The Batavia Naval Conference of 1923 (Hemithea Only)

[The Soodean Imperium]

On March 19, 1900, the Treaty on the Managed Constraint of Naval Construction in Eastern Hemithea was signed in New Hadaway, New Tyran. Present were representatives of New Tyran, New Oyashima, and The New Lowlands, as well as the recently formed republic of Menghe. A major step for its time, the treaty set new limits on the number of Capital Ships each Signatory could operate, with the goal of limiting the expansion of East Hemithea’s navies. Supporters of the treaty were quick to rally around it as a landmark in the realm of international peace and diplomacy, and a sign that the changing political winds of East Hemithea would not culminate in violent war.

Unfortunately, as good as the signatories’ intentions might have been, the treaty’s terms were deeply flawed. Absolute limits on the number of Capital Ships encouraged the construction of still-larger warships, as well as a preference for large Armored Cruisers which stayed just outside the treaty limits. Other concerns stemmed from the limited scope of the treaty, which allowed major naval powers in Western Hemithea to continue building still larger navies while East Hemithean powers struggled to keep up. The 1907 Amendment, enacted in response to the launching of the Imperial Federation’s revolutionary Dreadnought battleship Onvervaard, only made matters worse. While the new limits on Capital Ship size and armament were generous at the time, continued expansion in Non-Signatory navies soon made them painfully onerous. By the time the Great Hemithean War broke out in 1917, all Signatories were quick to invoke the conflict as a justification to violate the treaty, laying down larger and larger battleships.

By the war’s end, the situation looked grim; an indecisive treaty had left both sides in a heavily armed state, and all of Hemithea’s naval powers were already working on a new generation of larger and more expensive Capital Ships. For a time, it seemed that the treaty had been a failure, an experiment never to be repeated again. But in July of 1922, when war-weary representatives from Borethnia and Zamaria issued a declaration of their willingness to take part in a new treaty, peace won a second chance. Preliminary talks were held on the preliminary terms of the new treaty, and a conference was scheduled for August 1923 in the Lowlandian city of Batavia. As the blazing tropical sun hung over the city, representatives from the various nations made their way to the meeting hall, armed with diplomatic smiles that concealed deeper motives.

---

“Order, order! I call this meeting to order!” declared Kim Ponsung from the high table at the end of the room. Though a Mengherin by birth, he had spent much of his life in the Imperial Federation, where he wrote articles in a journal on naval engineering. As a result of his expertise and lack of a clear homeland, he had been chosen to serve as the neutral moderator for the duration of the conference, though not without considerable opposition. “It would seem that all representatives are gathered here before us; but for official purposes, I would like each delegation to rise and state its presence now.”

1. This RP is CLOSED, and may only be attended by those members of the region Hemithea (and those on its map, i.e. New Tyran and New Oyashima) which have expressed an interest in it. At present this includes Borethnia, Zamaria (both played by Libraria and Ausitoria), The Imperial Federation (played by Fallenrun), The New Lowlands, New Oyashima, New Tyran, and Menghe (played by The Soodean Imperium). If other members of Hemithea wish to participate, they may send me a TG or post on the RMB. If any members of Hemithea wish to attend as observers, this is also permitted.

2. This RP (and the treaty that follows) will be based on the economies, nation sizes, and populations that resulted from Hemithea's Earth-sized revision made in August 2015. If any players here have puppets, sub-nations, or territories lying outside of Hemithea proper, the treaty terms shall only be applied to those which are on Hemithea’s map.

3. Keep it laconic – that is, short and meaningful. As much as we all want a good RP out of this, we also want to settle on a definite set of terms soon so that we can design ships from the era. Try to limit posts to a consideration of the terms and a reply, 2 paragraphs at most, and try to post on a regular basis.

4. Related to the above, each national delegation will be limited to a maximum of three representatives. A combination of diplomats and naval officials is preferred, national heads of state do not have to attend in person. Security will be provided by the host country, so do not send bodyguards into the meeting room (also see below).

5. Please be civil. A certain level of tension is desirable, as this meeting comes three years after a long, indecisive war, and former opponents are now sitting across the table from one another. But all representatives are professional diplomats on serious business. Any character who injures/kills, attempts to injure/kill, or threatens to injure/kill another character will be thrown out immediately at my discretion, and the incident may be retconned if it’s too bizarre. Repeated verbal insults may be dealt with similarly if they’re too disruptive.

6. To make sure that everyone has read the rules carefully, each player’s opening post must contain the word “sweltering.” It shouldn’t be too hard to work in, considering that it’s a hot day in a tropical city.

7. The working language of the conference is English. You can bring a translator if you insist, but translators will be counted in the 3-person limit above. For brevity’s sake it will be much easier to send diplomats fluent in the language of the conference.

8. Posts are to be IC by default, but if you have OOC ideas or questions, put them in a spoiler marked “OOC.”

9. For comparison and inspiration, here is the text of the actual 1922 Washington Naval Treaty, and here is the text of the 1930 London Naval Treaty.

10. And last but not least, have fun!

[The Soodean Imperium]

"The delegation from the Greater Menghe Federative Republic is present," announced Sung Kumten, Menghe’s minister of foreign affairs. A charming if sanguine man, he had been chosen by the new Prime Minister, Hwang Laopo, to serve as his nation’s plenipotentiary at the naval conference. Beside him sat Dyarin Jilinnan, the High Admiral of Menghe’s navy and a staunch nationalist. In spite of the sweltering heat and humidity, he wore his full dress uniform, laden down with the medals he had earned in the Great Hemithean War. He eyed the Lowlandian delegation with visible disdain, as it was Lowlandian forces that had sunk the IMS Ginran in an engagement with his Battleship Division three years earlier.

[Libraria and Ausitoria]

[OOC: Incidentally, being in the southern Hemisphere, Summer would be January, and I'd find it easier if it was at the beginning of the year anyway.]

While everybody else was clearly sweltering, the Chattakang delegation, led by Admiral Lord Raymond King, Secretary to the War Office, was not. A colonial upbringing was enough to familiarize anyone to a little bit of heat, or at least accustom them to wearing colourful tropical dress, and, with Raymond’s native ancestry, they looked for all the world like an Oriental Emperor, attended by Prime Minister and Premier, both of whom had taller noses but otherwise similarly flamboyant and unorthodox clothing. Which was, of course, the point. If one is going to rule over a diverse set of peoples, it is best to pick up all the best habits from all of them, and not to pick sides. All three of the delegates had been chosen largely because they were no longer sure which nation was their actual home and didn’t really care, which made them the perfect choice to represent the system as a whole. It helped that they were all remarkably intelligent, even if they tried not to show it too much.

War might have come to an uneasy truce, but astronomical naval budgets had merely been deferred in case this all proved a farce; and tax cuts and investments in welfare had had to be delayed, to the great annoyance of a population fed up with wartime economics. It was vital that Bvordexa and Chattakang find a way to limit the need for this ruinously expensive arms race, but equally vital that it be done in such a way that both sides would be satisfied – and that meant that the international community was needed to arbitrate.

And so, never one to show any true weakness, Lord Raymond rose, like an Audacious-class battlecruiser without a care in the world, stuffing his thumbs into the pockets of his embroidered gold-and-white tunic, ruff (for keeping off the sun) neatly arrayed, and slightly ridiculous turban with a slightly silly ruby the size of a goose’s egg with an inlaid gold elephant on his head.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he said smoothly, smiling around the table in every direction except towards the Bvordexans, who glared at him as he casually ignored them. “As the foremost naval power with the most nations, the Chattakang Alliance hopes that we shall manage to find a balanced solution with an end to the dreadnaught construction race, and cancellation of outstanding vessels.”

He sat down, refraining from saying that this was largely because they were just finishing the Aduacious-class, which had just made practically every other dreadnaught obsolete, and that they would much prefer that nobody else be able to catch up with this new standard.

***

The Bvordexan delegation was smouldering quietly beside the Chattakang delegation. Admiral Baron Frederick Lolopretjzyl, unfortunately known more simply to the Chattakang press as Baron Lollipop, was ridiculously over-dressed, and his morning coat, medals hanging all over the place, hung on the seat behind him as he drained glass after glass of water. But for all his remorselessly humourless attitude, he was shrewd, intensely competent, and just as worried as his opposite. Bvordexa had won the war, yes; but now it had people to rule, and trade and industry to restore; and it would take years of low taxes, rather than blistering expenses of the sort that was clearly necessary for Bvordexa to have any chance of defending its shores if this naval arms race went on.

He stood up, Lord Raymond rolling his eyes at him with an exasperated sigh, while the gentlemen on his flanks pretended to stifle a yawn. “A great pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he said equally smoothly, smiling around the table in every direction except towards the Chattakang delegates. “As a foremost military power, the Bvordexan Empire hopes that we shall find a fair solution in keeping with defensive requirements.”

He sat down, pausing only to sneer disdainfully at Lord Raymond. While the Chattakang Alliance might have suspended ship construction, Bvordexa was busy completing a few of their own 16-inch dreadnaughts…