en Germany struck at the heart of France through Belgium simultaneous
action was undertaken by the German Command in Southwest Africa through
propaganda and mobilization of the available German troops. Insidiously
and by the use of money systematic propaganda was instituted to corrupt
the Boers against their allegiance to the Union of South Africa. One
great character stood like a rock against all their efforts. It was the
character of General Louis Botha, formerly arrayed in battle against the
British during the Boer uprising.

With characteristic determination he formulated plans for the invasion
of German Southwest Africa without asking permission of the citizens of
the South African Union or of the British Foreign Office. His vision
comprehended an invasion that would have as its culmination a
British-Boer colony where the German colony had been, and that from
Cable Bay to the source of the Nile there would be one mighty union,
with a great trunk railway feeding Egypt, the Soudan, Rhodesia, Uganda,
and the Union of South Africa. An able lieutenant to Botha was General
Smuts. He co-operated with his chief in a campaign of education. They
pointed out the absolute necessity for deafness to the German tempters,
and succeeded in obtaining full co-operation for the Botha plan of
invasion from the British Imperial Government and the South African
Union. Concerning this agreement General Botha said:

"To forget their loyalty to the empire in this hour of trial would be
scandalous and shameful, and would blacken South Africa in the eyes of
the whole world. Of this South Africans were incapable. They had endured
some of the greatest sacrifices that could be demanded of a people, but
they had always kept before them ideals, founded on Christianity, and
never in their darkest days had they sought to gain their ends by
treasonable means. The path of treason was an unknown path to Dutch and
English alike.

"Their duty and their conscience alike bade them be faithful and true to
the Imperial Government in all respects in this hour of darkness and
trouble. That was the attitude of the Union Government; that was the
attitude of the people of South Africa. The government had cabled to the
Imperial Government at the outbreak of war, offering to undertake the
defense of South Africa, thereby releasing the Imperial troops for
service elsewhere. This was accepted, and the Union Defense Force was
mobilized."

Preliminary to the invasi