On the second day after Ernst arrived in First Town, there was nothing particularly pressing to do. His main task was to preside over matters concerning the war against the Boers. The Boers had to be fought; there was no other reason—it was entirely out of strategic considerations for East Africa.
If they did not swallow up Boer territory now, then when they sought another opportunity in the future, they would not be facing the Boers alone, but the British.
Secondly, East Africa had no choice but to use force against the Boers. There was nothing for the two sides to negotiate. The Boers might surrender to the British, but they would never surrender to East Africa unless East Africa granted them enormous privileges—and the East African government would never agree to that.
At Svit Palace, Ernst discussed the matter of the war against the Boers with the army generals.
Ernst said, "This war differs from those before it. Aside from our opponent changing from black people to white people, we must also face a very prominent problem: the Republic of the Transvaal lies too far from East Africa's current core regions. During the last Ndebele people rebellion, we could still mobilize troops from South Salzburg Province to suppress it, but we will not have that advantage in this campaign against the Boers.
"Therefore, the war against the Boers must be swift—a thunderbolt strike. We must press forward in one burst of momentum and directly seize the Republic of the Transvaal's territory. We may even have to face forces beyond the Republic of the Transvaal, such as the Orange Free State, the Zulu Kingdom, and even the British Natal Colony.
"Thus, the Southern Army will not face the Boers alone, but also potential enemies. If this war is delayed even