Treaty of Mutual Friendship (1928)

The Treaty of Mutual Friendship of 1928 was a treaty concluded between the Organized States and Themiclesia, revising the previous treaty of the same name. The ratification of this treaty was viewed by the Organized States and Themiclesia as a milestone in establishing bilateral relations and removal of more controversial terms that have existed in the treaties of 1897 and 1920. The treaty established limited free-trade rights between the signatory states, despite a push towards isolationism in the OS.

Background

The Treaty of Mutual Friendship (1920) revised the 1897 treaty, which waved taxation on OS investments in Themiclesia, and granted to the OS the right to station troops in Themiclesia with the latter's assent, which was not required if the OS believed, in good faith, that the security of Themiclesia would be gravely compromised, and Themiclesia would have given its assent if time had been more permitting. This occurred four separate times between 1920 and 1925, during which the OS has neither sought Themiclesia's assent nor cited any exigent cause for the deployment of OS Marines into Themiclesia's interior. Later research has likewise failed to recover any cause that OS government may have considered as adequate cause under the Treaty's terms. Themiclesia's Parliament, in response, voted to "proceed in all matters and in perpetuity as if assent, under the Treaty, had been granted by this house upon the landing of such armed forces of the Organized States of Columbia"; in a remarkable demonstration of non-partisanship, in each of the occasions around 90% of all legislators, regardless of party affiliation, voted in favour of the measure, others preferring to abstain rather than vote against.

While OS Marines were not an uncommon sight in Themiclesia prior to 1920, they were bound not to leave the sites where OS industries have invested and other appointed locations by the 1897 treaty; the 1920 revision, however, lifted those restrictions. Some proprietors were evicted to make way for garrisoning in 1920. In Feb. 1921, the Public Affairs Secretary responded to these problems in a pamphlet, asking citizens to be accommodating of "foreigners and their alien practices", asserting later that "all humans are reasonable individuals, and many things which appear irrational often are deceiving in their appearances"; only two days later, it garnered a hailstorm of critical essays accusing him of favourtism and a lack of sense. One such essay was published in Tyrannian and argued that Columbians "must also be reasonable people" but "are not commonly seen evicted to make room for their soldiers and sailors"; hence, "evicting Themiclesia's proprietors for Columbian soldiers cannot be anything but irrational". The minister resigned in the same month but accepted the position of Cavalier Attendant (member of the upper houses).

Gupple Riot of 1925

Amongst the provisions of the 1920 treaty, one granted the OS a small legation quarter in the port city of Gupple (R. Goppha). The Themiclesian government undertook the financial responsibility for purchasing the land that made up the quarter, but the process was delayed several times due to public and private disputes about land titles and purchase rates. In the meantime, the Themiclesian government permitted the OS forces to occupy the area before the land was fully compensated for. Residents were evacated beforehand, but when the mandatory purchase was disputed, some attempted to return to their former possessions. On Jun. 9, 1925, a dispute broke out between a soldier on patrol around the quarter and a Themiclesian person, which quickly turned into scuffle; others joined in short order, prompting the OS forces to open fire to repulse the assembly, which soon laid siege to the quarter as the OS forces took defensive positions. Being concerned with the general order in the city, the Sheriff of Gupple reported to the Cabinet of the ongoing issue.

The following day, the government ordered the Themiclesian Army's 3rd Brigade, stationed a day's march away, to suppress the revolt. Positioned more advantageously and enjoying the element of surprise, the 3rd Brigade surrounded and made quick work of the rioters and restored access and security to the legation quarter. Already faced with criticism in his handling of the land purchases, Prime Minister Tsagw found his government flooded with complaints about his inordinate use of force when "less destructive options were most certainly and patently available". Ignoring such comments, Tsagw enlisted the Secretary of State for Public Affairs and asked him to prosecute the survivors for an offence of some kind that would "justify the use of force that day and not suggest that [he was under Columbian bribery, which he was not]."

Initially, the Attorney-General argued that these individuals attempted to transgress a border passing, but the courts found them innocent because there was no border passing leading to the legation quarter recognized under Themiclesian law. A second charge was brought up that attacking the quarter amounted to a personal offence against the President of the OS in the person of his legate, which, under the notion of parity of states, would constitute lesè-majesté; however, the prosecution failed to show that the OS Envoy was actually present in the quarter. The defence further argued that an Envoy was not an extension of the body of the President of the OS, while an Ambassador was. When a third charge was brought over the rioters' trying to build defensive works and overthrowing the government, the following conversation occurred, labelled by conversationist Maggie Laplace as one of the best of the century:

Changing views in the OS

Later that year, Prime Minister Tsagw resigned after a back-bencher revolt on account of this incident and several other issues, of which the Prime Minister stood accused of mismanagement. His successor, Prime Minister Ngag, apologized to all parties involved and finalized the purchase of the legation quarter under more generous terms and agreed to pay the funerary expenditures of all those who died during the clash(es). The prolongation of the matter also influenced the public opinion in the Organized States, and in the 1928 election the isolationist candidate John Doe came to power. During his campaign, he repeatedly critizied the 1920 treaty for being diplomatically iniquitious and tending to cause strains in the relationship between the OS and Themiclesia; in office, he requested that Themiclesia send representatives to begin negotiation for a treaty that was more sustainable. It is notable that Doe also said that stationing troops in Themiclesia was pointless, since the OS did not face any threats from that direction. He stressed Themiclesia has not fought in OS since 1657 but "aided this Republic in its own battle for independence".

Changing views in Themiclesia

The opinion in Themiclesia about the Treaty of 1920 was mixed. The Diplomatic Service was its most ardent critic, believing that allowing the OS to station troops in Themiclesia reflected poorly on itself. The Foreign Secretary repeated to Prime Minister Ngag that Themiclesian diplomats are facing difficult questions across the world since 1920 about their allowal of OS Marines to garrison in a "nigh-unrestricted fashion"; the Envoy to the OS in particular believed that even if the OS had found it convenient to supply a nominal reason to deploy them, barring which it seemed as though OS was flaunting its own treaty with impunity, his position would be more credible. The defence establishment, however, held onto a contrarian view. In the Defence Policy Paper of 1923, where the Secretary of State for War outlined his plans for defence, it was argued:

The proud and sacrosanct disposition and tradition of the OS armed forces, including those that have been garrisoned in this country for one reason or another, are a sure and dependable guarantor of the safety, peace, and order of places which we cannot afford to, or are willing to, or are capable of defending. Their presence enables us to economize on highly expensive installations and divert the same funds to more rewarding ends, such as building roads, schools, and encouraging commerce by remission of taxes. And for their upkeep, we need not spend a single cent of money or spare a single thought of the mind.

In the Naval Policy Paper of the same year, a similar sentiment is echoed:

And because it has been the persistent desire of the Organized States of Columbia, one which they are in a posiiton to fulfill in funds, expertise, and labour, that the tranquility of the Halu'an Sea is paramount and inviolate, the naval defence of this country will, as a result, be a fortuitous beneficiary of the defence policy of the Columbians. In like manner, which more fully is to appear in the Policy Paper out of the Department of War, the Organized States cannot tolerate a government that answers to a foreign Power, especially one of the Casaterran continent, be in power in this country; they therefore, out of their own volition, must subsume the functions of this department in defending this country against the same threats, which they, the Columbians, cannot tolerate against their own country or this one. As for a fiscal argument, the Navy can economize on the purchase of a vast fleet of ships, their armaments, and commensurate staff. I am very confident that the Columbians' policy is responsible for the Government's ability to encourage industry by alleviating the burden of revenue from the industrious mind.

Provisions

• The 1920 provision that permitted the OS to station troops in Themiclesia without bounds was replaced with a new provision requiring the OS to notify and acquire the assent of Themiclesia before the same was to be done.
• The OS legation quarter was enlarged around three times in size, but legal jurisdiction within it was split between Themiclesian and OS authorities (four judges, two from each, on the same bench), unless one agreed to surrender it, on a case-by-case basis, to the other.
  • It is notable that Themiclesia did not appoint any judicial official to prosecute offences committed within it or any court of law to try the same; there is also no evidence to suggest that Themiclesia was prevented from doing so by the OS.
• The obligation on the Themiclesian government to purchase 100 ships valued no less than £1,000,000 each was repealed, but 99 ships had been ordered and paid for or received by this point, and this repeal was not retroactive.
• The OS promoted its diplomatic mission in Themiclesia to an embassy; this was reciprocated by Themiclesia.
• Themiclesia formally granted OS citizens the right to stand trial in a consular court or be transported to the OS, regardless of the locus of the offence, if desired; this was de facto the standard procedure but only now was recognized.
• Themiclesia apologized to Private Jimmy S. Peterson II, a member of the OS forces stationed in Themiclesia, who was subject to "luggage-like treatment" when he was stowed in the Foreign Office, pending transportation to the OS.