Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-25
BOCHE BUNGLING
IN SOUTH AMERICA
How Kaiser's Agents Vainly
Pitted Brazil Against Argen-
tina in War Game
BY ANNIBAL BoMFIM

on the one side and the Jnlted states anu
Brazil on the other. ! am citizen OF the
latter country
The plot might have succeeded had It not
brought the mental stamp OF Germany be-
fore the eyes of the world.
II may HELM the reader to an understand
ing Of the situation to know what has been
happening in South America as regards
the friendly relations between the TWO
largest countries there-Brazil and Argen-
tina.
Brazil has always been the most powerful
country I'm South America, owing to her
enormous size and her almost endless re-
sources but about twenty-five years ago
the Argentine trade started developing WIN
wonderful rapidity. Because OF TINS the
Argentines thought themselves emitted 10
he the leaders In South America. rms Won
derful growth Of Argentine trade was uus
TO the great transportation facilities OF I'e
country. which lies mostly upon an
enormous plain, where railway construction
is an easy undertaking plain IN whlCn
the grass for raising cattle and the Wheat
grow almost Wild Argentina very soon ne
came a great exporter of frozen meat ana
one of the largest granaries OF the NoIlu'
At the time the Argentines were so easily
developing their trade the Brazilian engl-
ueers were busy drawing plans ana laEIuE
tracks to bind by railway their SeapoulS
with their production centers. IheN hau
during the project to climb an enormous
5000 feet in altitude
This difficulty encountered in railway
construction caused the Brazilian trade I"
drag along very slowly. while the Argentine
trade was making rapid progress. fo'
some years the Argeutiucs delighted iheh-
selves with the idea of soou being the mos,
powerful country in the southern part OF
the continent Some ten years ago. When
the railway system was nearly co'npleteu
and already carrying goods regularly from
the rich pl ,teau to the seaports, the Brazhiah
trade rivalcd it's steady growth. Inc Ar
Centiucs were bitterly disappointed.
puring the years Of opuence they had
organized fairly good army. while Brazil
had neglected hers almost entirely
A Campaign Against Brazil
4 politician then high m power in Ar
gentiua Xchalos. instituted campaign
against Brazil and for little while the
question seemed to he serious one. In
legs than month all the Brazilian students
and Young business men volunteered Tor
the army, and we had "A large force in the
making This. however, was unnecessary,
because the sensible politicians in both
countries realized the danger Of such
situation. The matter was soon settled.
The leader Of the campaign against Brazil
was disgraced and ostracized for a long
time
OF this whole affair u ore remains only
a slight mutual distrust, which is essening
every year.
About mouth ago the German element
in Argentina feeling that that country
would soon be joining the Allies, tried to
resurrect the ancient troubles, or at least
to use the slight ill-feeling which stil re-
mained, ~ a wedge for pro-German activity.
They also tried to use against the United
States an old argument which for long
time troubled the minds o. many South
Americans. 1t was the idea that the Ameri-
cans meant the Monroe Doctrine 10 be:
America for the CNorth) Americans" and
that the States wanted to conquer the whole
continent
"Nuestra Guerra" Published
\ book was published m Buenos Aires
with the title "Nuestra Guerra-Le COali-
ciun Contra la Argentina by Pedro de
Cordoba. Tn { is, our War-'The COali-
ton Against Argentine" IL was meant to
impress upon the Argentine people that
the United States was planning to attack
Argentina and that 1t was urging Brazil to
help.
Ihe cover Of the book shows at the top
the stars ana Stripes drawn across the
whole page. \ little below we see an enor-
nous American eagle holding in his claws
the Brazilian flag and flying down in a
mcnaCiug attitude At the bottom there is
q part Of the South American map, show
ing the River Plate with the Argentine
ts
calIy synboltstic. as it gives the authors
idea of Brazil being dragged along by the
United States and falling upon Argentine,
Exposed by Newspaper
In contradiction of this theory we have
the facts that the United States has never
shown any desire of making war on Ar
gentna and Brazil has for a long time
shown that she is not afraid OF war, that
she is getting ready for il, but that she
does not want It by any means The Ar
geutine people are already aware Of these
facts and every one could see that the
author of that book was either a German
writing under an assumed name or an
Argentine bribed by the Germans.
The argument was so far from the real
facts, was so truly and typically German
in it's blindness as regards the other peo-
pies feelings, that the South American
reader simply laughed at it,
"A Noite." Rio de Janelro paper, from
which ] learned of the book, says:
'Nuestra Guerra is the title of the ia
nous little book published in Argentina
which has unhappily been taken in serious
consideration by one paper in this town.
1t seems really unbelievable that the Ger
mans, nimitable and unsurpassed as they
are in the art of intrigue, should have spent
any money for publishing such an idiotic
booklet which so clearly shows their hand
They have not even thought of concealing
the name of the publisher. We read on the
cover that it has been printed at La Gaceta
de Esplna. the most passionate, broadly
German paper in Buenos Aires
'Nuestra Guerra is not. as II seemed
in the telegraphic news, book that was
written especially against Brazil. It's chief
intent was to set Argentina against the
United states. AS the author thinks that
in the case of war between the two countries
Brazil would side with the States he also
goes against Brazil. But from the first lines
Of 'Nuestra Guerra We realize at once that
the aim Of the author is to stir up trouble
I'm the American continent and prevent
Argentina from lining up with the nations
that broke diplomatic relations with Ger,
many
1t is not worth while giving any further
I notice 10 the Gsrmanophle His intent /.
/ so evident that the Brazilians and Argen
! tines should pay no attention to it. Prob
/ ably il is nothing more than business
made by some. starving writer with tn,
/ rich Germans in Buenos Aires.
we have seen very similar things a
/ home ,"
Germans Try to Use Chill
| As we can see from this article. the book
/ let was taken seriously in Brazil for onl,
| a very short while. Only "A short time be
! fore a COPY Of II was carefully anayzed b!
| the journalists.
Nevertheless it is a good example of tn,
| work the Germans were doing in Soutl
/ America.
Argentina and Chill were the two coun
! tries in which the Germans had the great