News of America

[Markus Wilding]

VICTORY IN MONTANA! CONFEDERATE TROOPS DEMOLISHED IN TOTAL ROUT

BILLINGS, MT - Glory to the Socialist Republics! Soldiers of the 16th Infantry Division "Blue Ridge Devils" have proved why they have their namesake in combat agianst the Confederates this week! These brave men and women, made up of volunteers from Georgia and South Carolina and trained to be the deadliest, most effective soldiers of the Socialist Republics Army, engage with the Rocky Mountain Confederation's military outside of Billings this week. Reports indicate that the division shattered an enemy armored unit, forcing its supporting infantry to retreat towards Idaho, with multiple soldiers in the 16th Infantry Division considered for Bronze and Silver Stars as well as Medals of Honor. Hero of the Socialist Republics has been awarded to Sergeant Micheal Schumacher, who personally destroyed four Confederate machine gun teams and killed twenty confirmed enemy soldiers.



JOINT PARADE TO BE HELD IN WASHINGTON D.C. TO COMMEMORATE VICTORY

WASHINGTON D.C. - Units that have sustained losses in campaigns in the Rocky Mountains that are returning home will have a unique opportunity. A parade had been organized to celebrate America's victory over the Confederates in Montana, with elements of the Victorian military units stationed in Washington D.C. as part of the United Nations contingent invited to participate, given their assistance in securing New Mexico and Colorado proved vital to operations there. The parade is scheduled to begin on May 9th at 10:00 AM EST, and will feature companies from the 101st Airborne, 3rd Infantry Division, 2nd Armored Division, and 11th Infantry Division. Pilots from the SRAAF are expected to conduct a limited flyover, while both President van Baarle and Vice President Connally have confirmed they shall be in attendance. Victorian Colonel Jane Aondi has also been invited to attend, but this paper has not received word if the Colonel will be in attendance or not.

[Markus Wilding]

THE OLD WEST CONQUERED ONCE MORE - CONFEDERATES FALL TO ALLIED POWER

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - Our boys and girls are coming home! Victory follows a two-week long firefight at Salt Lake City as the Confederate military, on its last legs and attempting to stave off the advancing tide of Victorian, American and Irish troops, fell not with a bang but with a whimper. Prominent leaders in the former Confederate states have been captured, including Confederate President John Wheeler who was caught by Irish troops while attempting to fleet to Mexico. These men, civilian and military alike, shall be prosecuted to the fullest extent of international law with a parade set to be held in Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate the unification between the SRA and nearly seven lost states.

[Markus Wilding]

ALEXANDER CONNALLY NOW PRESIDENT! HERBERT BLACKWATER VP

ATLANTA, GA - After refusing to seek a third term, President van Baarle's administration gave way to Alexander Connally and running mate Herbert Blackwater in the 1966 elections. President Connally has vowed to prevent the SRA from becoming involved in overseas adventures that had no clear goal or higher purpose. "We must return this nation to its roots," Connally is quoted as saying to the Alabama Daily News. "Only when we embrace permanent revolution can we hope to find victory in the future."

[Markus Wilding]

1967 ECONOMIC PROJECTIONS "GOOD," SAY SECRETARY OF COMMERCE AND LABOR

ATLANTA, GA - Secretary of Commerce and Labor Eachann Nicolas has reported "Very good" economic predictions for the SRA as a whole heading into 1967. Montana's reserves of coal, gold and significant lumber industry potential, while mining, ranching, and agricultural industries in other states such as Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Arizona contribute to a general positive growth of the SRA's overall economy. Experts within the Office of Commerce and Labor also predict that the reliance on foreign oil and synthetic fuel refineries may be at an end as confirmed petroleum and natural gas deposits have been discovered in New Mexico, though the government cautions that this may result in a reduction of reliance on foreign purchases and not a total cessation of trade.

As an additional and unexpected boon, more and more film companies - notably Georgia Film Company and Chicago Media Works - are heading West to create new films in the vast plains of the Mountain states, primarily westerns and dramas taking place in the vastness of the Arizona and Nevada deserts.



PRESIDENT CONNALLY TO SIGN FEDERAL ANTI-RACISM BILL INTO ACT

ATLANTA, GA - As the expansion West concludes, incidents of tension between American servicemembers and newly-integrated peoples in reunited states have risen. Reports from the military show that incidents of racial violence, perpetrated mostly by white men, have increased as soldiers of the Socialist Republic Army continue to conduct their duties. These incidents are unfortunately not new, which has led President Connally to sign into law - bypassing Congress and the Senate - an Act which formally criminalizes racial hate speech and enacts a federal standard punishment for incidents of hate crimes. This Act shall make it illegal in all states of the Socialist Republics to use "racially-charged language," as well as bans the display of several known white supremacist flags and emblems, and carries with it a term of imprisonment of six years if a person is found guilty of a hate crime. Protections for the Jewish population of the SRA has also been included.

"In time, I hope this act will be seen as a relic of a bygone era," President Connally said from the Square Office. "This Act should never have happened - this is not 1940, this is not 1861. We, as Americans and as responsible members of humanity, must look beyond our own prejudices and look upon our comrades and help them, not seek to destroy and ostracize them. We as Americans gain nothing from exceptionalism and racism. Let the past die, comrades, and ask yourselves why such a law had to be enacted in the first place."

[Markus Wilding]

DO YOUR PART! SIGN UP TODAY!

NEW YORK CITY, NY - Comrades! The American people again are called upon to defend the world! Rally your banners, pass the ammunition, and fight to keep your comrades, and the comrades of the world, free! Join the Socialist Republics Armed Forces today! Contact your nearest recruitment center, tell them that YOU wish to join the military TODAY, and sign up for the glorious Marine Corps, the brave Navy, the everlasting Army, or the sky-high Army Air Corps! Don't wait for the draft board to call up your number, cut out the middleman and take initiative, just like our strong military takes the initiative and destroys the enemies of Socialism and the American Way worldwide!



MILITARY HEAVY-HANDEDNESS FEARED IN WESTERN STATES

BILLINGS, MT - Reports are reaching this paper concerning overaggressive use of force by members of the Socialist Republic Army's 8th Infantry Division while stationed in Montana as part of peacekeeping duties. The report from the Governor's office reports that the presence of the Socialist Republic Army has incited violence between members of the Army and civilians, many of whom were former soldiers of the Rocky Mountains Confederation. One such clash has ended with one American servicemember dead and fourteen Montanan civilians arrested on charges of first degree murder. Curfews have been implemented in Montana and Wyoming since the Army occupied the area in 1965, and all firearms have been seized by the Army as part of a measure to reduce gun violence, which has led to an outcry among firearm owners. President Connally said of the situation, "While it is regrettable that violence and unrest exists in our states, we must continue to work to ensure that the freedoms of the American people can be secured for future generations. This is a serious time for all of us, with war against Iran on our minds and violence at home. We must strive to unite, rather than tear each other down."

[Markus Wilding]

RIOTS IN WYOMING - ARMY NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYED

CHEYENNE, WY - The Socialist Republic of Wyoming has confirmed that riots have engulfed the state, centered around perceived injustices in Wyoming during an attempted gun buyback program, intended to disarm the vast illegal militias that plague the Western Republics following the military defeat of the Rocky Mountains Confederation. These riots have seen the destruction of public and government property, including the attempted arson of the governor's residence and a spree of murders in the Cheyenne Metropolitan Area. In response, General Joseph Markwardt has ordered the deployment of the Army National Guard to restore law and order to Wyoming and arrest "any and all perpetrators of crime." Congress has expressed concern that the deployment of the National Guard may incite more tensions, and have called for restraint and investigation into the cause of the riots, only to be rebuffed by Secretary of the Interior Antal Navrátil. Said the Secretary in a written press release, "[t]he time for investigation is over. These men and women rioting against the Socialist Republics have shown that they do not want to accept the generous offers of our great union of states. If they cannot express their dissatisfaction in the same way proper Americans do, by voting and attending Party meetings, then they should not expect to be treated with a gentle hand."

[Markus Wilding]

NUCLEAR POWER ADVANCES! NEW POWER PLANTS ORDERED ACROSS COUNTRY

LONDONDERRY, PA - The wonders of American nuclear science continue to amaze and astound the world! The federal government has ordered the SRA's newest nuclear energy plant design to be commissioned in the Pennsylvania Socialist Republic, which is expected to generate nearly 900 megawatts of electricity, not just for the people of Pennsylvania, but for possible even the entire Northeast. Two units have been ordered, with the first expected to come online at early as 1973, with her sister unit to begin building next year. These power plants are further expected to create energy for the American people until the year 2050! The government has further said it will open up spots for continued nuclear education around the Socialist Republics, as the new plants will require a plethora of technicians and experts to maintain the building and keep generating power. Three Mile Island, the name for the new power plant, is waiting for brilliant American minds to surge forth and show the world what true Socialist progress is.

[Markus Wilding]

ADVANCEMENT OF AMERICAN SPACE CONTINUES! ROCKET LAUNCH TO THE MOON SET FOR JUNE 1968

ATLANTA, GA - Comrades, join together for the path to the cosmos! American space science continues to be the envy of the world as American satellites dot the stars and lead the way to the future, and this year American science will provide the example for other nations once again as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration plans a manned spaceflight to the moon this year in June. This comes with news of further plans to launch even newer, more powerful satellites to help the American people in their everyday lives. The growth of the aerospace industry in recent years has only grown with the acquisition of the Western states of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Arizona, and this paper expects this growth to continue practically unchecked in the coming years as the decade comes to a close.

[Markus Wilding]

AMERICAN PROGRESS? CIA IMPLICATED IN PANAMANIAN COUP

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA - Americans awoke to strange headlines this morning as international media outlets report that Panama is undergoing a violent coup and potential civil war, joined with allegations that the Central Intelligence Agency has been involved. The Associated Press, a trusted source even to readers of the New York Times and Tallahassee Times, has provided credible evidence from the Panamanian and other governments which show there is veracity to the claims. Whether President Connally and the Senate will see fit to reject or deny these claims is up in the air, as the President's press secretary has declined to comment at this time. A closed-door session of Congress is scheduled for later today in Washington D.C. which, according to government sources, will address this issue as well as others facing the nation this week.

[Markus Wilding]

AMERICAN SCIENCE AND PROGRESS LEADS THE WAY! FIRST CONCENTRATED SOLAR PLANT OPENS FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION IN ARIZONA

THREE POINTS, AZ - Move over, nuclear power! American scientists continue to be the envy of the world by building the first concentrated solar power plant for civilian energy production, harnessing the power of the sun itself to create electricity. The Department of Energy is reported to have spearheaded the project in an endless and tireless search to replace fossil fuels such as coal and oil to power American cities and reduce our dependency on toxic energy solutions, which solar and nuclear energy is the perfect example of. Clean, safe, efficient power for all Americans across the country is possible with the displays of technological advancement shown here! Economic analysts at this paper conclude that, within 5 years, America's energy sector will be fully converted to solar and nuclear energy production!



PRESIDENT CONNALLY ADDRESSES NATION AS MARINES, ARMY HEAD TO PANAMA

ATLANTA, GA - President Connally addressed the Socialist Republics today as the Socialist Republics Navy, Marine Corps and Army are sent to Panama in order to safeguard the burgeoning revolution in the small Central American state and ensure the freedom of trade and worker's rights. An excerpt of his words to the American people is below.

Comrades of the Socialist Republics, I come to you today to bring unfortunate news.

As many Americans are no doubt aware, we have sent American servicemembers to Panama. The popular news at home and abroad will undoubtedly attempt to paint the actions of the Socialist Republics as an imperialist act, borne out of self-interest and aggression. I know that the American people are knowledgeable and wise enough to see through foreign sensationalism in order to envision the truth. Our mission in Panama is one of peace, security for the Panamanian proletariat, and safety for all who travel through the Panama canal. The violence affecting the Panamanian nation benefits nobody, and it is in the world's best interests that we, as the foremost military power in the Western hemisphere, ensure the continued freedom of trade and safety of peoples no matter where they are. I am disheartened that I must order American lives to engorge themselves into a conflict zone full of risk, but this risk is unfortunately a necessity for the American people. It is our duty as Americans to destroy threats to our livelihoods and freedoms, by any means necessary. I do not relish the thought of senseless armed conflict, but the Panamanian government leaves me, and Congress, with little choice.

Comrades, let us hope for a swift resolution to this conflict, so that no longer will American lives be at risk abroad.