Norwich bulletin., 1918-01-09
FACTS AND COMMENT


 In seeking her place in the sum- Africa and South Amefica naturally seemed to the imperial German gov ernment to offer the greatest oppor- tunities. Africa was largely occupied by uncivilized tribes and was there fore open of summary appropriation, while South America, comprising dozen democracies unskilled in the in- tricacies of ~ European diplomacy, diplomacy, seemed likely to afford an easy field for the Berlin foreign office. The methods of handling were appro- priate to the country to be exploited. in Africa the territory was actually seized without so much as g. by your leave, military forces were sent and the natives were practically enslaved. The proceeds of these high -handed operations served to increase the inn perial treasury and enrich the bank CTS and manufacturers who in turn were producing the materials and sup plying the capital for great export business and who could, when called upon readily turn their energies to the production of the sineWs of war. This whole chapter however was closed with the surrender last month of the last vestige of German power in East Africa.
 In South America the mode of attack was far more subtle. Here there Was no unclaimed territory to be seized but the willy German government saw among those rather primitive peoples 8 great opportunity to develop and later l to gratify a taste for the comforts and luxuries of modern civilization Theaeefofward German eolonists poured into South America. In the Brazilian state of Rio Gfande de Su there were before the war 29a. 00t Germans in total population of l. 6S3,000, or 12 per cent. In Santa Catharina there were IS per cent while the state of Parana contained | 32 per cent of Germans. Backed b5 | the Berlin government they had start l ed banks, railways, trolley lines ant | other public utilities, furnishing heat | light and power to numberless com mGniSias. The Brazilian goyernmen ! conducted no schools in much of thi! 1 region and so all education was il
 the hands of these foreigners who O | course continued to speak only Ger
 man. Thus the whole country wa, | being niciled from the native Brazil ians under their very e;ses and siraila, work was going on in other parts 0 the continent. German telegrams in I terceEEed and published by our Stat Department speak openly of the ex | pected German reorganization 0 southern Brazil. The purpose of tn process was deliberately unfriendl,
 and would ultimately have led t
 naval demonstration and military oe cupation. This would have meant wa with the United States or promp abandonment of the Monroe doctrine
 While German cosonists were con ducting the basiness of the continent German diplomats were at work wit the governments. These facts als
 have also come out through Secretar
 Lansings publication of telegram
 passing between Buenos Aires an Berlin. How the Department obtain ed these messages is as yet stat
 secret but their genuineness is un
 questioned. The first one to be mad
 public was the now notorious recon
 nendation by Count von Luxburg, tn
 German charge at Bucnos Aires tlla
 Argentine steamers then on their wa to Europe be either spared or sun without a traee-this at a time whe
 Germany was negotiating with Argen
 tina over submarine warfare: On th publication of this message feeling ran high in the capital, several block 5 ot German business houses wei ? wrecked and burned by mobs, tn
 Government dismissed von Luxbur and ordered the army and navy pre- pared for action. The Germa stranglehold on the very life of tb country was at once felt in strikes e eleven railroads and general paraly , sis of public utilities plants, b1 President Irigoyen alone prevented a , immediate rupture of relations wit
 Germany
 From Won Luxburs teIesrans mo recently published it now appears tn, ! he considered the president the frier ] of Germany and was counting on hi ' to align Chile and Bolivia against u
 United States. A great German rad - station was erected according to il i, structions and inquiries were made , to the time and manner of messag ,, i be expected from Germany, also as Germany's part in financing the SUI p posedly private enterprise. Thruli t all the Won LuXburg correspondent e runs the German treachery and sco q for the inferior peoples whom tn
 twere exploiting. Now we hear of t
 Argentine Foreign Minister as "a n
 torious ass"-this because he was n
 as favorable to Germany as the pre- | ident; again the people of Sou y America are spoken of as Indians u l. der thin veneer" yet another me
 sage gives sailing dates and descri
 tions of vessels to be, "spurles ve senkt." Von Bernstorff, Von Luxbu, 'S Won Zimmer1nan-true opponents F German honor and that kuIture tn ls is destined to be a blessing to all |
 world!
 J. Director General MeAdoo's handIi l. of the railroad problem shows cle 70 perception of the nations needs, go
 knowledge of men and great tact U
 der his order to use all facilities to I m full regardless of their ownership c, " trains have been rushed to New Yt s and New England. and even the Per 'h sylvania tunnels designed and hithe
 used exclusively for passenger tra :. have carried cars piled high with c TX for the relief of Brooklyn and the r lg Eof Long Island.
 .h -------
 President A. H.. Smith of the N
 York Central lines has been ma ne Secretary McAdoo's assistant and r. handling the entire system of roads Il fha F.a ct Thia ornointraen+ af ,.