NationStates Jolt Archive

San Francisco City
Capital of the California Republic

The tightly packed city of just over 400 thousand citizens rested on the north eastern side of the southern peninsula that form the bay that shared its name of San Francisco. It was a new city as not even a century old, but like the two other large cities in California, Los Angelus and San Diego they have grown in size and importance because of the recent discoveries of gold in the mountains. For generations before California had been the breadbasket of the Republic, an important if not terribly industrialized or inhabited region of the Republic, now it seemed to be still the bread basket but also the region which held the greatest future potential for modern industrialization and inhabitation as new mines were started each week in the mountains and valleys of the region. There was a sense to the people that inhabited the region of promise and prosperity for the future, a better future to usher in the new century.

It was a city built upon a steep hill or rather a few hills, while docks lined the eastern shore filled with freighters caring in trade goods from the south and returning with gold and silver to their ports of call. There was also a Naval Station in the bay, increasing in size and importance each year to the Navy just as its home state grew in importance to the nation. The San Mateo Anchorage was the home station of the new Northern Fleet, which almost a third of the entire Republican fleet, including 8 battleships and almost as many of the older monitors, as well as a squadron of the new armored cruisers and a contingent of aging protected cruisers. There was not a force able to match it on the entire west coast.

Only a mile from the docks there was two newly constructed buildings located in a wealthy section of the city. These building were embassies for the lands of the Desert and the Northern Alliance with whom an embassy exchange had been completed. And now it was time to take advantage of the exchange as a diplomat approached each embassy, both waited at the entrance to each building stopped by a marine guard each time.

“Mr. Daniels to see the Ambassador” The diplomat said to the Dessert guard.

“Mrs. Henke to see the Ambassador” The other diplomat said to the guard at the Northern Alliance’s embassy.

The Guard looks slightly dumbfounded. "Mr. Daniels?" A look of realization crosses over his face. "Oh yes, you must be the ambassador we have been waiting for. Please, I urge you to come inside!"
The Guard ushers the emissary inside the embassy, relieving several other soldiers from their normal retinue in order to escort the man. "Please sir, follow me."

As they walk Mr. Daniels cannot help but notice how plain the building is. With the exception of a small library and a large painting of a man he did not recognize, the floors and walls were rather blank. If one's embassy reflected one's culture, the California House of Deseret State was a mirror of a pragmatic, or perhaps overtly orthodox, nation.

"Here you are Mr. Daniels." The emissary had arrived sooner than he had thought. In front of him stood a small wooden door pressed with the Deseret State seal. Just as he was about to open it, the door burst open.

"And you must be the ambassador!" It was a smart looking man, tall, well groomed, and dressed in a tan officer attire. "Colonel Michael Hamilton at your service. I am here preparing the place for Ambassador Josslyn." Seeing the look on the diplomat's face, Hamilton lets out a long laugh. "No, I am not the Ambassador. I am an International Relations Officer. I advise the Ambassador on military matters, and will be the one who helps with any of the integration of our forces. But enough about me. i am sure you came with quite busy plate. Please, please, sit down -the Colonel rushes into his office and pulls out a chair- we have much to discuss."

That we do Colonel, that we do." Daniels told Colonel Hamilton. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I think any integration of our nation's armed forces is a topic for the future, but is something I do consider feasible given our cordial relationship." The diplomat assured the military officer.

"What I've come her to propose is a formal alliance between our two nations. Surely you are aware of the recent trouble that have broke out abroad. My government is concerned that these hostiles like a plague could infect some of our larger neighbor to the east. Unity and Solidarity between our two nations will show any potential hostile nation that we are not to be considered as their next colonies." Daniels said cutting to the chase.

"In return we would be willing to give your nation access to the sea, by granting you a treaty port on the north end of the Baja Gulf. The area is currently uninhabited except for a railroad line connecting the Republics tow Provinces."

"This would be a good first step for our nations, beyond the already existing trade pacts. My government wants our two nations to face whatever the future brings together, and we will be the stronger for it do you not agree, sir?"

"Indeed sir, I do agree." The colonel looked thoughtfully at the ambassador and then slowly said, "And I am sure Mr. Josslyn will agree. However," Hamilton takes a deep breath of air before speaking again, "I do not have the jurisdiction to sign any such treaties. But, I am not entirely useless. I do believe that Salt Lake will be quite eager to strengthen our relationship if it begins to mature beyond the world of paper."

The colonel starts to slowly pace around the room; only half aware of the Californian before him. "The treaty port will help quite a bit, I believe. Then, if we could get a couple of businessmen to link us two up with telegrams and train ways across the desert- Yes that is it! Our economies can only benefit from the trade, and I am quite sure that Salt Lake will be willing to enter an alliance or entente if we did not have the communication gap that plagues us. I mean, look at poor Ambassador Josslyn, mountain storms are going to keep him another week!"

Quite suddenly the colonel sees the other man in the room.

"Excuse me, ambassador." A wry smile hangs on his lips. "I have a tendency to think out loud. That is why Mr. Josslyn, not I, is the ambassador here. Yet, I must ask, does such a project seem unreal? If we could marry our nations so I am sure we would end as staunch friends. And friendship, Mr. Daniels, leads to peace.

"It is not an unreal dream to think that our two nations could become partners in the new century to come colonial. My government would very much welcome that. To be blunt with you the Desert has nothing that we want to possess that is not already found a plenty in the Republic. There is absolutely no reason for us to be enemies or for each of us to thirst for the other's lands."

"You are a military man sir, I think you can appreciate the benefits of our two nations no longer having to garrison the mountian passes of the Great Range. No, Sir, those troops for us would be better used in our colony of North Point or along the Rio Grande guarding against the hostile intentions of Pyschotika that inhabits the south eastern portion of the continent."

"Your Army is larger than ours, but we have concentrated most of our military spending on producing a great Navy, we each balance out each others weaknesses. Together we could accomplish great things."