Antarctic Islands
Posted: 18:29:15 Friday, 19 February, 2016
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland formally notifies the government of Austria-Hungary that the islands recently 'claimed' and 'annexed' to Austria-Hungary by their military forces - viz, the South Orkney Islands, Prince Edward Islands, Heard Island, McDonald Islands, and Bouvet Island - have already been previously claimed by the United Kingdom during the years 1749-1873, by right of discovery and right of first survey, as set down by the Laws and Customs of the Sea. In addition, we are compelled to point out that Gough Island, by the same right, is claimed by Portugal, and under the auspices of our alliance with said nation, we will be defending their rights-of-claim equally to our own.
We are aware that, as a non-seafaring Power with little history of exploration, discovery and other such related activities, that this attempted annexation of British and Portuguese claims was likely to be accidental, and based on ignorance, rather than malicious intentions against the domains of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria. Nevertheless, we must insist that Austria-Hungary withdraw these claims of annexation immediately, and, if use of aforementioned Islands is so desired by Austria-Hungary for peaceful purposes, that they enter into negotiations with ourselves to come to some kind of arrangement, upon reasonable terms, as it is the right of every sovereign Power to engage in activities of exploration for the advancement of science and knowledge. If no such undertaking is recieved, then be aware that Her Majesty's Royal Navy will take the appropriate steps to restore British and Portuguese claimed territory to its rightful position and expel trespassers with the minimum necessary force.
-George Goschen, 1st Viscount Goschen, First Lord of the Admiralty