"You make a valid point, but I still favor prioritizing industrial development, especially since East Africa's population is currently small, making industrialization less difficult. As for food, we can simply exchange high-value industrial goods for low-value agricultural products," Maximilian I said.
"Looking at the actual circumstances of certain European countries, Your Majesty has a point. After all, not every country is suited to developing agriculture. But East Africa's natural conditions and land area determine that agriculture is its strength. And with grain in hand, the heart knows no panic."
The man in charge continued, "Prince Ernst often stresses that agriculture is the industry most easily made self-sufficient. After all, no one can go without food. Developing industry, however, requires all kinds of conditions and has an extremely high threshold. The early-starting nations especially possess enormous advantages. As they continuously update their technologies, the threshold for industrialization in backward countries rises ever higher."
"Take East Africa, for example. At present, we lack the basic conditions for industrialization. Most of our residents come from rural areas and know virtually nothing about industry; our grain output is not yet enough to sustain large-scale industrialization or provide sufficient raw materials; and our transportation conditions are even worse, inferior to those of most backward countries. The length and density of our dirt roads cannot compare even with countries and regions that possess a little history. Yet the most important thing for developing industry is importing machinery and equipment from Europe. But the Hohenzollern Conglomerate still needs to make a profit, and East Africa currently lacks the means to import industrial facilities from Europe on a large scale."
Maximilian I silently listened to the sisal factory manager and fell into deep thought, recalling his own life experiences.
He had always believed in liberalism. When he governed