The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-23
BRAZIL READY
FOR GERMAN SPIES
Large Forces of Troops CHARTERED in the
Southern Part of the Country and
Artillery Can Be Transport
ed Quickly.

Rio Grande Do Sui. Brazil, Jan. q
Correspondence of the Associated Press
Prompted by the belief that German
residents have fomented and supported
railway strikes and other labor troubles
in southern Brazil, the Brazilian govern
ment has prepared to take severe steps
to prevent any further German inspired
disturbances.
Large forces of troops now are quar-
tered in southern Brazil and custom
houses at Porto Allegro and Rio Grande
are filed with artillery, which can be
transported quickly to any other points
in the southern part of the country.
BY suppressing newspapers printed in
the German language and by closing Ger
man schools and removing German
priests from Catholic schools, the govern
ment has succeeded in blocking a large
part of the German propaganda and
strict censorship prevents the spreading
of news regarding German unrest or the
governments steps for overcoming it.
There is general talk, however,
throughout southern Brazil, even by Bra
lillian officials to the effect that the Ger
mans have not given up their attempt to
harrass the Brazilian government and
embarrass its shipments to the entente
allies. Municipal officers in one of the
principal towns of the western part of
the state of Rio Grande do Sui told me
that their investigations had led them to
believe that German support was largely
responsible for the success ard long dura-
ton of the recent railroad strikes and
that they also were convinced that the I
strikes were part of revolutionary plan |
which has not been entirely crushed
On several occasions Brazilian people !
have set fire to the property of Germans
as a protest against their attitude. which
has been considered defiant and disre-
spectful toward the Brazilian govern
ment.
OF the l,s3s,240 people living in the
state of Rio Grande do Sui, it is estimat-
ed that 10000 arc of German birth or
first generation descendants of Germans,
and il has been officially reported that
there are 10000 German reservists in the
German rifle clubs of this state alone.
These Germans have practically con
trolled the commercial enterprises in this
part OF Brazil.
Even after Brazil broke diplomatic re-
lations with Germany the campaign of
the Germans was kept UP and German
business houses in Rio Grand do Sui and
Porto Allegro flew the German flag from
their windows without the customary
courtesy of fiying the Brazilian flag with
i. The Brazilians were denied member
ship in the German clubs and the German
shooting ranges.
Finally, soon after the declaration Of
var. che Austrian consul in Rio Grande
10 Sui attempted to smuggle several in
erned German sailors out Of the city
md to one Of the German colonies in the
tate of Santa Catharina. whence thew
ouId have found their way into Para
7iav or Argentina. The fugitive sailors
we're recap;ured but the consul succeeded
n reaching Paraguay.
A soon a. the people became aware
Z this they formed into q mob and
marched through the streets burning Ger
aan goods and stouing German buildings.
: vas done IN Buenos Aires The Ger
len club in Rio Grande Wa burned and
o-fres were built in the streets into
rhieh were thrown the merrhsndise that
fas thrown out Of German shops-