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.
