Gentlemen, it is a matter of the utmost gravity that the great powers of our age cultivate a spirit of moderation to ensure the stability of the realm. In a joint declaration of significant weight, the United States, South Korea, Japan, and some thirty-eight other nations have urged a system of prior notification regarding the launch of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, submarine-launched projectiles, and space-launch vehicles. It is proposed that such warnings be issued no less than four-and-twenty hours before the event.

As a man of industry and state, I maintain that transparency is not a shackle upon the military development of a sovereign power, nor does it impede operational necessities. Rather, such orderly mechanisms serve the greater state interest by diminishing the peril of miscalculation and fortifying the trust between nations. It is, in essence, a plea for the prudence that preserves the peace of the great powers.

To achieve this state of security, these nations propose that notifications include the specific class of the missile, the region of launch, and the intended trajectory. Furthermore, it is demanded that pilots and mariners be warned in advance of the areas where debris may descend, for the safety of commerce and navigation is paramount to any thriving empire.

Such measures are made urgent by the current unrest in the East. It has been reported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea that North Korea launched an unidentified projectile toward the east this past Wednesday. This follows a previous excursion last Thursday, wherein a short-range missile was dispatched toward the Eastern Sea—an act which the South Korean military views not as a mere exercise, but as a rehearsal for war.

When the drums of conflict begin to beat, only the cold reason of diplomacy and a steadfast commitment to the security of the Fatherland can prevent a descent into chaos.