The Central News correspondent at Nairobi, writing on December 4th,
points out how extraordinarily unprepared for war British East Africa was in the first days of August. The King's African Rifles were in Jubaland, and bad to be hurriedly recalled. There was only one British post on the Anglo-German border, and this was in charge of a District Commissioner with one Goaneee clerk and twenty-five native soldiers. As the correspondent says, it is surprising that the Germans, with a native force controlled by Europeans of more than double the strength of the King's African Rifles in British East Africa and Uganda, and a great superiority in guns, did not take advantage of their opportunity and wreck the Uganda Railway, destroy the telegraph, and occupy Voi and Mombasa, thus cutting off the two Protectorates from outside help. Every Colonist in British East Africa and Uganda volunteered, and we sincerely hope that the campaign, which was unfortunate at the beginning, though it might have been more unfortunate, will now prosper.
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