El Nuevo mexicano., 1918-01-24

many But q peculiar fact Sulkes tho w
server upon consideration of recent events
the First South American republics to
break relations with Germany have been
those where the Teutonic element is In
the majority. Excepting Chile and Argen'
tina, where this element is overwhelming,
few regions of the American continent are
so thickly populated with Germans as
those of southern Brazil and Uruguay,
Yet these two nations were among the
first to follow the example of the United
States and center the worlds fight for
democracy. This peculiar fact speaks for
itself.
In Brazil alone, over half a million Ger
mans are established, and their colonies
occupy most of the provinces of Rio
Grande to Sui Santa Catarina. 1t is sis.
~nificant that all through these provinces
German is spoken exclusively, in spite
of the efforts Of the BRAZILIAN government
to conquer the enormous influence of the
Teutons over that part of the country,
The native population has never sympa-
thized with them and the colonists have
not made the slightest effort to assimilate
Brazilian customs or even language, rather
behaving themselves as If the territory
they occupy was nothing but a part OF
the German Empire. The result has been
an everincreasing Brazilian dislike oil
them, quickly brought to a crisis by the
affronts made by Germany against the
Brazilian people and the sinking of sever
al Brazilian ships.
Chile, having a German population of
I eon,n fxyaufp thnroord 10 In a MACMILLAN
position. The German element is so pow
erful 1t has a real influence over the po-
litical attitude of the nation. The bulk
Of the governing classes is Of German ex-
traction, and any move against the Cen
trail Powers would have little support
among the Chileans.
Argentine, with a German population
of nearly one hundred thousand, does
not have as much to fear from the Teu-
tonic intrigue as Chile or Brazil. The
disgraceful activities of that diplomat Of
3~spurlos versenkt" fame and the reveln-
tons made by the American State De
out all Argentine tendencies to favor the
Central Powers, but Argentine will not de
clare war on them, at least for the pres
emit, owing to her w delicate Internal
problems. She was badly hit by the ad-
vent Of the European war and she is yet
far from recovering from the financial diff
~ficulties into which she was plunged at the
beginning of the conflict Bolivia, Guata-
la, Honduras and Nicaragua have broken
relations with Germany. as have Haiti,
Santo Domingo and Uruguay, where the
Teutonic element is also prevalent.
1t would be an error to belittle the
importance of the Central American re-
pubfics as factors OF war. 1t is enough
to consider that the German interests
there represent some five hundred million
marks. But the internal problems in
these countries are so complicated that
they afford poor basis for speculation re-
garding the probability Of the Central
American republics making a definite
stand in the worlds conflict. One thing
ia certain, however: German honey and
German intrigue are at the bottom OF the
obvious restlessness characterizing recent
political events In Central America and
also in Venezuela, where Teuton influ'
ence seems omnipotent.