As the saying goes, "Relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself." France can indeed influence some outcomes post-war, but Spain must bear the full burden of the war process, which is the key to the result of the Spanish-American War. If Spain can achieve a weak victory over the strong, it could disrupt the fate of the United States and maintain Spain's international status, but this is clearly something Spain cannot achieve.

The day after the East African collaboration, East Africa began separate communications with the Spanish government. In Ernst's view, Spain was already too late, as per the original history, the war between Spain and the United States broke out in less than two months.

In such circumstances, Spain was fundamentally unable to fully prepare for war, therefore East Africa must find a way to pull Spain up, only then the war could develop in the desired direction. Of course, if Spain proves useless, East Africa would just consider it a wasted investment, no big harm.

First Town, Sweet Palace.

"Ambassador William, East Africa has already acquired considerable intelligence; from the contents, it seems Spain is not in a good position. The United States will certainly not give in this time, as from the start, its ultimate goal has been war, so you must remain vigilant. In my view, Spain should immediately prepare for war. Through exchanges with the French, I don't believe that France, or any of us great powers in the International Community talking good about Spain, could make the United States abandon this expansion opportunity."

During the conversation with William, Ernst was fundamentally different from yesterday's tentative exchanges with Gleid, he directly applied pressure to elicit William's attention for the subsequent content.

Upon hearing this, Ambassador William's demeanor naturally grew more solemn; after all, the information Ernst presented was immense. He frowned deeply and cautiously queried, "Is there any intelligence that Spain is unaware of?"

Ernst naturally couldn't disclose such secret agencies as the East African Intelligence Bureau, which is East Africa's crucial trump card in international competition.

Therefore, he said, "In fact, it is merely a sum of regular intelligence; I believe the Spanish government is quite aware, it's just hard to accept."

"The conflict between Spain and the United States is longstanding, with the Cuba issue being key, but what I want to discuss is relatively unrelated to Cuba but rather pertains to recent issues in the Philippines. As is well known, both the Philippines and Cuba are facing rebellion issues, and these problems have conspicuously erupted simultaneously, evidently under the shadow of Americans."

"Moreover, public opinion within the United States is now entirely one-sided; it's clear the U.S. government is inciting its populace towards hostility against Spain."

"To put it bluntly, the United States is so fervently campaigning for one reason only, that is to pave the road for war, and with the previous Maine incident, it's clear the U.S. government has been planning this for long. Now, the United States has superseded the United Kingdom to become the world's foremost industrial nation. And with the enhancement in power, naturally comes the desire for further international status elevation, therefore war is unavoidable, and the United States is already prepared for war. If Spain doesn't actively prepare for war now, it will inevitably become a victim to American hegemony."

Under this series of somewhat alarmist statements, William's face predictably grew darker. In reality, Ernst was merely summarizing the recent issues faced by Spain, lacking any so-called "special intelligence," which the Spanish government is aware of.

Being aware is one thing, but previously, the Spanish government had been playing ostrich, whereas Ernst intended to disrupt this passive attitude.

"Your Highness, what you say makes a lot of sense, but we, facing America..." Ambassador William's voice grew smaller.

Ernst was indifferent, "I am aware of the Spanish government's concerns. Spain today is no longer the world's foremost power navigating the four oceans, whereas the United States holds overwhelming dominance in all aspects against Spain. But this is no excuse to evade the problem. Even if the ending is certain, Spain should not let the United States have an easy time, surely the U.S. cannot pose a threat to your mainland?"

If the United States truly burned the war onto the Spanish mainland, Ernst would wake up laughing in dreams. Since the Age of Exploration, Europe has never been threatened by foreign powers; if the United States displayed such prowess, the United Kingdom and France would certainly not remain idle.

The reason Ernst put it this way was to embolden William; certainly, the United States wouldn't proceed as such, thus regardless of the direction of Spain and America's war, the worst outcome can be avoided, and perhaps some sturdiness might earn Spain respect from the International Community.

"The gap between Spain and America is indeed vast, but if war breaks out between the two nations, there's only one decisive factor, which is military. Now that America is inciting colonial rebellion, it determines the war will be split into two segments: one being naval warfare and the other colonial land warfare."

"Although Spain's naval strength is not as weak, there is some gap with America, yet it is not insurmountable. I assume Ambassador William has heard of the South Africa sea battle; why the East African Navy could achieve relatively remarkable feats can be attributed to our navy's daring spirit. Considering the East African Navy's stance against the British Royal Navy, and now the Spanish Navy's stance against the United States Navy can be said to be almost identical."

"Therefore, with reasonable planning and thorough preparation, the Spanish Navy might not be unable to reverse the situation. While the Caribbean Sea may be difficult, the Philippines and the Pacific Ocean are certainly your home ground."

By reiterating the Philippines, Ernst aimed to enhance Spain's focus, reminding Spain that America might launch a long-range raid against Spanish colonies in the Asia-Pacific regions.

"Simultaneously, America will certainly impose a blockade on Spain during wartime, so now you should immediately stockpile wartime supplies. On this front, our East Africa can provide Spain substantial assistance. As for weaponry and equipment, our East Africa, though not claiming to be world number one, boasts considerable know-how, especially in the development of weapons for tropical regions, East Africa could be said to lead the world in this field."

The conversation naturally gravitated towards strategic materials and weaponry, as waging war profits must stem from these areas.

To further highlight East Africa's sincerity, Ernst stated, "Furthermore, East Africa can provide the most convenience in materials to Spain. First, East Africa is richly endowed with resources, fully capable of meeting the needs of the Spanish military in all respects, including various types of foods, military equipment, beverages, tobacco, and more."

"Additionally, East Africa is closer to the South Sea Region compared to Spain, which can yield more favorable pricing in shipping expenses,"

"Of course, those are not the focal point; moreover, we can open our ports in the South Sea Region to provide supply and maintenance for the Spanish Navy."

East Africa's colonies in the South Sea Region are conveniently aligned in a straight line, connecting to the Philippines, thus Ernst's promise carried considerable sincerity, which equates to inserting half a foot into the conflict between America and Spain.

Ernst's final words indeed captured Ambassador William's attention. Although Spain was uncertain whether America planned to occupy the Philippines, as the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry, now East Africa is offering the meal, it would be overly negligent for Spain not to take it.

"Your Highness, your friendship has been officially accepted on behalf of the Spanish government, and I will promptly relay the information back home; I believe the government will make some arrangements," Ambassador William remarked.

Ernst kept emphasizing the South Sea Region, leading William's mind astray. As Spain's focus had been chiefly on Cuba, seldom did Spaniards pay attention to the Philippines. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Thus, subconsciously, William endorsed Ernst's notion of America's possible attack on the Philippines, which Ernst was delighted to observe.