Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads
The Republic of Morac-Songhrati-Meads is the
Morton F. Meads
Morton Meads was a U.S. Army Soldier, discharged in Manila in 1946, for illegally engaging in various personal business ventures, mainly in the re-sale of army surplus.[1]
Meads' tale tales of his so-called birthright "Kingdom of Humanity" were captured in the local Philippine newspapers, which then caught the attention of the local Philippine military authorities. Meads was later arrested on criminal and civil charges for his business ventures, although these charges were later dropped. Regardless, Meads' fanciful storytelling sparked the motivation of powerful Filipino businessmen, such as Tomas Coloma, to race towards claiming the South China Sea Islands for the Philippines, such as the Spratlys.[2]
History
The republic's history begins with Morton Meads' supposed British forebear, Captain James George Meads, who laid claim to the Spratly Islands in 1877. Captain Meads was exploring the South China Sea on the Modeste and laid claim to the islands and took the name King James I.[3] Descendants of Meads have continued to posit legitimacy over the islands, and ownership of the islands' resources.[4][5]
Kingdom of Humanity
A rival entity called the "Kingdom of Humanity" formed in 1914[
Legal attempts at legitimacy
The Kingdom faded into obscurity over the next decade until 1972[
The Kingdom reappeared in 1985 [citation needed] when Meads sued the United States and others for $25 billion, claiming "unfair competition, harassment, [and] sabotage." The case was not heard.[7]
See also
References
- ^ Hubbert, E.B.; T.V. McIntyre (1971). Islands of South China Sea. Researach Study, Bureau of Intelligence & Research, Department of State (DOS). pp. 8–9.
- ISBN 9780197633984.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4472-9527-3.
- ISBN 0-271-01470-9.
- ^ Whiting, Kenneth (2 February 1992). "Asian Nations Squabble Over Obscure String of Islands". Los Angeles Times. p. A2.
- ^ a b Samuels, Marwyn (1982). Contest for the South China Sea. pp. 169–71.
- ^ Miami Herald Staff (31 May 1992). "Atlantis And Other Wild Claims". Miami Herald. p. 11F.
Further reading
- Samuel Pyeatt Menefee, "Republics of the Reefs: Nation-Building on the Continental Shelf and in the World's Oceans", California Western International Law Journal, vol. 25, no. 1, Fall, 1994, pp. 83–85.