for a way into Wanda which the Japanese continue to experiment.
15) In Canton Wang Chi the local Hong who’s titles include that of Imperial Governor of Fatshan Province, Canton Chief of Police and Prisons and big boss of the Lucky Company has extended his power and influence yet again to become Governor of Foochow province.
- In theory Wang Chi is a loyal Mandarin of the Imperial Government of Chin. Theory is one thing practice is another amongst the various Hongs, Triads, Boxers and Warlords who dominate the Opium trade and southern Chin. Who truely knows the secret of the key in the flower pot? Or is that the key under the flower pot?