Omaha daily bee., 1914-11-22
Prospects of Germans in South AmeriC
Copyright. 1914 by Frank G. carpenter)

Copyright, 1914 by Frank y. Carpenter)
.ALDIVIA. - Should Germany
M succeed in the present war
" and dominate the world, there
are two parts Of South Amer
IkS.tfs1I lea which may become German
ksssss colonies-one Is in southern
Brazil IL consists OF several states pop
ulated by Germans. II has towns and
cities governed by officials who speak
German. 1t has German newspapers and
there are German signs over the storea.
There are German factories and brew
cries, and the best businesses of the
country are owned by Germans That
regior is sometimes called West Deutsch-
land, and It has more good land than
Germany in Europe.
The other great region is situated
here in the lower part OF Chile, and 1t
might be called South Deutschland. II
Is far below Valparaiso and not far
from the Strait of Magellan The. Ger
mans began to come here siNty-five years
ago. and so many have immgrated that
rome of the towns are now more German
than Spanish. The first settlers were
from Hamburg. They arrived in 1850
md were 100 days on the way. They num-
bered seventy men. ten women and five
children. That colony was followed by
others and by the close of our civil war
there were more than 1,4OO Germans who
had settled here. They came as pioneers
and had to cut their homes out of the
woods. They chopped down the forests
and built log cabins and planted wheat
fields and orchards. They have now
cleared a large part of the country, and
have many fine farms. They are more
prosperous and thrifty than the ordinary
Chilencs, and many have become rich.
Have Great sRwmiIls.
Some of them have great sawmills,
and are shipping lumber to all parts of
Chile. Others raise wheat, potatoes and
apples, and not few are engaged in
merchandising. Owing to their enter
prise the region promises to become one
OF the richest and most prosperous parts
OF the republic.
Already many large towns have
grown up, such as osorno, Puerto
Montt and Valdivia. Valdivia is the
metropolis. Lying 500 miles south OF
Santiago, in the heart of the woods, 1t
Is surrounded by new farms and clear
ings. Its port is the principal one of
south Chile and at it machinery of all
kinds, and especially agricultural i'm
plements. are landed. The city has now
10000 people, and 1t is rapidly growing.
1t had a fire a few years ago which
swept away the buildings of wood and
tin which then existed, and in their
places we now find new city. built
along modern lines and up-to-date I'm
every particular. Many of the build
ings are OF reinforced concrete and OF
two or three stories. The shops have
plate-glass windows. coming down to
the pavemcnts, and the window dis
plays are better than those of our towns
of the same size at home. The streets
are wide and the pavements about twice
as broad as those of Santiago. The whole
tone of Valdivia is white, and the con-
crete construction make 1t look like a
substantial municipality built of Berea
sandstone.
More German Than Chilean.
Indeed, Valdivia is more German than
Chilean. The signs over the stores are
In German, and there are German cafes.
in which you get excellent beer made
by the Germans. This beer is famous
throughout the republic, and it is shipped
north and south on the steamers. The
chief hotel here has a French name, but
the greater part of the town. One Of the
leading exceptions is the chief importing
establishment. This Is American. 1t be-
longs to w. r, Grace & Co., having a
pretentious two-story building. covering
the whole of one side OF the plaza This
store is filled with American machinery,
from windmills and reapers and thrashers
TO hand sewing machines and notions. II
has also American canned goods and
textiles.
When I arrived i'm Valdlvla at night
! expected to find everything closed up
as tight as a. drum, as is the custom in
nearly every Spanish-American city along
the west coast. II is so OF Lima, the
capital of Peru. That town has LOO, 0OC
population, and is the chief business cen
ter of a country of several millions
Nevertheless. at o'clock in the evening
its streets are deserted. Its stores are
closed, and you walk between blank walls
Santiago is double the size. and its mer-
chants go to bed with the chickens. Dowr
here at Valdivia the town is alive aftei
dark, and Saturday night the stores are
open till late in the evening. The place
is lighted by electricity. and crowds wall
the streets and promenade back and forth
in the plaza.
Use Barges River.
Valdivia is situated on the Valdlvis
river, which flows from the Andes dowI
to the Pacific The town is about twelv,