The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-15


has become one Of the sup
~ posed issues in this war Of the
nations. The question is not
new one, yet there is singular lack
OF Information as 10 the present Ger
man colonies I'm South America. and
especially In Brazil. For instance,
there seems to I've general uncertainty
a. 10 whether there are 100000 Ger
mans and persons " German descent
In Brazil or 100000
Apart from the controversial aspects
OF the question as to German policy,
the real facts regarding Germany in
South America are NJ considerable inn
portance at IN" presenj time. when
Germany's trade with the countries Of
the southern continent. which amounts
To- sl75,0O0.0OO annually. has been de-
stroycd by the war. Results OF personal
observations made In South America
are herewith given.
German colonization in South Amer
lea, as encuurag,d In the Fdtherland.
never loses sight II what the Germans
call the economic utilization ~ emf
grafton just rs the English never lose
sight of the economic utilization Of
british investments in foreign Cnun-
home country.
The German colonies Of Brazl. about
which - much is heard arc located in
the states of SANTA Clthariua and HIo
Grandc do Sui. These are in the tenn
b"ruc region. where the climate is not
cnerNat.nE. The conditions are fnvor-
Ahl' I" immigrants from northern lati-
tudes.
The German colonization movement
In Brazil began about the middle OF
the last century The Emperor Dom
Pedro gaN" 1t his patronage and en-
c"uragemen'. some Of the earliest
German colonies we've not In southern
Brazil but I'm the state Of Rio de
Janeiro. y party Of about 200 Ger
mans who were en- route to Australia
In sailing ship put In at RIO. They
Found work across the bay NJ In the
mountains and started a small settle
ment and laid out the town of pctro-
polls.
Several hundred other Germans.
many Of whom were from WcstphalIa
followed and settled In the same lo-
cality The Emperor made Pctropolis
his summer home. and the diplomatic
representatives. Of foreign countries
made II their home all the year on ac-
count OF the unhealthfuness ~ Rio.
Most OF the German business men IN
Brazil also lived there. az did other
foreigners.
The German element at P-tropoli- is
still marked and the d scruaants Of
many 81 the original settlers ore found
there, but It has lost it, distinctive
German quality and Is now thoroughly
Rr7zli
Another German colony in this dis
trict was that Of New Freiburc TIL,
was in its beginning moro Of a Swiss
colony. Dom Pedro hld SNiss Guards
In his suite, and they started the set
Element at Freiburg. They were them
selves from the cantons In which Ger
man is the language and a consider
able body Of settlers from Germany
Joined them.
New Freihurg gradually lost much ~
its dlstinctiveneSs as a German settle
ment and merged into its Brazilian
surroundings, so that Il j. no Longer
German. Portuguese, the language "
the country, Is spoken by the descend
ants OF the original German colonist=
The colonies in southern Brazil were
partly the result Of the politlca nov
nent u 1913 which caused 50 large an
emigration ~ Germans Of liberal ten
denotes to N. United states MANY Of
those who went 10 Brazil were Of tho
bursher class and others were agricul-
turists. The Hans attic States of "orth
Germany and the rorders Of the Rhine
furnished the most ~ the coIonIsts.
The immigration was encouraged nv
the Hamburg Colonization Society. the
name Of which was afterward changed
to Hanseatic Colonial Ion Company Al
later period something ~ a ma
ti1nal phase was given to the move
ment ny the effort 20 divert German
emigration from North America to-
South America. Here, possibly was the