New-York tribune., 1903-06-29
GERMANY AND BRAZIL.
4 ,Sbrezcd Observer Sees No Danger
of Conquest.
Rio de Janeiro. May IS.

rbsrs sser,s ia be an impression in the United
states and in England. If one may Judge from
occasional ut.erances in the press OF those coun-
tries that Brazil. part OF IL. Is threatened
/ with German conquest. The argument is that
many Germans are settling here, that the Ger
man purposes" are to get control or the country.
/ and that one Of these days the German colonists
will appeal to the imperial government to take
| them under It's wing and make protectorate OF
| Southern Brazil. 1t is possible that some such
ideas may be. or may have been. cherished in Ger
rnanv. But Germans and German purposes" II
must always be kept in mind. are not necessarily
| the same in Germany and in Brazil All inlmi-
| grants undergo a change OF views and convic-
| tions after long residence in a foreign country
and the Germans who settle In Brazil are no ex-
| ceutiou to the rule. The class among whom
these latter are recruited IN Germany Is the
lowest in the economic scale. Their poverty and
hardships in the old country did not strengthen
their love for its institutions But now, as they
prosper in the new country and enjoy local self
government and freedom. in the form Of States.
they naturally become deeply attached to their
locality and TO the nation they have adopted as
their home. When removed from the larger CON-
mercia1 centres they may retain their own Ian
guage and customs for generation or two, but
no such communities have had any share Of IN
huence on commerce politics. They have re-
nained agricultural ana unpEOST6SSA+e- OPOH
their being brought into contact with the larger
outside world Of commerce and modern thought
by means Of railroad facilities they will be
moulded in a short time into the uniform Bra
lillian mould, as has regularly been the case IN
the past.
In other words only in isolated rural COM
munities Of the States OF Santa Catharina and
Rio Grande do SOL have the Germans retained
any large measure OF German characteristics
The large majority OF the Germans in Brazil
have mingled freely with their neighbors. look
ing up to them at first because they cannot
speak their language. the language Of the coun-
try, Just as in the United States this matter Of
language has its due influence the Anert-
canization of foreigners. If one listens TO the
talk Of children at play in even the German
private schools here, he is left IN no doubt that
Portuguese is the language OF the country.
have talked with Brazi1ians Of German origin
from Rio de Janeiro, State and city. and from
the South, and I have noted the activities in
Brazilian politics of men of German birth or
descent from the Southern States. AMI I have
yet to learn OF sentiment among them thar
would admit of any construction contrary TO the
idea that Brazil is their country first. last and
always 1t seems clear. then, that Whatever
may be the occasional dreams or hopes OF the
German people or government with regard TO a
German colony in South America. there are so
many difficulties of fundamental sort in the
way of the realization of such a scheme, at
least in Brazil that all well informed persons
and the German Government may certainly De
regarded as well informed-nust see the futility
of any such plans.
In view of the happy experience OF the United
States with its German immigrants. it is sur
prising to find some people there who suggest
that the German Government could depend on
German-Braziians (nine-tenth5 OF the Ger
mans in Brazil are Brazilian citizens) to fur
ther the return Of Brazil 10 the rule
of a monarchical government. which these
very GerInan-Brazilians have abandoned ana
under which they did not prosper. The mis-
take is in thinking that the Germans who come
here do not like the Brazians and their gov
ernnent and that they are waiting for an ex-
cuse to separate from Brazil and be taken under
the German wing. II the Germans should ever
become numerous enough to hold the electoral
balance of power in some State Of the Brazilian
Union, as they do in some of the members OF
the American Union, 1t would be by reason OF
the fact that they had become thorough Brazil
ians and if they then became so dissatisfied as
to attempt secession from the Brazilian Union
it would be as citizens of a new South Ameri-
can republic The former state Of affairs has
as yet come about nowhere in Brazil. and the
latter case is most improbable.
As to the Brazilian attitude toward this ques-
ton It Is sufficient to say that instead OF being
alarmed at German immigration the Brazilian
Government IS deeply disappointed over the de-
cline In German immigration into Brazil that
has taken place in the last ten years The Ger
mans continue TO go to North rather than 10
South America, and this is looked upon as q
misfortune for Brazil The fact that Brazil.
the most directly concerned in the supposed
dangers from German immigration, has entire
confidence in the loyalty of those Germans as
citizens is an important consideration in dis
cussing this question 1t Is true that the re-
peated reports Of German designs Brazil, re-
published In Brazilian papers from the English
journals and from the American anti-Gernan
newspapers. are having certain tendency tow
ard arous!ng suspicion and distrust Of Ger
many, even though il is well understood that
those accusations are the result OF fixed anti
German policy. So far be judged. the
Brazilian press and the masses OF the people all
over Brazil seem, however. TO continue TO feei
very friendly toward Germany and to regard the
United States with suspicion, but it does not
appear that this latter sentiment is prevalent
among the majority of the governing class.
LENOx NOTES.