March 20, AD 2012
8:47 A.M. Chalcedon local time (CLT)Mailroom
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building
Chalcedon, Capital District
Imperial Federation of the Monavian Empire
Northwest NovaCorrespondence with foreign government and printed copies of public statements formed a large part of the mail processed by the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mailroom. Correspondence with the Yohannesian Commonwealth had slowly increased over a period of several months, resulting in a steady stream of letters and government publications. The Monavian Embassy received a copy at an hour when it was undergoing some heavy cleaning in the wake of a feast held to celebrate the birthday of one of the attachés, so the Yohannesian declaration of intent was allowed to sit on the Ambassador’s desk for several hours before she finally read it and arranged to have it faxed to Chalcedon.
Within five hours of being issued for distribution, the statement was faxed to the mailroom, where it was processed and sent up to Minister Carter’s office. The Minister did not need to take very much time to read through the message, but he was perplexed by its wording. Yohannesian declarations of this nature used to be worded in a form of legalese that required careful reading and close scrutiny to avoid confusion. The message’s meaning was plain and unadulterated by any form of obfuscation.
9:21 A.M. Chalcedon local time (CLT)Office of Frank Carter
Fifth floor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building
Chalcedon, MonaviaCarter telephoned Ambassador Panay and informed her that he would be personally answering the message and that she should set herself to work keeping him appraised of all things which happened at the embassy. Within a few minutes he had written out a reply, set it down so that he could think without it in his face, and prepared a cup of tea. By ten o’clock that morning, he had edited the reply and prepared an official version on Ministry stationery bearing the letterhead of his office. A few quick strokes from his fountain pen were all that he needed in order to complete the letter.
March 20, 2012
Minister Shriver:
I have written this letter in response to a declaration of intent to maintain the ability of the Yohanneasian Commonwealth to freely trade with her neighbors. The declaration in question is an announcement which your office issued this morning and which bears your signature and seal. It was received at my office as a result of being forwarded to me by Ambassador Panay only an hour ago and merits an immediate reply.
The Imperial Federation has no misgivings about the notion of free trade, nor does my government oppose the protection thereof. Your government’s policy of free trade across its borders is certainly to be lauded and upheld, and because of the prodigious extent of its effect, infringements against it would cause almost as much concern for my government as it would for yours.
I wish to communicate and address two concerns which I have developed as a result of having read through your government’s declaration as issued by your office. The first subject of my concern is the potential costs of implementing and enforcing the terms articulated within your declaration. The second item of concern is the potential risk of unforeseen repercussions which may result from these actions.
The forcible opening of trade with other states bears little economic promise. If those nations which have refused to permit the entry of Yohannesian goods through their borders are as antiquated and insignificant as you have stated, then it is unlikely that they have an adequate ability to offer any products of equal value to those products which the Yohannesian Commonwealth has to offer, and therefore are unable to engage in proper reciprocity. If such efforts as these are aimed at achieving an economic state of
quid pro quo then there is a substantial risk that they will be unsuccessful and therefore in vain.
In addition, the widespread employment of force may reduce the favorability with which other governments and markets view the Yohannesian Commonwealth and could possibly result in the closure of those markets through trade sanctions or embargos. Such reactions would necessitate the employment of even more resources to reopen markets that are closed off, resulting in more potential ill will and the closures of yet more markets, which will also have to be reopened. This process is able to continue
ad nauseam if the operators of foreign take offence at this course of action, thus ultimately multiplying the costs of this new policy by a large factor.
Furthermore, the direct economic costs of forcibly opening up multiple markets may result in net losses for the Yohannesian Commonwealth. While such losses are likely short-term and may not pose any lasting threat to your people, your declaration of intent stated that, “The
recent economic and military crises within the region of Gholgoth have shown the imperative need for Yohannesia to expand her market overseas” (the emphasis is mine). My government considers it inadvisable for you to risk economic losses at a time when your country and its government are at a disadvantage, for any losses incurred by an armed conflict will inevitably cause problems in the course of conducting Monavian trade with the Commonwealth.
In reference to my second point of concern, the opening of markets which presently are locked up due to policies that are not favorable towards your government may result in deleterious effects on the productivity and competitiveness of the Yohannesian economy. If the states which have cause affronts to your government adhere to “antiquated” economic policies, to use your words, then it is likely that their businesses presently do not serve as competitors against your own country’s businesses. By forcibly opening up trade in these locations and thus permitting them to modernize their economies through the acquisition of Yohannesian goods, there is the potential risk of advancing these states into positions of strength from which they can compete with Yohannesian interests, and therefore result in net losses to the industries of the Yohannesian Commonwealth.
Again, my government has no desire to interfere with the implementation of this new trade policy, but as a representative thereof, I have an obligation to communicate to you those factors arising from its future implementation which may result in negative effects which do harm to both of our economies.
Sincerely,
The Right Honorable Frank Carter
Minister of Foreign Affairs