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Chapter 27: The Hawkins Presidency, 1925-1931
--- The Hawkins Presidency (1925-1931) ---
HAWKINS TAKES OFFICE BEFORE CELEBRATORY CROWDS
FRANKLIN - For the first time in twenty years, a Federalist has taken the presidential oath of office. Lance Hawkins of Iowa was sworn in by Chief Justice Benjamin Clayton at the stroke of noon, becoming the nation’s twenty-eighty president. To the crowds that had gathered in Capitol Square, the newly-sworthe Hannah and Roosevelt administrations. “The financial crisis that began under President Hannah and was mismanaged by the late J.P. Roosevelt is finally coming to an end. With the help of Congress, my administration will seek a new, more stable course for our nation to follow. The mistaken policies of the recent past will be abandoned, and we will once again place this nation on solid ground. It is my solemn promise to the American people that we will see better, more prosperous days ahead.”
Following the speech, which lasted around forty-five minutes, President Hawkins and his wife, Caroline, got into the special “Hamilton Coach,” the horse-drawn carriage first used by President Alexander Hamilton, Jr., in his 1829 inauguration. It has been used by nearly every president since then on inauguration day and other important state occasions. The Hawkins travelled south along Union Avenue in the direction of Washington House, preceded by units of Marines and the Presidential Guard Band, and followed by other military units, and carriages and autowagens. The entire parade route to the presidential mansion was lined with cheering crowds.
“Hawkins Takes Office Before Celebratory Crowds,” Boston Eagle, January 14, 1925.
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When she took the vice-presidential oath of office just before noon on January 14th, 1925, Lynne Powell became the first woman to hold such a high office in the United States, or indeed in any nation save the United Kingdom, where Queen Victoria III continued the tradition set by her mother and grandmother. Her position was a controversial one, not because of her gender, but because of her party affiliation. It was only the second time in American history that a sitting President and Vice President were from the same party since the passage of the 12th Amendment in 1804 (the other time being under the Presidency of Democratic-Republican William Crawford, where his Vice President was, for a time, Federalist Rufus King). Many of her fellow liberals felt that she had robbed her own party of the chance of really controlling Washington House, giving it instead to Federalist Lance Hawkins.
However, to the surprise of many, Vice President Powell was an involved member of the Hawkins Administration during her time in office. Many credit her with convincing President Hawkins to choose future President Benjamin King, a Liberal Senator from Ohio, to be the Secretary of the Interior. King would be instrumental in the Hawkins administration’s plans to restore the Federal Bureau of Improvements.
Campbell, Dr. Agatha. Women in Power. Franklin, New Columbia Press: 2000.
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WORLD OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES WINTER GAMES FOR 1926
AMSTERDAM - Wilmer Eriksson, the recently elected Chariman of the World Olympic Committee, announced today that in addition to the traditional Olympic athletic competition this summer, set to be held in Berlin, the WOC would be holding the first-ever World Olympic Winter Games in Bern, Switzerland, in December following the regular World Olympic Games in Berlin this summer. Events that are scheduled to take place at these “Winter Games” include Bobsledding, Curling, Ice Hockey, Skating, and Skiing. It is not clear yet how many nations will participate, but it is expected to be a far smaller event compared to the regular “summer” games, and only scheduled to last 10 days.
“World Olympic Committee Announces Winter Games for 1926.” Manhattan Gazette, January 19, 1925.
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PRESIDENT HAWKINS MEETS WITH FIRST SECRETARY PRATT
FRANKLIN - In what seems to be the setting-in-stone of tradition, President Hawkins formally welcomed returning First Secretary Wallace Pratt, a Liberal from New Jersey. Pratt has been in office since 1923, and oversaw a major overhaul of President Roosevelt’s cabinet after the landslide victory for the Liberals in the 1922 congressional elections. Selections for President Hawkin’s cabinet were reportedly discussed, although no official list of names was presented to the press. Unnamed aides at the meeting report that the President was already prepared with a list of possible Liberals to be included in his cabinet, likely chosen or suggested by Vice President Powell, herself a member of the Liberal Party. These aides also report that the meeting was cordial and seemed to be the start of a good working relationship.
“President Hawkins Meets with First Secretary Pratt,” Franklin Observer, January 25, 1925.
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PRESIDENT PROMISES RESTORED EDUCATION BUDGET
FRANKLIN - At the dedication ceremony for two new lecture halls that have been built on the campus of the University of the United States, President Hawkins announced that he planned on restoring the Department of Education and its budget to the status it held prior to President J.P. Roosevelt. “The Preston Pyramid System of Education has long been a hallmark of American education. The previous administration’s attempt to dismantle it was ill-advised and nearly disastrous. We will not make that same mistake. I have already spoken with newly appointed Education Secretary, Mrs. Darlene Winters, and we are in total agreement on this. For America to continue to strengthen its academic prowess, we must continue to support education at all levels. Our children are our future, and woe betide a nation that does not invest in its children.”
“President Promises Restored Education Budget,” Chicago Herald, February 10, 1925.
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HAWKINS AND PRATT FLOAT CONTINENT-WIDE CONFERENCE
FRANKLIN - Advisors to First Secretary Pratt have stated to the press that, during last week’s meeting between Pratt and President Hawkins the two leaders suggested the idea of a “pan North American conference,” to act as a smaller version of the international peace councils that have taken place over the past few decades. The idea would be to invite leaders from Borealia, the United States, Texas, California, and Mexico to meet and discuss common issues and to “help bring our continent closer together, so that we can avoid conflict in the future.” There has not been an truly international conflict in North America since the Second Mexican War ended in 1850 (unless one were to consider the War Between the States, since Britain got involved). Nevertheless, there have been repeated calls from people across the continent to make sure that a “Pax Americana” is instituted that makes sure that no future disagreement devolves into war. Secretary of Commerce Josiah Terry believes that such a council could also help trade across the continent, as stated in a recent speech in Boston where he said that “a more explicit agreement of cooperation between the nations of North America could only mean a greater increase in prosperity for not only citizens of the United States, but also for those living in Borealia, Texas, California, and Mexico.”
“Hawkins and Pratt Float Continent-Wide Conference,” Franklin Observer, March 29, 1925.
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VICTORIA III TO VISIT NORTH AMERICA NEXT YEAR
LONDON - Whitehall Palace announced yesterday that Queen Victoria III and her son and heir, Prince William Victor, will visit North America in 1926. This will be the first Royal visit to North America since Queen Victoria II visited the United States in 1901. It is expected that this visit will be centered on Borealia, and it remains to be seen whether or not the British sovereign will make a stop in the US. The 54-year-old monarch has been a popular leader in Britain, where she has maintained her mother and grandmother's tradition of being involved in the leadership of her country as well as championing various charities. Her son, the 25-year-old Prince William Victor, is unmarried, and some in London speculate that the Queen is taking her son on tour with her so that he might find a bride in Borealia, though no one at the palace will comment on this rumor.
“Victoria III to Visit North America Next Year,” Manhattan Gazette, April 8, 1925.
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5TH INTERNATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL OPENS IN BOSTON
BOSTON - In what has now been established as a tradition of meeting every five years, the fifth meeting of the International Peace Council has opened, for the first time meeting in North America. Michael Colbert of Great Britain has been elected as chairman. The Council will meet for the next 4-6 months, and will be attended by various delegates and representatives from 38 nations, including of course the United States, Borealia, Mexico, Texas, California, Prussia, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, Spain, Brazil, Japan, China, the Ottoman Federation, and even a few delegates from the UER, though it is not expected for the communalist union of republics to actually sign any accords passed by the council. Mathais Holtz, the leader of the UER, has repeatedly stated his disdain for international cooperation with “antiquated imperialist stooges.”
There are several issues that are expected to be debated over, one of which is a proposal from Great Britain on the topic of how modern warfare should be conducted. After the horrors of the Great War wreaked havoc across Europe, there are many that feel that proper rules should be laid out that make sure that warfare is conducted more “humanely,” now that the weapons of war are far more destructive than they were in centuries past.
“5th International Peace Conference Opens in Boston,” New Orleans Star, May 4th, 1925.
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MATHIAS HOLTZ DEAD - UER LEADERSHIP UNCLEAR
STRASSBURG - An official announcement was made via state-operated radio broadcasters yesterday evening that Chairman of the European People’s Council, Mathias Holtz, the man who has led the Union of European Republics since 1914, had died. Deputy Chairman Josef Reinhart had declared a state of mourning for the next three months in honor of Holtz. Just who will replace the controversial leader remains to be seen. It is expected that a special council of party leaders will gather at some point and select a new chairman. However, it remains to be seen if this new leader will be able to wield as much control as Holtz has since he seized power not long after the death of the UER’s first leader, Jean Marchand. Officially, fellow Communalists in the UER praised Holtz for his supposedly bold leadership and new path for the Communalist movement, which has become know as RadKom. However, those who have left the UER, often fleeing for their lives, have stated that Holtz has ruled the UER with an iron fist and has brutally stamped out dissent. The US Communalist Party has repudiated the RadKom philosophy, which led to a falling out between European and American communalists in 1916.
“Mathias Holtz Dead - UER Leadership Unclear,” Franklin Observer, June 7, 1925.
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Mathias Holtz held near absolute power in the Union of European Republics for over a decade, and in that time managed to completely remold the communalist state that had been founded in 1904 by Jean Marchand and other European revolutionaries during the great chaos of the Great War. The creation of a new, “international” language and the purging of national identity were hallmarks of the Holtz era that would continue well after his death in 1925. Following the execution of Francois Juarez, who had initially followed Marchand as Chairman of the UER, Holtz spent the rest of 1914 and 1915 purging upper leadership of what he termed “faux-communalists,” who he claimed were really working to bring down the revolution. Estimates vary, but most scholars now believe the Bloody Purge of 1914-1916 claimed over 40,000 people, from bureaucrats to land owners to military officers. The European People’s Army was hit particularly hard in late 1915 after General Josef Meminger, a senior member of the EPA’s General Staff, was found out to have been plotting against what he termed the “radicalist Holtz.” Meminger and at least a dozen others at the high command were executed, along with huge swaths of the officer corps.
In 1916, the Holtz government turned its focus towards religious institutions. All religious schools were closed save a few state-sanctioned seminaries that were under constant observation, and those would close down in 1920 and not reopen until the 1940s following the end of the Global War. Hundreds of churches were closed, and most Church land became property of the state. There was some organized push back to this in parts of rural France and Bavaria, but these were ineffective at stopping the state crackdown on religion. Several great cathedrals would meet their end during this era, including the Notre-Dame de Paris in 1917.
As part of the organized effort to abolish nationalities, in 1918 it was announced that the constituent republics of the UER would be broken up, and new republics would be created that, where possible, would blur the old territorial boundaries that existed before the war.
Franco, Dr. Pedro. Holtzian Terror: The Bloody Purge and the Years of Radical Communalism, 1914-1925. Marseilles: Universitato de Mediteranea Gazetaro (University of the Mediterranean Press), 2009.
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BOSTON WARFARE ACCORDS SIGNED
BOSTON - What is being touted as the single-most important decision made by the 5th International Peace Council, the so-called “Boston Warfare Accords” have been signed by the delegates that have been meeting in that city since May, representing 38 of the world’s most influential nations. The new treaty, which will now be sent to the member nations to be signed, calls on the prohibition of the use of poisonous gas, and sets out how certain people, such as medics, chaplains, and wounded should be treated in a combat zone. It also sets out guidelines for how prisoners of war should be treated, and what can and cannot be done to civilians in a combat or occupied zone. In addition, the treaty also recognizes the newly established International Doctor’s Council as the official international healthcare organization, and required all military medics to be trained under the IDC’s guidelines.
“Boston Warfare Accords Signed,” Boston Eagle, September 1, 1925.
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HOLTZ PROTEGE NEW LEADER OF UER
STRASSBURG - Lucien Duret, who has served as the Interior Secretary of the UER since 1917, has been announced as the new leader of the communalist nation, succeeding the late Mathias Holtz who passed away last June. Duret is considered to be the protege of the late Chairman, who radically reshaped the Union of European Republics when he took power in 1914. Most outside observers expect Duret to continue the style of leadership, which many in the West consider oppressive, that was common under the rule of Holtz.
“Holtz Protege New Leader of UER,” Franklin Observer, October 7, 1925.
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LEELAND ROWLING DEAD AT 89
PHILADELPHIA - Leeland Rowling, the nation’s 19th president who served from 1889 to 1895 has died at his home near Philadelphia at the age of 89. Rowling saw the nation truly begin to transition away from a regional power to a global one, with the wounds of the War Between the States finally starting to heal. Rowling was also the first President (and so far only) president to visit the United Kingdom in 1893, where he met with Victoria I and her daughter, and famously was given the opportunity to address Parliament. President Hawkins, himself a Federalist like Rowling, has announced that a two month period of mourning will take place with flags at half staff across the country. Rowling’s funeral will be held in Philadelphia, and his body is expected to lie in state in Independence Hall, recently refurbished in a joint effort by the Federal Parks Service and the National Historical Institute.
“Leeland Rowling Dead at 89,” St. Louis Courier, November 19, 1925.
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TZS ANNOUNCES 6 TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHTS FOR 1926
BENTONVILLE, TXF -The Texas Zeppelin Service has announced that 6 regular transatlantic flights will take place next year, connecting North America and Europe. Four of the flights will take off from Boston, the other two from Brooklyn. The flights are scheduled to occur between March and September. Three of the flights will be going to London, and three of them to Berlin. Tickets are expected to go on sale soon.
TZS head Kurt Zeppelin told reporters that, “It is the hope of TZS that by 1930, airship flights to Europe and other places will be commonplace, and that a mere six flights in one flying season will feel insignificant when flights start happening every week.” Mr. Zeppelin also reminded the press that a flight from Boston to London takes a mere 3 to 4 days, compared to nearly a week on an ocean liner, making it far quicker. Still, the ocean liner remains far more affordable, something that Mr. Zeppelin hopes to change in the near future.
“TZS Announces 6 Trans-Atlantic Flights for 1926.” New Orleans Star, December 1, 1925.
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MILITARY COUP IN UER
STRASSBURG - Conflicting reports are making details hard to come by, but it appears that the leadership of the European People’s Army have staged a coup against Communalist Party Chairman and Leader of the UER, Lucien Duret, who was installed as leader back in October. Mr. Duret had announced that he was going to be reviewing the “loyalty and authenticity” of the EPA’s officers in a recent speech, and it appears that the Army, lead by General Albrecht Meyer, has stepped in to remove Duret. Radio Strassburg went dead yesterday evening, and began broadcasting this morning with a message saying that a state of emergency had been declared around the European capital, and advising residents to stay in their homes. A large number of military units have been spotted on patrol in the streets, and reports of gunfire near the capitol complex was also reported.
“MILITARY COUP IN UER,” Boston Eagle, January 2, 1926.
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RadKom ended on January 2, 1926, when General Albrecht Meyer ordered the European People’s Army to occupy the UER’s capital at Strassburg and arrest Chairman Duret and his cabinet. The so-called Revolucia Gvardio (Revolutionary Guard), a political para-military organization set up by Holtz in 1915, put up a stiff resistance in the capitol quarter in Strassburg, but by January 3rd, Chairman Duret was dead and most of his council of administrators had been arrested. General Meyer addressed the nation on January 4th, announcing that a new “General Assembly of the People” would convene in March to “right the wrongs of recent years,” and “restore the Union to the true path of Communalist struggle.” Many expected that Meyer’s actions were nothing but a show, and expected him to set up a military dictatorship. To their surprise, however, these plans were genuine. The General Assembly met in Strassburg from March until May of 1926 and drafted a new constitution for the UER, abolishing many of the Holtzian Era doctrines. Freedom of the press was restored, as was freedom of travel and some level of trade. Regular elections for the “Grand Assembly of Europe” were to take place every three years, and the Assembly would elect a Chancellor that would lead the Union. Party membership was no longer required for members of the Assembly or any government office. After elections were held for the new Grand Assembly in June, Walther Hasselbach, who had been a provincial administrator in what is now Upper Bavaria, was elected as Chancellor, and the military did not attempt to retain power. General Meyer did not even run for office. It was the dawn of a new day for the Union of European Republics.
But it would not be an easy one. Holtzian hardliners tried to fight back, with an uprising in Munich in April of 1926, and another one in Lyon in July. Thousands were arrested in what many historians refer to as the “Counter Purge.” General Meyer fanatically defended the new government and administration of Chancellor Hasselbach. While stability was mostly returned by the end of 1926, there were flare ups of unrest as the state once again underwent reorganization. And just as things began to return to a new normal, Italy broke out in a Civil War that would drag the UER and the rest of Europe into a new conflict.
Franco, Dr. Pedro. Holtzian Terror: The Bloody Purge and the Years of Radical Communalism, 1914-1925. Marseilles: Universitato de Mediteranea Gazetaro (University of the Mediterranean Press), 2009.
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VICTORIA III, PRINCE WILLIAM ARRIVE IN BOREALIA
VICTORIA - The HMS Regina Victoria arrived in Montreal yesterday with Queen Victoria III and her son, Prince William Victor. The British Royal Family will be touring Borealia and also the United States over the next few months. This marks the first trip to North America by Victoria III, and is the first Royal visit in a quarter century. The Queen met today with Borealian Prime Minister Jacob Wheaton, and will address the Borealian Parliament tomorrow. The Queen and her party are expected to stay in Victoria for most of the week, before heading on to visit other parts of the Kingdom. Victoria III and her son are expected in the United States sometime in July, and preparations are already underway in Franklin for her state visit.
“Victoria III, Prince William Arrive in Borealia,” Manhattan Gazette, June 1, 1926.
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WORLD OLYMPICS OPEN IN BERLIN AMID RISING TENSION
BERLIN - In the spectacular Stadion der Welt (Stadium of the World), newly completed outside Prussia’s capital, Berlin, the 6th World Olympic Games have commenced. King Karl Friedrich welcomed the crowds of fans and competitors amid the pageantry. The games are set to last the next three weeks, ending on August 20th. Nearly 4,400 athletes are set to compete in some 60 events. Most of the sporting competitions will take place in or around the new Stadion der Welt, with a few events held elsewhere in Berlin.
Despite the public smiles, there is growing tension in Europe. The UER nearly did not attend the games, as the previous regime in that country has not been hospitable towards internationalism, but the new government that took power after the January coup this year has been working to “build bridges.” Prussia has long disliked and distrusted the communalist union, which in their eyes has “stolen” German land. In addition, there is growing tension in Italy, were pro-communalist parties are trying to get into parliament and are facing official crackdowns, something that the UER has condemned.
“World Olympics Open in Berlin Amid Rising Tension.” Boston Eagle, July 30, 1926.
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After the tumultuous 12 years of the Hannah and J. Roosevelt presidencies, the first half of President Hawkins was marked by stability and the lack of major crisis or scandal at home, and although storm clouds began to brew abroad, it was nothing but calmness and smooth sailing in America in the late 1920s. Hawkins’ support for restoring the Education Department to its pre-Roosevelt status was supported by most nationwide. Some had expected that with the House being controlled by the Liberals that there would be tension between the First Secretary and the President, but this never really came to be.
Due to these factors, the 1926 congressional elections were a very low key affair, with very few races becoming highly contested. There were several fluctuations, but the net change for most parties was very small. The president’s Federalists went from 144 to 146 seats. The Nationalists went from 94 seats to 95. The Liberals went from 195 to 181, and the Communalists went from 67 to 78 seats. In the Senate, the Liberals maintained their position as largest party, but dropped from 40 seats (half the 80 members of the Senate) to 36. Federalists increased their senators by 1, from 16 to 17. Nationalists went from 20 to 22 seats. The big surprise was the first election of a Communalist senator from outside the American Communalist heartland of Indiana and Illinois, with the election of Sherman Andrews from New York, bringing the Communalists from 4 to 5 senators.
After the election, it was naturally assumed that Liberal Wallace Pratt would remain as First Secretary with no challenge. When the new session of Congress met in January of 1927, there was a slight hiccup to this assumption. Communalist leaders wanted a seat at the cabinet table for their continued support of Pratt. Specifically, they wanted to place Hunter McDaniels of Indiana as the Secretary of Agriculture. Initially Pratt balked at the idea, as did Washington House. The Nationalists came forward and offered to support Pratt, but would also require a cabinet reshuffle, and of more than one position. After nearly three weeks of talks, Pratt finally agreed to the Communalist request, and he was sworn in for his third term as First Secretary, and McDaniels became the first Communalist member of of a presidential cabinet.
King, Dr. Gordon. Restoring Normalcy: The Presidency of Lance Hawkins. Franklin, FD: UUS Press, 1999.
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Sixteen years after the birth of the modern World Olympics, winter sport entered the olympic arena with the opening of the 1926 Winter World Olympics in Bern, Switzerland, in early December. 14 nations sent a total of 243 athletes to compete in the 5 events that had been scheduled in the week and a half of competition. Borealia won the most medals at this first event, and it was generally considered a success, and it is thanks in part to the organizers of the Bern Games in 1926 and the Roosevelt City Games in 1930 that helped secure the Winter World Olympics as a standard part of global spot that we know of today.
Burns, Dr. Francis. Winter Sport, Manhattan: New Holland Publishers, 1996.
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BRITISH HEIR TO MARRY BOREALIAN
LONDON - Whitehall Palace has announced that Prince William Victor, heir to the British throne, is engaged to marry Lady Elizabeth Carlisle of Borealia. Lady Elizabeth is the daughter of Benjamin Carlisle, the Borealian Interior Minister. The Carlisles were the official guide of the Royal Family during their visit to Borealia last summer. The palace stated that Prince William Victor and Lady Elizabeth struck up a friendship during this trip, and stayed kept up “regular correspondence” after the Royal Family returned to Britain. The Carlisles have been in London the past two weeks as part of an official Borealian delegation, and this is when the engagement was made. The wedding will occur in June of 1928, and is sure to be the highlight of the social year in the United Kingdom.
“British Heir to Marry Borealian,” Brooklyn Standard, February 19, 1927.
NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE TO OPEN IN CHICAGO
CHICAGO - Before a crowd of several hundred packed into the newly opened Grand Amphitheater in Chicago, President Hawkins warmly greeted the slew of international delegates, including the heads of state of America’s neighboring nations, for the inaugural meeting of the North American Conference, something that this administration hopes will become a yearly event. Canadian Prime Minister Jacob Wheaton, Texan President Jose Stadler, Californian Chancellor Manuel Martin, and Mexican Prime Minister Raul Chicote are all gathered with President Hawkins in Chicago for the four day conference along with countless aides and secondary officials. Hawkins said in his opening remarks that, “we have seen our cousins in Europe tear each other apart countless times. And we have had our own quarrels that have boiled over into bloodshed in the past two centuries. But we should strive to make those conflicts stay in the past, and to ensure that the mistakes of the Old World are not repeated here in North America any longer.”
The President is hoping to set up a smaller version of the International Peace Congresses just for North America, to help bring the five nations on this continent closer together and avoid any sort of future war.
“North American Conference to Open in Chicago,” St. Louis Courier, May 1, 1927.
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At the end of the First North American Conference on May 4th, 1927, the Chicago Declaration established a triennial meeting of the continent, where the leaders of the United States, Borealia, Texas, California, and Mexico could gather together and promote peace, order, and trade from Atlantic to Pacific, the frozen northern latitudes of Hudson Bay all the way past the sun-soaked shored of the Yucatan Peninsula. In 1930, the first real discussions of open trade began, culminating in the 1936 North American Open Trade Agreement, which withdrew most barriers to trade across the continent. 1939 saw the creation of Pan-American Passport, for the citizens of the five Conference Nations, and in 1942 it was first proposed that a more formal organization be set up that would have officials and duties in between the official conferences. This would ultimately culminate in the 1951 Treaty of St. Louis, which formally established the Union of North America that we know of today.
Coburn, Dr. Virgil. Chicago, 1927: Birth of the North American Union. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1990.
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WILLIAM AND KATHERINE GATES CROSS ATLANTIC IN PLANE!
LONDON - After many years of painstaking work perfecting countless different designs, William and Katherine Gates, America’s foremost heavier-than-air engineers, have successfully flown across the Atlantic Ocean in just over 36 hours, taking off from Boston on June 7th and landing just outside Liverpool. President Hawkins commented on word of their success, saying, “mankind continues to show its ability to tame obstacles nature has put in its path. With this new feat, North America and Europe have been brought closer together in a way unfathomable when our ancestors set out westward across that same ocean that the Gates have flown back over in the opposite direction.” The famous American Aviators are expected to fly back home after spending some time visiting London, where they will be guests of honor with Prime Minister Peter Morrison.
“William and Katherine Gates Cross Atlantic in Plane!” Franklin Observer, June 9, 1927.
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POLITICAL DEADLOCK IN ITALY
NAPLES - After parliamentary elections last week brought in a sweep of far-left leaning and outright communalists of the radical persuasion into office, political deadlock is gripping the Italian government. Although no single leftist party hold a majority of seats, the combined power of the Left is greater than any other party combined. Many expect the three largest left-leaning parties and the Communalist Party of Italy to back Umberto Riva of the Social Reform Party as Prime Minister, though he would not be the only left-leaning choice. The real question now is whether or not Emperor Victor II will accept Riva as Prime Minister. The Italian Emperor has been an outspoken critic of left-leaning politics in his Empire, and many are wondering if he will appoint a minority government under the leadership of Bernardo Panzo and his Italian Imperial Party, which has controlled parliament most of the last decade.
And even if the Emperor appoints Riva, there is no guarantee that the leftists will be able to effectivly govern, as the right-leaning parties are promising to block any legislation presented, and most laws will still require Imperial assent to go into effect.
“Political Deadlock in Italy,” Boston Eagle, January 19, 1928.
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ZEPPELIN FLIES TO TOKYO
SAN FRANCISCO - In an aviation first, the TZS airship Pazifiker Traum, capable of carrying 35 passengers and flying at just over 55 miles an hour, has taken off from the Californian capital at San Francisco, bound for Tokyo, the capital of the Japanese Republic. Kurt Zeppelin, the head of the Texas Zeppelin Company, stated that he thinks the flight should take less than 5 days, though on the return flight the ship is scheduled to make a stop in Honolulu, the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Onboard this inaugural Pacific flight, along with Mr. Zeppelin, is the Californian Deputy Secretary for War, Samuel Hernandez, and the newly appointed American ambassador to Japan, Caleb Wells.
“Zeppelin Flies to Tokyo,” Chicago Herald, March 2, 1928.
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PRINCE WILLIAM VICTOR WEDS IN LONDON
LONDON - In what was likely the most-anticipated social event of the year, 28 year-old Prince William Victor, heir to the British crown, wed 25 year-old Lady Elizabeth Carlisle of Borealia at Westminster Abbey. The guest list included a veritable who’s who of British and Borealian society, along with heads of state from the United States, Texas, California, Prussia, Italy, Spain, Japan, China, and Choson, along with representatives of every British colonial holding. Most agree that this was the most impressive event at the Abbey since the Prince’s mother, Queen Victoria III, was crowned in 1915. And, in a royal first, newsreel cameras were permitted to film parts of the ceremony. The footage is expected to be released for viewing in cinemas across the globe sometime in the next two weeks, according to a statement released by Whitehall Palace.
“Prince William Victor Weds in London,” Franklin Observer, April 16, 1928.
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PRUSSIAN KING KARL FREDERICK DEAD AT 82
BERLIN - Prussian officials have announced that King Karl Frederick, who has ruled the Prussian state since 1908, has died at the age of 82. The late King presided over a Prussia that was still recovering from the shock of the Great European War when he was crowned twenty years ago, and has seen the nation recover and build up it is armed forces to “keep the hounds of communalists to the south and east at bay,” the King was quoted as saying back in 1922. As a young man, Karl Frederick is reported to have been a political moderate, but this changed after the Great War and when he became King he ruled with an iron fist, with the help of several right-leaning nationalists, most notably Chancellor Georg von Schildstein, who only resigned as head of the Prussian Unity Party last year.
Karl Frederick is succeeded by his son, the 54 year-old Prince Augustus William, who was born in 1874. The new king has been suffering from a variety of health issues the past several years, and some are unsure just how active his reign will be compared to his father. His son, the new Crown Prince Karl Frederick, is 25 years old, and there are some wondering how long it will be before this much younger Hohenzollern will be at the helm in Prussia.
“Prussian King Karl Frederick Dead at 82,” Chicago Herald, August 11, 1928.
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COMMUNALISTS, NATIONALISTS SWEEP ELECTIONS
FRANKLIN - In a stunning upset for the nation’s two most prominent parties, the Federalists and the Liberals lost over thirty seats between the two. Nationalists went from 95 seats to 103, and the Communalists went from 78 seats to 98 seats. Communalist Party Chairman Peter Michaels stated he plans on meeting with First Secretary Pratt to discuss a new cabinet reshuffle. Communalists hope to have at least one more of their party on the cabinet, possibly two. The First Secretary’s office would not comment on these statements at the time of press.
“Communalists, Nationalists Sweep Elections,” Franklin Observer, November 5, 1928.
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PRATT WILL BREAK WITH COMMUNALISTS
FRANKLIN - In a public statement today, First Secretary Wallace Pratt announced that the coalition with the Communalist Party will end when he is sworn in to his fourth term in January. The Liberals will ally with the Federalists. “It is time to bury the hatchet from the 1924 presidential election, and work with our colleagues from the Federalist party again.” When asked why the sudden break with the Communalists, Pratt said that, “the demands from the Communalists were too high in the negotiations for us to agree to. So we decided to renegotiate with the Federalists and go in a new direction for the Cabinet in 1929.”
“Pratt Will Break With Communalists,” Boston Eagle, December 1, 1928.
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RED PROTESTS AS PRATT SWORN IN FOR FOURTH TERM
FRANKLIN - As First Secretary Pratt arrived at Washington House for his swearing in to his fourth term by President Hawkins, crowds of Communalists marched outside in a major protest of Pratt’s decision to break his alliance with them in Congress, removing Hunter McDaniels as Secretary of Agriculture. Several thousand protesters lined the south end of Union Avenue as Pratt arrived, and filled Presidential Square, shouting and booing at the First Secretary as he drove by and entered the presidential residence. Banners saying “Pratt has Betrayed the People!” and “We Will Remember in 1930!” were carried by the crowd. There has been a lot of bitterness since Pratt announced he was forming a coalition with the Federalists instead of the Communalists, despite the fact that the Federalists dropped in seats, and the Communalists continued to increase their number in Congress.
“Red Protests as Pratt Sworn in for Fourth Term,” Astoria Dispatch, January 22, 1929.
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PRESIDENT HAWKINS TO VISIT CALIFORNIA
FRANKLIN - The State Department and Washington House issued a joint statement announcing that President Hawkins would be accepting the invitation of California Chancellor Manuel Martin to visit the Californian capital at San Francisco. The trip will be in October, and it will be the first time that an American president has visited the pacific republic. The State Department said that this is a continuation of the president’s agenda to promote peace and cooperation across the continent. “It is the President’s hope that in the coming decades, North Americans will be brought closer together, that peace and unity will be the order of the day.”
“President Hawkins to Visit California,” St. Louis Courier, August 20, 1929.
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California has long been, in the eyes of Americans, this almost mystical place on the Pacific Coast, beyond the boundaries of the Rocky Mountains and the desert, a place for fortune seekers and adventurers to go and escape the more ordered life in the East. This continued up into the twentieth century, despite the fact that California rivaled and in some cases even surpassed Texas in economic development. So it is no surprise that President Lance Hawkins’ 1929 trip to San Francisco captured the attention of the whole country. No American President had ever gone to California, and very few had even been to the Pacific Coast. It was still exceedingly rare for a sitting President to go abroad at all. On October 5th, Hawkins and his senior staff set out by train from Franklin, and would arrive in San Francisco two days later (travel time from Franklin to San Francisco could have been made in under a day, but the president made stops in St. Louis and in Roosevelt City before making his way farther west). Arriving to the City by the Bay amid great pomp, Hawkins was greeted by Californian Chancellor Manuel Martin and given a tour of the city. First on the tour was a visit to the San Francisco Spire, an obelisk erected in 1916 in memory of those killed in the devastating 1906 earthquake that struck the city, killing hundreds. After that was a climb up Mount Azul, the highest point in the city, to visit the grand St. Francis Cathedral, which was first built in 1890, and rebuilt and expanded in 1912.
The following day, President Hawkins was able to address the Californian Parliament, where he called on Californians to join his continent-wide peace effort, which was received warmly by the representatives in the chamber. Hawkins would have several high-level meetings with Californian leaders about his peace plan, and helped win over some who were skeptical of the whole idea. Some Californian feared that if trade barriers were eased that a flood of American-made products could hurt Californian manufacturing, which both Hawkins and Martin countered by saying that this would allow California’s industry to focus on things that they were best at, instead of trying to make everything themselves.
Hendricks, Dr. Harold. Going West: President Hawkin’s Visit to California. Franklin: UUS Press, 2000.
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ITALIAN EMPEROR CALLS FOR NEW ELECTIONS
NAPLES - After a year of political deadlock in Italy, where the Prime Minister Umberto Riva has tried in vain to bring about a slew of left-leaning reforms, Emperor Victor II has dismissed Riva and called for new elections, with a startling caveat: the Communalists and Riva’s Social Reform Party will not be allowed to participate. Victor II stated, “the Leftists have attempted to run our country, and they have failed miserably. It is time to return things to order.” This announcement has already resulted in riots in Naples, Rome, and Turin, and there are some that fear that violence will not only continue, but intensify. The Emperor has set the new election date for March 4th.
“Italian Emperor calls for New Elections,” Brooklyn Standard, February 3, 1929.
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TZS FLIGHTS TO ASIA BEGIN
SAN FRANCISCO - After last year’s successful flight of the Pazifiker Traum to Japan, Texas Zeppelin Service has announced that it will start regularly schedule flights to Asia later this month. The flights will all take off from San Francisco, with connecting flights from Texas and the United States. Destinations will include Tokyo, Peking, and also Honolulu. At least 9 flights are planned this season, in addition to the two dozen flights to Europe this year. TZS Chairman Kurt Zeppelin stated that with these recent expansions, his company was ahead of its planned expansion scheme. “My father’s dream of having TZS becoming known world-wide, and of having air travel connecting the world, is now becoming a reality.”
“TZS Flights to Asia Begin,” Franklin Observer, March 1, 1929.
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ITALY DESCENDS INTO CHAOS
NAPLES - It has been less than a month since Emperor Victor II of Italy dismissed Prime Minister Umberto Riva and called for new elections excluding the Social Reformists and Communalists. Riots broke out almost immediately, and have not subsided. Elections were supposed to be held three days ago, but in many cities Leftist rioters attacked the polls and prevented voting. Yesterday, the Emperor declared martial law, and on the same day in Rome, former Prime Minister Riva, surrounded by several Communalists and Social Reformers, announced the declaration of the Italian People’s Republic, calling on “all freedom loving Italians to rise up against the corrupt regime in Naples.” Civil war is now descending upon the Italian peninsula.
“Italy Descends into Chaos,” Manhattan Gazette, March 7, 1929.
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WAR SPREADS: UER DECLARES FOR ITALIAN REBELS
PARIS - In a fiery speech delivered before the General Assembly of the European People that was broadcast live on wireless (something rare even in the “new Europe” established since the coup in 1926), UER Chancellor Walther Hasselbach announced that “the Italian Conflict can no longer be ignored. It has become a European conflict. We cannot allow our brethren in Italy to suffer under such a reactionary regime any longer.” The Chancellor then called upon the Assembly to declare war on the Italian Empire, and to send aid to the republican rebels that currently control Rome and Turin and other parts of Northwest Italy.
Many have feared for months that the Italian civil war would balloon into a larger conflict in Europe, and it seems as though these fears are now reality. Now, people are holding their breath to see how far this spreads. One major fear is that Prussia may use this new conflict as an excuse to try and conquer the German-speaking regions of the UER.
“War Spreads: UER Declares for Italian Rebels,” Boston Eagle, June 14, 1930.
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VICTORIA OLYMPICS OPENED BY PRINCE WILLIAM VICTOR
VICTORIA - The world’s attention has taken a pause from the focus on the growing conflict in Europe and turned toward the capital of Borealia, where the 6th World Olympics have opened, a symbol of peace in a time of growing uncertainty. Prince William Victor, in conjunction with newly elected Borealian Prime Minister Thomas Lee, opened the games in a ceremony at North Star Stadium. “May all the world look here to Victoria, and see what peace can accomplish,” said the British heir just before he gave the traditional greeting to open the games. Some 3,600 athletes are in attendance at the games. Despite the ongoing conflict, the UER did manage to send a small delegation to the games. The Italian Olympic Committee attempted to do the same, but the Emperor forbid any athlete from going who would not swear allegiance to the Empire, something that the Italian committee would not enforce, leading the Emperor to ban all participation in this years games. There has been reported animosity between the UER and Prussian athletes, which comes as no surprise with the recent rhetoric coming out of Berlin that seems to point toward a Prussian entry into the Italian conflict in the ner future.
“Victoria Olympics Opened By Prince William Victor,” Chicago Herald, July 15, 1930.
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FEDS NOMINATE GOVERNOR BARNETT
COLUMBUS, OH - At their national convention in Ohio’s capital city, The Federalist Party has nominated Virginia Governor Elias Barnett to serve as their party’s presidential candidate. Barnett had done very well in the primary elections, but there was still a chance that Secretary of Commerce Paul Corey of Iowa might have maneuvered to get more support at the convention. After several rounds of ballots, Senator William Gordon of Pennsylvania was chosen as the party’s vice presidential candidate. It remains to be clear just how well the Barnett-Gordon ticket will fair this election season. While President Hawkins has not been unpopular, some feel that his leadership has been growing weak the past few years, and feel that they are ready for a greater change.
“Feds Nominate Governor Barnett,” St. Louis Courier, July 20, 1930.
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LIBS GO WITH KING
BOSTON - After a very hard-fought primary battle this spring, Secretary of the Interior Bernard King of Ohio has secured his party’s nomination for the presidency. He had battled in state after state against current Vice President Lynn Powell, who tried for a second time to get her party’s nomination. Many in the party still feel bitter about her joining the Federalist ticket in 1924, and this ultimately was what kept her from gaining more support. Also, on the question of the growing war in Europe, she was more aloof on whether or not she would support American intervention if it became necessary, whereas Secretary King has been very forthright in saying he would not support sending American troops to fight in “yet another European squabble.”
For Vice President, the party convention voted to make Senator Leon Palmer of Maryland their candidate. Palmer has been very outspoken against what he calls President Hawkins’ “lack of direction,” in the past several years. “The President has been so focused on his North American peace initiative that he has neglected domestic issues,” Palmer said last month in an interview with a radio station in Georgetown, Maryland.
“Libs Go With Palmer,” Boston Eagle, July 30, 1930.
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NATIONALISTS SPLIT ON WAR, NOMINATE CANTOR
PROSPERITY, JF - The Nationalist Party took a record 49 ballots before ultimately deciding to support Arkansas Governor Geoffrey Cantor for the presidency. There was a deep split in the party as to whether or not to support a pro- or anti-war footing. Senator Hiram Willows of Kentucky led the peace faction, but was ultimately overpowered by Cantor and his fellow war hawks. “With the UER now sending troops to fight in Italy, it will only be a matter of time before this conflict grows to consume all of Europe, and after that, the rest of the world will be dragged in. America needs to be ready to fight before we are called upon to do so, and we need to make sure we can support our allies.” Senator Andrew VanNess of Jefferson was nominated as the party’s vice presidential candidate.
“Nationalists Split on War, Nominate Cantor,” New Orleans Star, August 3, 1930.
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CPUS CHAIRMAN SEEKS PRESIDENCY
SPRINGFIELD, IL - Communalist Party Chairman Peter Michaels will be the party’s official nominee for the presidency in this year’s election, continuing the tradition set by CPUS Chairman Ephraim Abrams when he ran on the party’s first national ticket in 1918. Former Secretary of Agriculture Hunter McDaniels, the first Communalist to sit on the Federal Cabinet, will be the party’s vice presidential nominee.
“CPUS Chairman Seeks Presidency,” The American Worker, August 18, 1930.
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PRUSSIA DECLARES WAR ON UER - EUROPE ENGULFED IN WAR
BERLIN - In an unprecedented address before the Chamber of Lords, King Augustus thundered out that, “The Communalists of the Union seek to add Italy to their domains. One by one they seek to take over Europe until the whole continent is bathed in red, the color of the blood of the thousands they will slaughter as they seek to upend the social order. This cannot be allowed to continue.” Following more derogatory remarks about the UER, the King announced a declaration of war against the Union of European Republics, to thunderous applause in the chamber. This move is likely to be enthusiastically supported by Prussian Chancellor Adolf Neumark, who’s Prussian Nationalist Party has long endorsed a hardline stance against communalism. It seems that the fear of many, that the Italian conflict would grow into a wider European affair, has now come true.
“Prussia Declares War on UER - Europe Engulfed in War,” Franklin Observer, September 4, 1930.
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EUROPEAN WAR DOMINATES DEBATE
BOSTON - The four candidates for the presidency gathered for their first of two scheduled debates at the Boston Galleria Theater. The debate went out live across the nation via wireless, and could be heard from Bangor to Astoria and at all points in between. Of the many issues discussed, from increasing government spending to reestablishing the US Railway Company, the biggest issue was by far the growing war in Europe. A recent poll shows that most Americans do not support entering the conflict, something that was strongly reflected in three of the candidates in the debate, all but Nationalist Geoffrey Cantor, who says America should not shy away from conflict if conflict comes knocking. The others disagreed. “This war is yet another example of European fragmentation, something that we will not allow to happen on our own continent. If Europe should burn, so be it. It will allow us to shine all the brighter as the true leader of the twentieth century.” These strong remarks by Federalist Elias Barnett stood in stark contrast to Cantor, and were also echoed by Liberal Benjamin King, who said, “America has to put our own concerns first. If we were to be attacked, we would of course need to respond and defend our people. But this war will be like the last one, and remain a European affair that we should not get involved in.” The Communalist candidate, Peter Michaels, was less adamant about avoiding war, but still did not seem as eager as Nationalist Cantor: “I of course support the efforts of Italian leftists to free themselves from the reactionary regime in Naples, and cautiously applaud the efforts of the UER to try and help these rebels achieve their goals, and I condemn the actions of Prussia trying to take advantage of this conflict for their own territorial greed, but I am no fan of war. The CPUS does not agree with revolution by conflict, and I and my fellow compatriots hope to see the war end soon.”
“European War Dominates Debate,” Manhattan Gazette, October 3, 1930.
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In addition to promising to keep the United States out of the growing war in Europe, Secretary King had a commanding presence when he spoke that inspired people, whereas Governor Barnett seemed to speak down to people, and that had a great affect on how people chose to vote when they went to the polls on November 4th, 1930. The CPUS was still a dark horse candidate in those years, despite modest gains in the House, and the Nationalists were too pro-war for most people’s taste, so it really came down to Secretary King and Governor Barnett. In the end, King pulled out ahead of Barnett by a mere 46 electoral votes, 203-157. This of course was necessary 291 votes needed to win the election outright, so it would take negotiations that lasted well into December before King could convince Barnett to give his electoral votes over and secure his victory. King offered Barnett the position of Secretary of State, which Barnett considered to be quite the consolation prize, so he agreed to pledge his electoral votes to King.
Johnston, Dr. Rose. He’ll Keep Us At Peace: The Election of Benjamin King. Franklin, New Columbia Press: 1980.
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Quite overdue! I hope you enjoy! On summer break now so should be able to do more frequent updates to this. However, before I write the next installment of the TL, I will be devoting some time to the story set in the timeline. Expect something there before the end of June for sure, and maybe something more on this one as well (though it may be early July before I get the King Presidency written out.
As always, thanks for reading!
HAWKINS TAKES OFFICE BEFORE CELEBRATORY CROWDS
FRANKLIN - For the first time in twenty years, a Federalist has taken the presidential oath of office. Lance Hawkins of Iowa was sworn in by Chief Justice Benjamin Clayton at the stroke of noon, becoming the nation’s twenty-eighty president. To the crowds that had gathered in Capitol Square, the newly-sworthe Hannah and Roosevelt administrations. “The financial crisis that began under President Hannah and was mismanaged by the late J.P. Roosevelt is finally coming to an end. With the help of Congress, my administration will seek a new, more stable course for our nation to follow. The mistaken policies of the recent past will be abandoned, and we will once again place this nation on solid ground. It is my solemn promise to the American people that we will see better, more prosperous days ahead.”
Following the speech, which lasted around forty-five minutes, President Hawkins and his wife, Caroline, got into the special “Hamilton Coach,” the horse-drawn carriage first used by President Alexander Hamilton, Jr., in his 1829 inauguration. It has been used by nearly every president since then on inauguration day and other important state occasions. The Hawkins travelled south along Union Avenue in the direction of Washington House, preceded by units of Marines and the Presidential Guard Band, and followed by other military units, and carriages and autowagens. The entire parade route to the presidential mansion was lined with cheering crowds.
“Hawkins Takes Office Before Celebratory Crowds,” Boston Eagle, January 14, 1925.
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When she took the vice-presidential oath of office just before noon on January 14th, 1925, Lynne Powell became the first woman to hold such a high office in the United States, or indeed in any nation save the United Kingdom, where Queen Victoria III continued the tradition set by her mother and grandmother. Her position was a controversial one, not because of her gender, but because of her party affiliation. It was only the second time in American history that a sitting President and Vice President were from the same party since the passage of the 12th Amendment in 1804 (the other time being under the Presidency of Democratic-Republican William Crawford, where his Vice President was, for a time, Federalist Rufus King). Many of her fellow liberals felt that she had robbed her own party of the chance of really controlling Washington House, giving it instead to Federalist Lance Hawkins.
However, to the surprise of many, Vice President Powell was an involved member of the Hawkins Administration during her time in office. Many credit her with convincing President Hawkins to choose future President Benjamin King, a Liberal Senator from Ohio, to be the Secretary of the Interior. King would be instrumental in the Hawkins administration’s plans to restore the Federal Bureau of Improvements.
Campbell, Dr. Agatha. Women in Power. Franklin, New Columbia Press: 2000.
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WORLD OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES WINTER GAMES FOR 1926
AMSTERDAM - Wilmer Eriksson, the recently elected Chariman of the World Olympic Committee, announced today that in addition to the traditional Olympic athletic competition this summer, set to be held in Berlin, the WOC would be holding the first-ever World Olympic Winter Games in Bern, Switzerland, in December following the regular World Olympic Games in Berlin this summer. Events that are scheduled to take place at these “Winter Games” include Bobsledding, Curling, Ice Hockey, Skating, and Skiing. It is not clear yet how many nations will participate, but it is expected to be a far smaller event compared to the regular “summer” games, and only scheduled to last 10 days.
“World Olympic Committee Announces Winter Games for 1926.” Manhattan Gazette, January 19, 1925.
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PRESIDENT HAWKINS MEETS WITH FIRST SECRETARY PRATT
FRANKLIN - In what seems to be the setting-in-stone of tradition, President Hawkins formally welcomed returning First Secretary Wallace Pratt, a Liberal from New Jersey. Pratt has been in office since 1923, and oversaw a major overhaul of President Roosevelt’s cabinet after the landslide victory for the Liberals in the 1922 congressional elections. Selections for President Hawkin’s cabinet were reportedly discussed, although no official list of names was presented to the press. Unnamed aides at the meeting report that the President was already prepared with a list of possible Liberals to be included in his cabinet, likely chosen or suggested by Vice President Powell, herself a member of the Liberal Party. These aides also report that the meeting was cordial and seemed to be the start of a good working relationship.
“President Hawkins Meets with First Secretary Pratt,” Franklin Observer, January 25, 1925.
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PRESIDENT PROMISES RESTORED EDUCATION BUDGET
FRANKLIN - At the dedication ceremony for two new lecture halls that have been built on the campus of the University of the United States, President Hawkins announced that he planned on restoring the Department of Education and its budget to the status it held prior to President J.P. Roosevelt. “The Preston Pyramid System of Education has long been a hallmark of American education. The previous administration’s attempt to dismantle it was ill-advised and nearly disastrous. We will not make that same mistake. I have already spoken with newly appointed Education Secretary, Mrs. Darlene Winters, and we are in total agreement on this. For America to continue to strengthen its academic prowess, we must continue to support education at all levels. Our children are our future, and woe betide a nation that does not invest in its children.”
“President Promises Restored Education Budget,” Chicago Herald, February 10, 1925.
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HAWKINS AND PRATT FLOAT CONTINENT-WIDE CONFERENCE
FRANKLIN - Advisors to First Secretary Pratt have stated to the press that, during last week’s meeting between Pratt and President Hawkins the two leaders suggested the idea of a “pan North American conference,” to act as a smaller version of the international peace councils that have taken place over the past few decades. The idea would be to invite leaders from Borealia, the United States, Texas, California, and Mexico to meet and discuss common issues and to “help bring our continent closer together, so that we can avoid conflict in the future.” There has not been an truly international conflict in North America since the Second Mexican War ended in 1850 (unless one were to consider the War Between the States, since Britain got involved). Nevertheless, there have been repeated calls from people across the continent to make sure that a “Pax Americana” is instituted that makes sure that no future disagreement devolves into war. Secretary of Commerce Josiah Terry believes that such a council could also help trade across the continent, as stated in a recent speech in Boston where he said that “a more explicit agreement of cooperation between the nations of North America could only mean a greater increase in prosperity for not only citizens of the United States, but also for those living in Borealia, Texas, California, and Mexico.”
“Hawkins and Pratt Float Continent-Wide Conference,” Franklin Observer, March 29, 1925.
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VICTORIA III TO VISIT NORTH AMERICA NEXT YEAR
LONDON - Whitehall Palace announced yesterday that Queen Victoria III and her son and heir, Prince William Victor, will visit North America in 1926. This will be the first Royal visit to North America since Queen Victoria II visited the United States in 1901. It is expected that this visit will be centered on Borealia, and it remains to be seen whether or not the British sovereign will make a stop in the US. The 54-year-old monarch has been a popular leader in Britain, where she has maintained her mother and grandmother's tradition of being involved in the leadership of her country as well as championing various charities. Her son, the 25-year-old Prince William Victor, is unmarried, and some in London speculate that the Queen is taking her son on tour with her so that he might find a bride in Borealia, though no one at the palace will comment on this rumor.
“Victoria III to Visit North America Next Year,” Manhattan Gazette, April 8, 1925.
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5TH INTERNATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL OPENS IN BOSTON
BOSTON - In what has now been established as a tradition of meeting every five years, the fifth meeting of the International Peace Council has opened, for the first time meeting in North America. Michael Colbert of Great Britain has been elected as chairman. The Council will meet for the next 4-6 months, and will be attended by various delegates and representatives from 38 nations, including of course the United States, Borealia, Mexico, Texas, California, Prussia, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, Spain, Brazil, Japan, China, the Ottoman Federation, and even a few delegates from the UER, though it is not expected for the communalist union of republics to actually sign any accords passed by the council. Mathais Holtz, the leader of the UER, has repeatedly stated his disdain for international cooperation with “antiquated imperialist stooges.”
There are several issues that are expected to be debated over, one of which is a proposal from Great Britain on the topic of how modern warfare should be conducted. After the horrors of the Great War wreaked havoc across Europe, there are many that feel that proper rules should be laid out that make sure that warfare is conducted more “humanely,” now that the weapons of war are far more destructive than they were in centuries past.
“5th International Peace Conference Opens in Boston,” New Orleans Star, May 4th, 1925.
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MATHIAS HOLTZ DEAD - UER LEADERSHIP UNCLEAR
STRASSBURG - An official announcement was made via state-operated radio broadcasters yesterday evening that Chairman of the European People’s Council, Mathias Holtz, the man who has led the Union of European Republics since 1914, had died. Deputy Chairman Josef Reinhart had declared a state of mourning for the next three months in honor of Holtz. Just who will replace the controversial leader remains to be seen. It is expected that a special council of party leaders will gather at some point and select a new chairman. However, it remains to be seen if this new leader will be able to wield as much control as Holtz has since he seized power not long after the death of the UER’s first leader, Jean Marchand. Officially, fellow Communalists in the UER praised Holtz for his supposedly bold leadership and new path for the Communalist movement, which has become know as RadKom. However, those who have left the UER, often fleeing for their lives, have stated that Holtz has ruled the UER with an iron fist and has brutally stamped out dissent. The US Communalist Party has repudiated the RadKom philosophy, which led to a falling out between European and American communalists in 1916.
“Mathias Holtz Dead - UER Leadership Unclear,” Franklin Observer, June 7, 1925.
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Mathias Holtz held near absolute power in the Union of European Republics for over a decade, and in that time managed to completely remold the communalist state that had been founded in 1904 by Jean Marchand and other European revolutionaries during the great chaos of the Great War. The creation of a new, “international” language and the purging of national identity were hallmarks of the Holtz era that would continue well after his death in 1925. Following the execution of Francois Juarez, who had initially followed Marchand as Chairman of the UER, Holtz spent the rest of 1914 and 1915 purging upper leadership of what he termed “faux-communalists,” who he claimed were really working to bring down the revolution. Estimates vary, but most scholars now believe the Bloody Purge of 1914-1916 claimed over 40,000 people, from bureaucrats to land owners to military officers. The European People’s Army was hit particularly hard in late 1915 after General Josef Meminger, a senior member of the EPA’s General Staff, was found out to have been plotting against what he termed the “radicalist Holtz.” Meminger and at least a dozen others at the high command were executed, along with huge swaths of the officer corps.
In 1916, the Holtz government turned its focus towards religious institutions. All religious schools were closed save a few state-sanctioned seminaries that were under constant observation, and those would close down in 1920 and not reopen until the 1940s following the end of the Global War. Hundreds of churches were closed, and most Church land became property of the state. There was some organized push back to this in parts of rural France and Bavaria, but these were ineffective at stopping the state crackdown on religion. Several great cathedrals would meet their end during this era, including the Notre-Dame de Paris in 1917.
As part of the organized effort to abolish nationalities, in 1918 it was announced that the constituent republics of the UER would be broken up, and new republics would be created that, where possible, would blur the old territorial boundaries that existed before the war.
Franco, Dr. Pedro. Holtzian Terror: The Bloody Purge and the Years of Radical Communalism, 1914-1925. Marseilles: Universitato de Mediteranea Gazetaro (University of the Mediterranean Press), 2009.
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BOSTON WARFARE ACCORDS SIGNED
BOSTON - What is being touted as the single-most important decision made by the 5th International Peace Council, the so-called “Boston Warfare Accords” have been signed by the delegates that have been meeting in that city since May, representing 38 of the world’s most influential nations. The new treaty, which will now be sent to the member nations to be signed, calls on the prohibition of the use of poisonous gas, and sets out how certain people, such as medics, chaplains, and wounded should be treated in a combat zone. It also sets out guidelines for how prisoners of war should be treated, and what can and cannot be done to civilians in a combat or occupied zone. In addition, the treaty also recognizes the newly established International Doctor’s Council as the official international healthcare organization, and required all military medics to be trained under the IDC’s guidelines.
“Boston Warfare Accords Signed,” Boston Eagle, September 1, 1925.
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HOLTZ PROTEGE NEW LEADER OF UER
STRASSBURG - Lucien Duret, who has served as the Interior Secretary of the UER since 1917, has been announced as the new leader of the communalist nation, succeeding the late Mathias Holtz who passed away last June. Duret is considered to be the protege of the late Chairman, who radically reshaped the Union of European Republics when he took power in 1914. Most outside observers expect Duret to continue the style of leadership, which many in the West consider oppressive, that was common under the rule of Holtz.
“Holtz Protege New Leader of UER,” Franklin Observer, October 7, 1925.
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LEELAND ROWLING DEAD AT 89
PHILADELPHIA - Leeland Rowling, the nation’s 19th president who served from 1889 to 1895 has died at his home near Philadelphia at the age of 89. Rowling saw the nation truly begin to transition away from a regional power to a global one, with the wounds of the War Between the States finally starting to heal. Rowling was also the first President (and so far only) president to visit the United Kingdom in 1893, where he met with Victoria I and her daughter, and famously was given the opportunity to address Parliament. President Hawkins, himself a Federalist like Rowling, has announced that a two month period of mourning will take place with flags at half staff across the country. Rowling’s funeral will be held in Philadelphia, and his body is expected to lie in state in Independence Hall, recently refurbished in a joint effort by the Federal Parks Service and the National Historical Institute.
“Leeland Rowling Dead at 89,” St. Louis Courier, November 19, 1925.
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TZS ANNOUNCES 6 TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHTS FOR 1926
BENTONVILLE, TXF -The Texas Zeppelin Service has announced that 6 regular transatlantic flights will take place next year, connecting North America and Europe. Four of the flights will take off from Boston, the other two from Brooklyn. The flights are scheduled to occur between March and September. Three of the flights will be going to London, and three of them to Berlin. Tickets are expected to go on sale soon.
TZS head Kurt Zeppelin told reporters that, “It is the hope of TZS that by 1930, airship flights to Europe and other places will be commonplace, and that a mere six flights in one flying season will feel insignificant when flights start happening every week.” Mr. Zeppelin also reminded the press that a flight from Boston to London takes a mere 3 to 4 days, compared to nearly a week on an ocean liner, making it far quicker. Still, the ocean liner remains far more affordable, something that Mr. Zeppelin hopes to change in the near future.
“TZS Announces 6 Trans-Atlantic Flights for 1926.” New Orleans Star, December 1, 1925.
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MILITARY COUP IN UER
STRASSBURG - Conflicting reports are making details hard to come by, but it appears that the leadership of the European People’s Army have staged a coup against Communalist Party Chairman and Leader of the UER, Lucien Duret, who was installed as leader back in October. Mr. Duret had announced that he was going to be reviewing the “loyalty and authenticity” of the EPA’s officers in a recent speech, and it appears that the Army, lead by General Albrecht Meyer, has stepped in to remove Duret. Radio Strassburg went dead yesterday evening, and began broadcasting this morning with a message saying that a state of emergency had been declared around the European capital, and advising residents to stay in their homes. A large number of military units have been spotted on patrol in the streets, and reports of gunfire near the capitol complex was also reported.
“MILITARY COUP IN UER,” Boston Eagle, January 2, 1926.
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RadKom ended on January 2, 1926, when General Albrecht Meyer ordered the European People’s Army to occupy the UER’s capital at Strassburg and arrest Chairman Duret and his cabinet. The so-called Revolucia Gvardio (Revolutionary Guard), a political para-military organization set up by Holtz in 1915, put up a stiff resistance in the capitol quarter in Strassburg, but by January 3rd, Chairman Duret was dead and most of his council of administrators had been arrested. General Meyer addressed the nation on January 4th, announcing that a new “General Assembly of the People” would convene in March to “right the wrongs of recent years,” and “restore the Union to the true path of Communalist struggle.” Many expected that Meyer’s actions were nothing but a show, and expected him to set up a military dictatorship. To their surprise, however, these plans were genuine. The General Assembly met in Strassburg from March until May of 1926 and drafted a new constitution for the UER, abolishing many of the Holtzian Era doctrines. Freedom of the press was restored, as was freedom of travel and some level of trade. Regular elections for the “Grand Assembly of Europe” were to take place every three years, and the Assembly would elect a Chancellor that would lead the Union. Party membership was no longer required for members of the Assembly or any government office. After elections were held for the new Grand Assembly in June, Walther Hasselbach, who had been a provincial administrator in what is now Upper Bavaria, was elected as Chancellor, and the military did not attempt to retain power. General Meyer did not even run for office. It was the dawn of a new day for the Union of European Republics.
But it would not be an easy one. Holtzian hardliners tried to fight back, with an uprising in Munich in April of 1926, and another one in Lyon in July. Thousands were arrested in what many historians refer to as the “Counter Purge.” General Meyer fanatically defended the new government and administration of Chancellor Hasselbach. While stability was mostly returned by the end of 1926, there were flare ups of unrest as the state once again underwent reorganization. And just as things began to return to a new normal, Italy broke out in a Civil War that would drag the UER and the rest of Europe into a new conflict.
Franco, Dr. Pedro. Holtzian Terror: The Bloody Purge and the Years of Radical Communalism, 1914-1925. Marseilles: Universitato de Mediteranea Gazetaro (University of the Mediterranean Press), 2009.
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VICTORIA III, PRINCE WILLIAM ARRIVE IN BOREALIA
VICTORIA - The HMS Regina Victoria arrived in Montreal yesterday with Queen Victoria III and her son, Prince William Victor. The British Royal Family will be touring Borealia and also the United States over the next few months. This marks the first trip to North America by Victoria III, and is the first Royal visit in a quarter century. The Queen met today with Borealian Prime Minister Jacob Wheaton, and will address the Borealian Parliament tomorrow. The Queen and her party are expected to stay in Victoria for most of the week, before heading on to visit other parts of the Kingdom. Victoria III and her son are expected in the United States sometime in July, and preparations are already underway in Franklin for her state visit.
“Victoria III, Prince William Arrive in Borealia,” Manhattan Gazette, June 1, 1926.
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WORLD OLYMPICS OPEN IN BERLIN AMID RISING TENSION
BERLIN - In the spectacular Stadion der Welt (Stadium of the World), newly completed outside Prussia’s capital, Berlin, the 6th World Olympic Games have commenced. King Karl Friedrich welcomed the crowds of fans and competitors amid the pageantry. The games are set to last the next three weeks, ending on August 20th. Nearly 4,400 athletes are set to compete in some 60 events. Most of the sporting competitions will take place in or around the new Stadion der Welt, with a few events held elsewhere in Berlin.
Despite the public smiles, there is growing tension in Europe. The UER nearly did not attend the games, as the previous regime in that country has not been hospitable towards internationalism, but the new government that took power after the January coup this year has been working to “build bridges.” Prussia has long disliked and distrusted the communalist union, which in their eyes has “stolen” German land. In addition, there is growing tension in Italy, were pro-communalist parties are trying to get into parliament and are facing official crackdowns, something that the UER has condemned.
“World Olympics Open in Berlin Amid Rising Tension.” Boston Eagle, July 30, 1926.
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After the tumultuous 12 years of the Hannah and J. Roosevelt presidencies, the first half of President Hawkins was marked by stability and the lack of major crisis or scandal at home, and although storm clouds began to brew abroad, it was nothing but calmness and smooth sailing in America in the late 1920s. Hawkins’ support for restoring the Education Department to its pre-Roosevelt status was supported by most nationwide. Some had expected that with the House being controlled by the Liberals that there would be tension between the First Secretary and the President, but this never really came to be.
Due to these factors, the 1926 congressional elections were a very low key affair, with very few races becoming highly contested. There were several fluctuations, but the net change for most parties was very small. The president’s Federalists went from 144 to 146 seats. The Nationalists went from 94 seats to 95. The Liberals went from 195 to 181, and the Communalists went from 67 to 78 seats. In the Senate, the Liberals maintained their position as largest party, but dropped from 40 seats (half the 80 members of the Senate) to 36. Federalists increased their senators by 1, from 16 to 17. Nationalists went from 20 to 22 seats. The big surprise was the first election of a Communalist senator from outside the American Communalist heartland of Indiana and Illinois, with the election of Sherman Andrews from New York, bringing the Communalists from 4 to 5 senators.
After the election, it was naturally assumed that Liberal Wallace Pratt would remain as First Secretary with no challenge. When the new session of Congress met in January of 1927, there was a slight hiccup to this assumption. Communalist leaders wanted a seat at the cabinet table for their continued support of Pratt. Specifically, they wanted to place Hunter McDaniels of Indiana as the Secretary of Agriculture. Initially Pratt balked at the idea, as did Washington House. The Nationalists came forward and offered to support Pratt, but would also require a cabinet reshuffle, and of more than one position. After nearly three weeks of talks, Pratt finally agreed to the Communalist request, and he was sworn in for his third term as First Secretary, and McDaniels became the first Communalist member of of a presidential cabinet.
King, Dr. Gordon. Restoring Normalcy: The Presidency of Lance Hawkins. Franklin, FD: UUS Press, 1999.
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Sixteen years after the birth of the modern World Olympics, winter sport entered the olympic arena with the opening of the 1926 Winter World Olympics in Bern, Switzerland, in early December. 14 nations sent a total of 243 athletes to compete in the 5 events that had been scheduled in the week and a half of competition. Borealia won the most medals at this first event, and it was generally considered a success, and it is thanks in part to the organizers of the Bern Games in 1926 and the Roosevelt City Games in 1930 that helped secure the Winter World Olympics as a standard part of global spot that we know of today.
Burns, Dr. Francis. Winter Sport, Manhattan: New Holland Publishers, 1996.
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BRITISH HEIR TO MARRY BOREALIAN
LONDON - Whitehall Palace has announced that Prince William Victor, heir to the British throne, is engaged to marry Lady Elizabeth Carlisle of Borealia. Lady Elizabeth is the daughter of Benjamin Carlisle, the Borealian Interior Minister. The Carlisles were the official guide of the Royal Family during their visit to Borealia last summer. The palace stated that Prince William Victor and Lady Elizabeth struck up a friendship during this trip, and stayed kept up “regular correspondence” after the Royal Family returned to Britain. The Carlisles have been in London the past two weeks as part of an official Borealian delegation, and this is when the engagement was made. The wedding will occur in June of 1928, and is sure to be the highlight of the social year in the United Kingdom.
“British Heir to Marry Borealian,” Brooklyn Standard, February 19, 1927.
NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE TO OPEN IN CHICAGO
CHICAGO - Before a crowd of several hundred packed into the newly opened Grand Amphitheater in Chicago, President Hawkins warmly greeted the slew of international delegates, including the heads of state of America’s neighboring nations, for the inaugural meeting of the North American Conference, something that this administration hopes will become a yearly event. Canadian Prime Minister Jacob Wheaton, Texan President Jose Stadler, Californian Chancellor Manuel Martin, and Mexican Prime Minister Raul Chicote are all gathered with President Hawkins in Chicago for the four day conference along with countless aides and secondary officials. Hawkins said in his opening remarks that, “we have seen our cousins in Europe tear each other apart countless times. And we have had our own quarrels that have boiled over into bloodshed in the past two centuries. But we should strive to make those conflicts stay in the past, and to ensure that the mistakes of the Old World are not repeated here in North America any longer.”
The President is hoping to set up a smaller version of the International Peace Congresses just for North America, to help bring the five nations on this continent closer together and avoid any sort of future war.
“North American Conference to Open in Chicago,” St. Louis Courier, May 1, 1927.
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At the end of the First North American Conference on May 4th, 1927, the Chicago Declaration established a triennial meeting of the continent, where the leaders of the United States, Borealia, Texas, California, and Mexico could gather together and promote peace, order, and trade from Atlantic to Pacific, the frozen northern latitudes of Hudson Bay all the way past the sun-soaked shored of the Yucatan Peninsula. In 1930, the first real discussions of open trade began, culminating in the 1936 North American Open Trade Agreement, which withdrew most barriers to trade across the continent. 1939 saw the creation of Pan-American Passport, for the citizens of the five Conference Nations, and in 1942 it was first proposed that a more formal organization be set up that would have officials and duties in between the official conferences. This would ultimately culminate in the 1951 Treaty of St. Louis, which formally established the Union of North America that we know of today.
Coburn, Dr. Virgil. Chicago, 1927: Birth of the North American Union. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1990.
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WILLIAM AND KATHERINE GATES CROSS ATLANTIC IN PLANE!
LONDON - After many years of painstaking work perfecting countless different designs, William and Katherine Gates, America’s foremost heavier-than-air engineers, have successfully flown across the Atlantic Ocean in just over 36 hours, taking off from Boston on June 7th and landing just outside Liverpool. President Hawkins commented on word of their success, saying, “mankind continues to show its ability to tame obstacles nature has put in its path. With this new feat, North America and Europe have been brought closer together in a way unfathomable when our ancestors set out westward across that same ocean that the Gates have flown back over in the opposite direction.” The famous American Aviators are expected to fly back home after spending some time visiting London, where they will be guests of honor with Prime Minister Peter Morrison.
“William and Katherine Gates Cross Atlantic in Plane!” Franklin Observer, June 9, 1927.
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POLITICAL DEADLOCK IN ITALY
NAPLES - After parliamentary elections last week brought in a sweep of far-left leaning and outright communalists of the radical persuasion into office, political deadlock is gripping the Italian government. Although no single leftist party hold a majority of seats, the combined power of the Left is greater than any other party combined. Many expect the three largest left-leaning parties and the Communalist Party of Italy to back Umberto Riva of the Social Reform Party as Prime Minister, though he would not be the only left-leaning choice. The real question now is whether or not Emperor Victor II will accept Riva as Prime Minister. The Italian Emperor has been an outspoken critic of left-leaning politics in his Empire, and many are wondering if he will appoint a minority government under the leadership of Bernardo Panzo and his Italian Imperial Party, which has controlled parliament most of the last decade.
And even if the Emperor appoints Riva, there is no guarantee that the leftists will be able to effectivly govern, as the right-leaning parties are promising to block any legislation presented, and most laws will still require Imperial assent to go into effect.
“Political Deadlock in Italy,” Boston Eagle, January 19, 1928.
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ZEPPELIN FLIES TO TOKYO
SAN FRANCISCO - In an aviation first, the TZS airship Pazifiker Traum, capable of carrying 35 passengers and flying at just over 55 miles an hour, has taken off from the Californian capital at San Francisco, bound for Tokyo, the capital of the Japanese Republic. Kurt Zeppelin, the head of the Texas Zeppelin Company, stated that he thinks the flight should take less than 5 days, though on the return flight the ship is scheduled to make a stop in Honolulu, the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Onboard this inaugural Pacific flight, along with Mr. Zeppelin, is the Californian Deputy Secretary for War, Samuel Hernandez, and the newly appointed American ambassador to Japan, Caleb Wells.
“Zeppelin Flies to Tokyo,” Chicago Herald, March 2, 1928.
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PRINCE WILLIAM VICTOR WEDS IN LONDON
LONDON - In what was likely the most-anticipated social event of the year, 28 year-old Prince William Victor, heir to the British crown, wed 25 year-old Lady Elizabeth Carlisle of Borealia at Westminster Abbey. The guest list included a veritable who’s who of British and Borealian society, along with heads of state from the United States, Texas, California, Prussia, Italy, Spain, Japan, China, and Choson, along with representatives of every British colonial holding. Most agree that this was the most impressive event at the Abbey since the Prince’s mother, Queen Victoria III, was crowned in 1915. And, in a royal first, newsreel cameras were permitted to film parts of the ceremony. The footage is expected to be released for viewing in cinemas across the globe sometime in the next two weeks, according to a statement released by Whitehall Palace.
“Prince William Victor Weds in London,” Franklin Observer, April 16, 1928.
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PRUSSIAN KING KARL FREDERICK DEAD AT 82
BERLIN - Prussian officials have announced that King Karl Frederick, who has ruled the Prussian state since 1908, has died at the age of 82. The late King presided over a Prussia that was still recovering from the shock of the Great European War when he was crowned twenty years ago, and has seen the nation recover and build up it is armed forces to “keep the hounds of communalists to the south and east at bay,” the King was quoted as saying back in 1922. As a young man, Karl Frederick is reported to have been a political moderate, but this changed after the Great War and when he became King he ruled with an iron fist, with the help of several right-leaning nationalists, most notably Chancellor Georg von Schildstein, who only resigned as head of the Prussian Unity Party last year.
Karl Frederick is succeeded by his son, the 54 year-old Prince Augustus William, who was born in 1874. The new king has been suffering from a variety of health issues the past several years, and some are unsure just how active his reign will be compared to his father. His son, the new Crown Prince Karl Frederick, is 25 years old, and there are some wondering how long it will be before this much younger Hohenzollern will be at the helm in Prussia.
“Prussian King Karl Frederick Dead at 82,” Chicago Herald, August 11, 1928.
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COMMUNALISTS, NATIONALISTS SWEEP ELECTIONS
FRANKLIN - In a stunning upset for the nation’s two most prominent parties, the Federalists and the Liberals lost over thirty seats between the two. Nationalists went from 95 seats to 103, and the Communalists went from 78 seats to 98 seats. Communalist Party Chairman Peter Michaels stated he plans on meeting with First Secretary Pratt to discuss a new cabinet reshuffle. Communalists hope to have at least one more of their party on the cabinet, possibly two. The First Secretary’s office would not comment on these statements at the time of press.
“Communalists, Nationalists Sweep Elections,” Franklin Observer, November 5, 1928.
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PRATT WILL BREAK WITH COMMUNALISTS
FRANKLIN - In a public statement today, First Secretary Wallace Pratt announced that the coalition with the Communalist Party will end when he is sworn in to his fourth term in January. The Liberals will ally with the Federalists. “It is time to bury the hatchet from the 1924 presidential election, and work with our colleagues from the Federalist party again.” When asked why the sudden break with the Communalists, Pratt said that, “the demands from the Communalists were too high in the negotiations for us to agree to. So we decided to renegotiate with the Federalists and go in a new direction for the Cabinet in 1929.”
“Pratt Will Break With Communalists,” Boston Eagle, December 1, 1928.
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RED PROTESTS AS PRATT SWORN IN FOR FOURTH TERM
FRANKLIN - As First Secretary Pratt arrived at Washington House for his swearing in to his fourth term by President Hawkins, crowds of Communalists marched outside in a major protest of Pratt’s decision to break his alliance with them in Congress, removing Hunter McDaniels as Secretary of Agriculture. Several thousand protesters lined the south end of Union Avenue as Pratt arrived, and filled Presidential Square, shouting and booing at the First Secretary as he drove by and entered the presidential residence. Banners saying “Pratt has Betrayed the People!” and “We Will Remember in 1930!” were carried by the crowd. There has been a lot of bitterness since Pratt announced he was forming a coalition with the Federalists instead of the Communalists, despite the fact that the Federalists dropped in seats, and the Communalists continued to increase their number in Congress.
“Red Protests as Pratt Sworn in for Fourth Term,” Astoria Dispatch, January 22, 1929.
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PRESIDENT HAWKINS TO VISIT CALIFORNIA
FRANKLIN - The State Department and Washington House issued a joint statement announcing that President Hawkins would be accepting the invitation of California Chancellor Manuel Martin to visit the Californian capital at San Francisco. The trip will be in October, and it will be the first time that an American president has visited the pacific republic. The State Department said that this is a continuation of the president’s agenda to promote peace and cooperation across the continent. “It is the President’s hope that in the coming decades, North Americans will be brought closer together, that peace and unity will be the order of the day.”
“President Hawkins to Visit California,” St. Louis Courier, August 20, 1929.
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California has long been, in the eyes of Americans, this almost mystical place on the Pacific Coast, beyond the boundaries of the Rocky Mountains and the desert, a place for fortune seekers and adventurers to go and escape the more ordered life in the East. This continued up into the twentieth century, despite the fact that California rivaled and in some cases even surpassed Texas in economic development. So it is no surprise that President Lance Hawkins’ 1929 trip to San Francisco captured the attention of the whole country. No American President had ever gone to California, and very few had even been to the Pacific Coast. It was still exceedingly rare for a sitting President to go abroad at all. On October 5th, Hawkins and his senior staff set out by train from Franklin, and would arrive in San Francisco two days later (travel time from Franklin to San Francisco could have been made in under a day, but the president made stops in St. Louis and in Roosevelt City before making his way farther west). Arriving to the City by the Bay amid great pomp, Hawkins was greeted by Californian Chancellor Manuel Martin and given a tour of the city. First on the tour was a visit to the San Francisco Spire, an obelisk erected in 1916 in memory of those killed in the devastating 1906 earthquake that struck the city, killing hundreds. After that was a climb up Mount Azul, the highest point in the city, to visit the grand St. Francis Cathedral, which was first built in 1890, and rebuilt and expanded in 1912.
The following day, President Hawkins was able to address the Californian Parliament, where he called on Californians to join his continent-wide peace effort, which was received warmly by the representatives in the chamber. Hawkins would have several high-level meetings with Californian leaders about his peace plan, and helped win over some who were skeptical of the whole idea. Some Californian feared that if trade barriers were eased that a flood of American-made products could hurt Californian manufacturing, which both Hawkins and Martin countered by saying that this would allow California’s industry to focus on things that they were best at, instead of trying to make everything themselves.
Hendricks, Dr. Harold. Going West: President Hawkin’s Visit to California. Franklin: UUS Press, 2000.
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ITALIAN EMPEROR CALLS FOR NEW ELECTIONS
NAPLES - After a year of political deadlock in Italy, where the Prime Minister Umberto Riva has tried in vain to bring about a slew of left-leaning reforms, Emperor Victor II has dismissed Riva and called for new elections, with a startling caveat: the Communalists and Riva’s Social Reform Party will not be allowed to participate. Victor II stated, “the Leftists have attempted to run our country, and they have failed miserably. It is time to return things to order.” This announcement has already resulted in riots in Naples, Rome, and Turin, and there are some that fear that violence will not only continue, but intensify. The Emperor has set the new election date for March 4th.
“Italian Emperor calls for New Elections,” Brooklyn Standard, February 3, 1929.
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TZS FLIGHTS TO ASIA BEGIN
SAN FRANCISCO - After last year’s successful flight of the Pazifiker Traum to Japan, Texas Zeppelin Service has announced that it will start regularly schedule flights to Asia later this month. The flights will all take off from San Francisco, with connecting flights from Texas and the United States. Destinations will include Tokyo, Peking, and also Honolulu. At least 9 flights are planned this season, in addition to the two dozen flights to Europe this year. TZS Chairman Kurt Zeppelin stated that with these recent expansions, his company was ahead of its planned expansion scheme. “My father’s dream of having TZS becoming known world-wide, and of having air travel connecting the world, is now becoming a reality.”
“TZS Flights to Asia Begin,” Franklin Observer, March 1, 1929.
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ITALY DESCENDS INTO CHAOS
NAPLES - It has been less than a month since Emperor Victor II of Italy dismissed Prime Minister Umberto Riva and called for new elections excluding the Social Reformists and Communalists. Riots broke out almost immediately, and have not subsided. Elections were supposed to be held three days ago, but in many cities Leftist rioters attacked the polls and prevented voting. Yesterday, the Emperor declared martial law, and on the same day in Rome, former Prime Minister Riva, surrounded by several Communalists and Social Reformers, announced the declaration of the Italian People’s Republic, calling on “all freedom loving Italians to rise up against the corrupt regime in Naples.” Civil war is now descending upon the Italian peninsula.
“Italy Descends into Chaos,” Manhattan Gazette, March 7, 1929.
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WAR SPREADS: UER DECLARES FOR ITALIAN REBELS
PARIS - In a fiery speech delivered before the General Assembly of the European People that was broadcast live on wireless (something rare even in the “new Europe” established since the coup in 1926), UER Chancellor Walther Hasselbach announced that “the Italian Conflict can no longer be ignored. It has become a European conflict. We cannot allow our brethren in Italy to suffer under such a reactionary regime any longer.” The Chancellor then called upon the Assembly to declare war on the Italian Empire, and to send aid to the republican rebels that currently control Rome and Turin and other parts of Northwest Italy.
Many have feared for months that the Italian civil war would balloon into a larger conflict in Europe, and it seems as though these fears are now reality. Now, people are holding their breath to see how far this spreads. One major fear is that Prussia may use this new conflict as an excuse to try and conquer the German-speaking regions of the UER.
“War Spreads: UER Declares for Italian Rebels,” Boston Eagle, June 14, 1930.
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VICTORIA OLYMPICS OPENED BY PRINCE WILLIAM VICTOR
VICTORIA - The world’s attention has taken a pause from the focus on the growing conflict in Europe and turned toward the capital of Borealia, where the 6th World Olympics have opened, a symbol of peace in a time of growing uncertainty. Prince William Victor, in conjunction with newly elected Borealian Prime Minister Thomas Lee, opened the games in a ceremony at North Star Stadium. “May all the world look here to Victoria, and see what peace can accomplish,” said the British heir just before he gave the traditional greeting to open the games. Some 3,600 athletes are in attendance at the games. Despite the ongoing conflict, the UER did manage to send a small delegation to the games. The Italian Olympic Committee attempted to do the same, but the Emperor forbid any athlete from going who would not swear allegiance to the Empire, something that the Italian committee would not enforce, leading the Emperor to ban all participation in this years games. There has been reported animosity between the UER and Prussian athletes, which comes as no surprise with the recent rhetoric coming out of Berlin that seems to point toward a Prussian entry into the Italian conflict in the ner future.
“Victoria Olympics Opened By Prince William Victor,” Chicago Herald, July 15, 1930.
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FEDS NOMINATE GOVERNOR BARNETT
COLUMBUS, OH - At their national convention in Ohio’s capital city, The Federalist Party has nominated Virginia Governor Elias Barnett to serve as their party’s presidential candidate. Barnett had done very well in the primary elections, but there was still a chance that Secretary of Commerce Paul Corey of Iowa might have maneuvered to get more support at the convention. After several rounds of ballots, Senator William Gordon of Pennsylvania was chosen as the party’s vice presidential candidate. It remains to be clear just how well the Barnett-Gordon ticket will fair this election season. While President Hawkins has not been unpopular, some feel that his leadership has been growing weak the past few years, and feel that they are ready for a greater change.
“Feds Nominate Governor Barnett,” St. Louis Courier, July 20, 1930.
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LIBS GO WITH KING
BOSTON - After a very hard-fought primary battle this spring, Secretary of the Interior Bernard King of Ohio has secured his party’s nomination for the presidency. He had battled in state after state against current Vice President Lynn Powell, who tried for a second time to get her party’s nomination. Many in the party still feel bitter about her joining the Federalist ticket in 1924, and this ultimately was what kept her from gaining more support. Also, on the question of the growing war in Europe, she was more aloof on whether or not she would support American intervention if it became necessary, whereas Secretary King has been very forthright in saying he would not support sending American troops to fight in “yet another European squabble.”
For Vice President, the party convention voted to make Senator Leon Palmer of Maryland their candidate. Palmer has been very outspoken against what he calls President Hawkins’ “lack of direction,” in the past several years. “The President has been so focused on his North American peace initiative that he has neglected domestic issues,” Palmer said last month in an interview with a radio station in Georgetown, Maryland.
“Libs Go With Palmer,” Boston Eagle, July 30, 1930.
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NATIONALISTS SPLIT ON WAR, NOMINATE CANTOR
PROSPERITY, JF - The Nationalist Party took a record 49 ballots before ultimately deciding to support Arkansas Governor Geoffrey Cantor for the presidency. There was a deep split in the party as to whether or not to support a pro- or anti-war footing. Senator Hiram Willows of Kentucky led the peace faction, but was ultimately overpowered by Cantor and his fellow war hawks. “With the UER now sending troops to fight in Italy, it will only be a matter of time before this conflict grows to consume all of Europe, and after that, the rest of the world will be dragged in. America needs to be ready to fight before we are called upon to do so, and we need to make sure we can support our allies.” Senator Andrew VanNess of Jefferson was nominated as the party’s vice presidential candidate.
“Nationalists Split on War, Nominate Cantor,” New Orleans Star, August 3, 1930.
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CPUS CHAIRMAN SEEKS PRESIDENCY
SPRINGFIELD, IL - Communalist Party Chairman Peter Michaels will be the party’s official nominee for the presidency in this year’s election, continuing the tradition set by CPUS Chairman Ephraim Abrams when he ran on the party’s first national ticket in 1918. Former Secretary of Agriculture Hunter McDaniels, the first Communalist to sit on the Federal Cabinet, will be the party’s vice presidential nominee.
“CPUS Chairman Seeks Presidency,” The American Worker, August 18, 1930.
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PRUSSIA DECLARES WAR ON UER - EUROPE ENGULFED IN WAR
BERLIN - In an unprecedented address before the Chamber of Lords, King Augustus thundered out that, “The Communalists of the Union seek to add Italy to their domains. One by one they seek to take over Europe until the whole continent is bathed in red, the color of the blood of the thousands they will slaughter as they seek to upend the social order. This cannot be allowed to continue.” Following more derogatory remarks about the UER, the King announced a declaration of war against the Union of European Republics, to thunderous applause in the chamber. This move is likely to be enthusiastically supported by Prussian Chancellor Adolf Neumark, who’s Prussian Nationalist Party has long endorsed a hardline stance against communalism. It seems that the fear of many, that the Italian conflict would grow into a wider European affair, has now come true.
“Prussia Declares War on UER - Europe Engulfed in War,” Franklin Observer, September 4, 1930.
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EUROPEAN WAR DOMINATES DEBATE
BOSTON - The four candidates for the presidency gathered for their first of two scheduled debates at the Boston Galleria Theater. The debate went out live across the nation via wireless, and could be heard from Bangor to Astoria and at all points in between. Of the many issues discussed, from increasing government spending to reestablishing the US Railway Company, the biggest issue was by far the growing war in Europe. A recent poll shows that most Americans do not support entering the conflict, something that was strongly reflected in three of the candidates in the debate, all but Nationalist Geoffrey Cantor, who says America should not shy away from conflict if conflict comes knocking. The others disagreed. “This war is yet another example of European fragmentation, something that we will not allow to happen on our own continent. If Europe should burn, so be it. It will allow us to shine all the brighter as the true leader of the twentieth century.” These strong remarks by Federalist Elias Barnett stood in stark contrast to Cantor, and were also echoed by Liberal Benjamin King, who said, “America has to put our own concerns first. If we were to be attacked, we would of course need to respond and defend our people. But this war will be like the last one, and remain a European affair that we should not get involved in.” The Communalist candidate, Peter Michaels, was less adamant about avoiding war, but still did not seem as eager as Nationalist Cantor: “I of course support the efforts of Italian leftists to free themselves from the reactionary regime in Naples, and cautiously applaud the efforts of the UER to try and help these rebels achieve their goals, and I condemn the actions of Prussia trying to take advantage of this conflict for their own territorial greed, but I am no fan of war. The CPUS does not agree with revolution by conflict, and I and my fellow compatriots hope to see the war end soon.”
“European War Dominates Debate,” Manhattan Gazette, October 3, 1930.
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In addition to promising to keep the United States out of the growing war in Europe, Secretary King had a commanding presence when he spoke that inspired people, whereas Governor Barnett seemed to speak down to people, and that had a great affect on how people chose to vote when they went to the polls on November 4th, 1930. The CPUS was still a dark horse candidate in those years, despite modest gains in the House, and the Nationalists were too pro-war for most people’s taste, so it really came down to Secretary King and Governor Barnett. In the end, King pulled out ahead of Barnett by a mere 46 electoral votes, 203-157. This of course was necessary 291 votes needed to win the election outright, so it would take negotiations that lasted well into December before King could convince Barnett to give his electoral votes over and secure his victory. King offered Barnett the position of Secretary of State, which Barnett considered to be quite the consolation prize, so he agreed to pledge his electoral votes to King.
Johnston, Dr. Rose. He’ll Keep Us At Peace: The Election of Benjamin King. Franklin, New Columbia Press: 1980.
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Quite overdue! I hope you enjoy! On summer break now so should be able to do more frequent updates to this. However, before I write the next installment of the TL, I will be devoting some time to the story set in the timeline. Expect something there before the end of June for sure, and maybe something more on this one as well (though it may be early July before I get the King Presidency written out.
As always, thanks for reading!
- Eckener
- Word Count: 8.8k