NAL-SLC/Src

This article is source material      It is comprised of accepted IB material, but has not been written up in article form for the Ill Bethisad      wiki. Anyone feel free to edit it. QSS and QAA apply inasmuch as this is already accepted material.

Discussion re NAL and Louisianne, Tejas & Florida

Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 17:11:59 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: [conculture] IB: NEWS OF LOUSIANNE

--- Daniel D Hicken wrote:

> President Jean-François Young announced a week ago that there is an ongoing 
> inquisition as to the involvement of Senator Ribeira with Florida-Caribbea 
> fundamentalists. Unfortunately, due to events, the inquisition is currently 
> a standstill because Senator Ribeira and his family are currently believed 
> to be seeking asylum in Florida-Carribea.  

Florida's position is largely to deny that Ribeira is even in the country:

When questionned on Ribeira's asylum seeking, Immigration Bureau officials stated: "We have no knowledge of Sr Ribeira's whereabouts or his travel plans. If he has appropriate documentation, he may enter Florida as can any citizen of Louisianne. If it his desire to seek political asylum in Florida, he may do that as well. As of today, we can neither confirm nor deny that we have received an asylum request from Sr Ribeira; nor can we comment on his specific whereabouts."

> Also, in recent weeks both First President Young, as well as other 
> Presidents of the Ruling Council have received visits from a group calling 
> themselves the Deseret Freedom Council. In press releases following the 
> these visits it has become apparent that the DFC is apparently a coalition 
> of the  Mormon inhabitants of Deseret as well as other colonists seeking to 
> have official recognition from neighboring government.

Unhappily, they're jumping the gun a little. Deseret's status is far from secure and legitimate. Not all in Deseret back this approach to Louisianne, preferring in stead to await the return of the Queen and a fulfillment of her promise of independence.

> The Council is currently in discussions with the governments of Tejas and
> Alta California regarding this new political movement in the disputed 
> territory.  

Good luck! If the Council is not fully aware, the interrim Government of Tejas is a council of Mejican military officers. They couldn't care less about Deseret or its situation. They're only there to keep the peace until the government can be restored. A-C is still quite hot in its anti-Tejas stance (and still feels stung by Mejico's overwhelming presence in the Tejano War). It is unclear which way they will go with respect to Deseret - land which they also claim as Californian territory.

> Chemin de Fer Louisiannais is pleased to announce the opening of TGV lines 
> from Paris-sur-Mizouri to Zaräémla and also to Brest in Nouvelle Navarre. 
> The CFL has announced that as soon as stable government is achieved in Tejas 
> negotiations will begin to extend a TGV-line from Nouvelle Orleans to Houston.  

Naturally, her future majesty will be most interested in such cooperation. A TGV line into Tejas can only improve Tejas's tourism industry. An improved border connexion up in the north of Tejas is also hoped for, as the El Paso & Northern is one of the main rail links between middle America and the Pacific coast.

> Plans are already being discussed with the North American League to connect 
> the TGV-line from Louisianne at St. Louis to North American League rail system. 

This is really a (minor) matter of discussing reconstruction of the Mississippi bridge(s) to accomodate the TGVs, how to deal with electric voltage variances and most importantly, how many railroads will be allowed to connect directly west of the Mississippi. The Baltimore and Aquanishuonigy; the Erie; the Southern; and the Pennsylvania RR all have terminals in Saint Louis _and_ operate TGVs. Of those, the B&A and the Pennsy have rights-of-way dedicated to future TGV lines that extend west to the bridges. Both would _love_ to have a terminal in LA as well. The NAL has desired this connection for some time, as they have long enjoyed the TGV connections into Nouvelle Orleans.

> Contact with the outside world has been difficult for Louisianne this year 
> because of continued storms, tornadoes, and flooding wreaking havoc on 
> communications lines.  Many of the government relay blimps have been 
> grounded during storms, and telegraph and telephone lines have been greatly > disrupted.  

It is to be hoped that American aid has been of some help in restoring normal communications links! :)

---