AUSTRIA-HUNGARY (Mirek Nowak - NMR!)
F(Alb) Stands ; A(Bud) Stands ; A(Ser) Stands

ENGLAND (Herbert van Doorn)
F(Lon) - NTH; A(Edi) - Nwy; F(NWG) c A(Edi) - Nwy

FRANCE (Pieter Muller)
F(Bre) - ENG; A(Mar) - Spa; A(Pic) - Bel (FAILED)

GERMANY (Martin Styler)
F(Hol) - Bel (FAILED); A(Tyr) - Pie; A(Kie) - Den

ITALY (Nick Holsey)
F(ION) c A(Nap) - Tun; A(Nap) - Tun; A(Ven) Stands

RUSSIA (Jason Swafford)
F(BLA) - Rum; A(Ukr) s F(BLA) - Rum; A(Gal) s F(BLA) - Rum; F(Fin) - Swe

TURKEY (Dave Collins)
A(Arm) - Ank (FAILED); A(Bul) - Gre; F(Con) - Ank (FAILED)

Autumn 1901 Adjustments:
A: Bud, +Ser, Tri, Vie = 4; Gains 1.
E: +Nwy, Edi, Lon, Lpl = 4; Gains 1.
F: +Spa, Bre, Mar, Par = 4; Gains 1.
G: +Hol, +Den, Ber, Kie, Mun = 5; Gains 2.
I: +Tun, Ven, Nap, Rom = 4; Gains 1.
R: +Rum, +Swe, Mos, Sev, StP, War = 6; Gains 2.
T: +Gre, Con, Ank, Smy = 4; Gains 1.

Builds/Disbands:
A: Builds (No build ordered).
E: Builds F(Lon).
F: Builds F(Bre).
G: Builds A(Mun), A(Kie).
I: Builds F(Nap).
R: Builds F(Sev), A(War).
T: Builds F(Smy).

PRESS

Andy-All:
Please don't forget the retreats for Spring 1902.

Andy-All:
Please can you all remember to label your orders with the game name - Your power - and the season the orders are for.

Andy-Aus:
Please contact me to confirm your are still playing, remember two consecutive NMR's mean you are greylisted from the site!

Pope-All:
"From his Holiness the Pope:
"Great is the Sage Ruler, the originator! All things obtain their beginning from him and are united and commanded by him. The character of the great man is that of Heaven; his brilliance is identical to that of the sun and moon; his order is identical to that of the four seasons. All hail he who speaks the truth on the lesson today which is 'change':

The clouds move and the rain is distributed, and all things are evolved in their various forms. The way of ch'ien (heaven) is to change and transform so that everything will obtain its correct nature and destiny and the great harmony will be self-proficient.

(Comment: As year 1 draws to a close, the battlelines begin to emerge. Some nations will have to alter their strategies in order to survive. Others are doing well - perhaps too well? All that is certain is that the optimism of summer must soon give way. With the neutrals disposed of, everything must surely become more ugly, dogged and brutal in 1902.)

Heaven is high and the earth is low, and thus ch'ien and k'un (Earth) are fixed. As high and low are made clear, the honourable and the humble have their places accordingly. As activity and tranquillity have their constancy, the strong and the weak are thus differentiated. Things are stimulated by thunder and lightning and enriched by wind and rain.

[Comment: Some nation's failure to communicate is likely to prove costly in 1902. Far better to talk to all comers without revealing your true intentions than to feed the paranoia that you must be plotting against your neighbours.]

Looking up, we observe the patterns of the heavens; looking down we observe the order of the earth. Thus we know the causes of what is hidden and what is manifest.

(Comment: Much can be read into build patterns, but much also can be left open. Remember that builds can be conditional on moves, but not on other builds.)

The successive movement of yin and yang constitutes the Way. What issues from the way is good, and that which realises it is the individual nature.

How perfect is its eminent virtue! It possesses everything, and its virtue is abundant because it renovates things everyday.

Ch'ien means the completion of forms, and k'un means to model after them. Divination means to go to the utmost of the natural cause of events in order to know the future. Affairs mean to adapt and accommodate accordingly.

(Comment: Only through the shedding of blood shall the just and virtuous prevail.)
The Vatican"

Andy-All:
A poor showing in the press stakes for the first game year with the exception of the "Pope" that is! Come on guys a bit more effort in the press would be appreciated :-)

Spring 1902 DEADLINE: 09:00 GMT, Monday 5th July, 2005.