Edge of Europe - A Belgian Interactive AAR

[DensleyBlair]

Deputy de Coock slowly stands up, weakened by age.

Though I am of the most progressive party in Belgium, I must oppose this. It is too early! We must transition into suffrage! Can we not be satisfied? Must we chase after every single opportunity? Politics is not ready. Belgium is not ready.

I wish to put no doubt upon the intelligence of the Belgian women in general. Rather, it is a transitionary process. Immediately giving suffrage to all is not the way! We must put certain safeguards in place, to protect our women! As Van Brabant has said, husbands may sway the votes of women. Of course, this will not be true in some cases-hopefully most cases. It needs to be absolutely certain that we can avoid corruption and infighting of the worst kind.

For that reason, I shall oppose the Suffrage Bill at it's current state.

The tired deputy sits back down. He is becoming rather old and weary.

What would you consider a transition, M. De Coock? The bill doesn't claim to jump in fully and grant every woman the vote, and there would, should it pass, be many a woman without the vote who, were she a man, would have such a right. Perhaps you would like more restrictions?

I'd also like to know what you would consider the right time to propose such a bill. Women's suffrage isn't new; the Corsicans gave women the vote in 1755 and the Swedes allowed them to vote even as far back as 1718. Would you rather I proposed the bill next year— once the new government has been elected, perhaps? I fail to see how having thousands of intelligent, educated and politically conscious women campaigning for something we consider a basic right for those of the other sex makes it "too early".

That said, if people are genuinely interested in giving constructive feedback so that the hill may be more palatable for a wider majority, I am all ears.

The Hon. J. B. H. Van der Wyngaert​

 

[theAhawk]

The Twelth Annual Belgian Challenge Cup Competition
Report upon the outcome of the FA Cup, 1897​

Please find attached the results of the Twelth Annual Belgian Challenge Cup Competition. This Committee wishes to congratulate all the players who competed this year, and particularly our first victors from the Second Divison, Genk AC. This year, the Chairman's Cup for Sporting Conduct was awarded to Calle Vroom of Melchen AA and the Duke of Benin's Cup was awarded to Charlot Pape of the Daring Club.

Sir Patrick Spens
Chairman of the Committee of the Belgian Challenge Cup Competition
​

Table of Results

		First Round​
---------	----------------------------------	---------------------	----------------------------------	---------
	SU Bruxelloise	3-1​	FC Leuven​
	SC Brecht 92	3-1​	Brussels-Schaerbeek AA​
	Westerlo FC	1-2​	Liège United FC​
	De Haan GFC	0-1​	RC Lommel​
	FC Spirmont	2-2​	Daring Club de Luxembourg​
Replay	Daring Club de Luxembourg	4-2​	FC Spirmont​
	SS Namur	1-1​	Antwerp-Zurenborg FC​
Replay	Antwerp-Zurenborg FC	1-0​	SS Namur​
	SC Bastogne	1-1​	Genk AC​
Replay	Genk AC	4-3​	SC Bastogne​
	FC Walcourt	1-1​	FC Kruibeke​
Replay	FC Kruibeke	2-2​	FC Walcourt*​
	SA Bruges	3-2​	Bruxelles RAFC​
	Arlon English FC	1-1​	Mechelen AA​
Replay	Mechelen AA	3-1​	Arlon English FC​
	SC Charleroi	1-2​	UW Sint-Gillis-Waas​
	Boussu-Bois FC	1-2​	AC Tournai​
	Ghent FC	1-0​	Ardennes Forest FC​
	Ypres ASFC	2-2​	Nivelles St. Gertrude​
Replay	Nivelles St. Gertrude	1-2​	Ypres ASFC​
	FC Mons	3-2​	Antwerpen RNFC​
	SC Kortrijk	3-0​	RC Colmar-Berg​

		Second Round​
---------	----------------------------------	---------------------	----------------------------------	---------
	SU Bruxelloise	3-2​	Daring Club de Luxembourg​
	SC Brecht 92	1-0​	Antwerp-Zurenborg FC​
	Liège United FC	1-3​	Genk AC​
	RC Lommel	3-3​	FC Walcourt​
Replay	FC Walcourt*	2-2​	RC Lommel​
	SA Bruges	0-3​	Ghent FC​
	Mechelen AA	5-1​	Ypres ASFC​
	UW Sint-Gillis-Waas	1-1​	FC Mons​
Replay	FC Mons	2-1​	UW Sint-Gillis-Waas​
	AC Tournai	4-1​	SC Kortrijk​

		Third Round​
---------	----------------------------------	---------------------	----------------------------------	---------
	SU Bruxelloise	0-2​	Genk AC​
	SC Brecht 92	1-0​	FC Walcourt​
	Ghent FC	3-3​	FC Mons​
Replay	FC Mons*	2-2​	Ghent FC​
	Mechelen AA	4-1​	AC Tournai​

		Semi-Finals​
---------	----------------------------------	---------------------	----------------------------------	---------
	Genk AC	2-1​	SC Brecht 92​
	FC Mons	3-0​	Mechelen AA​

		Final​
---------	----------------------------------	---------------------	----------------------------------	---------
	Genk AC	3-2​	FC Mons​

* Won resulting coin toss​

 

[atomicsoda]

I must express my disappointment at Liege United FC being relegated. Myself and the other sponsors will be looking into hiring a new manager for the club. Hopefully we will be back in the top division after next season.

 

[Gen. Marshall]

Gentlemen of the Legislature,

It is my delight to announce that Sir Maximiliaan van Brabant is no longer in any critical condition. He has been subject to an interruption in the blood circulation, however through judicious application of medicine the problem has been resolved. He will return shortly, upon his full recovery.

In the meanwhile, the Senator has asked me to convey his apologies to Deputy Van der Wyngaert. He assures me that his words were not intended to offend the gentleman.

- Dr. Jan van der Ploeg,
Private practitioner to Sir Maximiliaan

 

[Davout]

Gentlemen of the Legislature,

It is my delight to announce that Sir Maximiliaan van Brabant is no longer in any critical condition. He has been subject to an interruption in the blood circulation, however through judicious application of medicine the problem has been resolved. He will return shortly, upon his full recovery.

In the meanwhile, the Senator has asked me to convey his apologies to Deputy Van der Wyngaert. He assures me that his words were not intended to offend the gentleman.

- Dr. Jan van der Ploeg,
Private practitioner to Sir Maximiliaan

((The Strom Thurmond of Belgium))

 

[Plutonium95]

The Liège Gazette​

The following is a reproduction of a press release from Liège United FC Ownership, earlier today.

Roger Luzon, former manager of Liège United FC, has been replaced by British manager Alfred Albut. We wish to thank Mr. Luzon for his dedication and hard work over the past years. He has been with the team ever since it was founded by William DeWitt back in 1870. A change of this significance affects many people and is never taken lightly, but we felt a change and a new direction was necessary for the long term, best interest of our club.

We spoke with majority owner, 24 year old Colonel Albert DeWitt today, just a week before his departure for his new posting at the Suez Canal. When asked about the decision he had this to say. "Luzon? I'd have fired the man years ago if I cared enough to. LU hasn't had a good season in ages. Frankly, I leave the management of my father's businesses to other, more interested men."

Continued on Page 6.

 

[Syriana]

Letter to the Editor, Brussels Daily Examiner,​

Dear Sir,

In reply to your letter re: "Military advises isolationist policies" (12^th Dec.), I have chosen to exercise the right of response on behalf of the Defence Staff. Belgian neutrality is not enforced upon the predominant powers; rather, the predominant powers enforce neutrality on Belgium. This collective agreement continues to exist not because Belgium wills it, but because the other powers do. And should it no longer be in the interest of these enforcers to uphold the Treaty of London, they shall swiftly abandon it. War is the death of promises; no sound foreign policy would place international obligations above a strategic advantage. Should war break out and one of the signatory powers violate the treaty and Belgian sovereignty, their allies shall not abandon them while their enemies shall already be in the fray against them, and so the repercussions amount to nothing. The uninvolved powers may then choose to honour their commitments, but by this hour Belgium has entered the war and the point of the exercise - the preservation of Belgian neutrality - has been lost.

The London treaty is not a sufficient deterrent against external aggression; we cannot bet our independence on the good intentions of foreign statesmen. Conversely, alliances - based on mutual interest and assent - are a more tangible and permanent guarantee of our defence; and they have served, as in the cited Romanian incident, to quell war before it can even rear its head. It is far from our interest to see war on the continent, when we are bodily occupied by the retention and pacification of Africa. But we must make such preparations that are necessary that, should this country, contrary to our efforts and intentions, become ensnared in conflict, she shall not be caught off-guard or left to stand alone. Should we fail to prepare, then we prepare to fail.​

Please deign to accept, Sir, this expression of my humble consideration,

Maximilien de Vaxelaire
Lieutenant-Colonel
Defence Staff​

 

[Andre Massena]

Go play your silly football matches, fools. Every women I've met has three times the brains of this chamber put together!

-Amedee Dupointe

What would you consider a transition, M. De Coock? The bill doesn't claim to jump in fully and grant every woman the vote, and there would, should it pass, be many a woman without the vote who, were she a man, would have such a right. Perhaps you would like more restrictions?

I'd also like to know what you would consider the right time to propose such a bill. Women's suffrage isn't new; the Corsicans gave women the vote in 1755 and the Swedes allowed them to vote even as far back as 1718. Would you rather I proposed the bill next year— once the new government has been elected, perhaps? I fail to see how having thousands of intelligent, educated and politically conscious women campaigning for something we consider a basic right for those of the other sex makes it "too early".

That said, if people are genuinely interested in giving constructive feedback so that the hill may be more palatable for a wider majority, I am all ears.

The Hon. J. B. H. Van der Wyngaert​

Amedee whispers to the socialist deputy sitting next to him after Wyngaert speaks

It appears that he is not senile after all

 

[ThunderHawk3]

((Does one have to be a member of the government to suggest a reform?))

((Technically the MoJ has the power to suggest a reform, so his recommendation, or that of the Prime Minister, would take precedence. Similarly, if the government says it wishes no reform to be passed, no reform will be passed.

However, Women's Suffrage is not technically a reform in IG terms.))


Player Actions Needed:
Vote on [post=17087983]The Suffrage Amendment[/post].

Sample Ballot:

[post=17087983]The Suffrage Amendment[/post]: Yes/No/Abstain

[RU/BSU/NDP/LDP/GLP/BCU] ((Again, don't forget this part!))

This vote will end at 8 PM PDT 3/21 (or 3 AM 3/22 GMT, pending certain adjustments I have to make in the space-time continuum)

 

[Otto of england]

Suffrage Amendment: Nay

Woman has duties of equal if not greater importance maintaining the family and house. We do not need to mix the rolls of men and woman in society as both jobs are of significant importance and if we move to make them both bread winners, then the family will be left to be cared by none. Even more important though, a woman who is the mother of the children of any family is infenitaly superior to a hired nanny or what you have it in caring for their children. I do not see the point in confusing societal rolls, it will only lead to chaos.

[RU]

- Jules van de Velde

 

[Terraferma]

Suffrage Amendment: Yes

[LDP]

John Dieric was in attendance of the voting shortly after meeting up with his father who has been absolutely ecstatic with the performance of Brussels RAFC in the past years, even in his waning years.

If the women think they can do both the job at home providing the role of mother and wife while carrying out their civic duty then let them, we are a democracy but not a compulsory one. No one is forced to vote, they can abstain or vote not at all and stay home or do other duties and responsibilities that their lives demand of them. The same applies here. If they think they can manage like the rest of us then by all means, go right ahead.

 

[Andre Massena]

Suffrage Amendment: Aye

[BSU]

The right to vote should be granted to every individual, whether man or woman. This is not an issue of economics, this is an issue of justice.

-Amedee Dupointe

 

[Dadarian]

The Suffrage Amendment: Aye

[MLP]

Lord Minister, Sir Andrei Popa Vanderhoof, KL, Deputy of Ghent, Minister of Labour and Minister of Flanders

 

[Jack LEagle]

Suffrage Amendment: Aye

BSU

It no doubt escapes the notice of the aristos and capitalists, most of whom are married to decorative ladies who know little of work, but the wives of the working classes bear the same burdens, and often earn the same wages as their menfolk. And I know from personal experience, are as politically astute, or more so, as those menfolk. It is only simple justice that they have the vote.

Dirk Hendrickx Minister of Health and Welfare and Minister of State for Brussels

 

[DensleyBlair]

The Suffrage Amendment: Aye

Naturally.

The Hon. J. B. H. Van der Wyngaert​

 

[viola]

The Suffrage Amendment: Yes

[BSU]

This is mere common sense and it has my support, but after that I'm expecting that the government will try again to hold the Referendum on Monarchy with the support of the moderate Liberals: the abdication of the King is near and no better moment could be possible to push for a Republic.

- Carl Coppens, Socialist Deputy

 

[Thoctar]

The Suffrage Amendment: Aye ((MLP))

 

[Harpsichord]

The Suffrage Amendment: Aye

[NDP]

 

[DensleyBlair]

((Seeing as I have forgotten once again, my party is the LDP.))

 

[Belgiumruler]

The Suffrage Amendment: Yes

[BSU]

- Josef de Leeuw