The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-01-24
GERMANS DEFIANT
IN PROVINCE OF
The RIO CRANDE
Many Strikes in Southern
Brazil Were Fomented to
Embarass Government.

Rio Grande Do Sui, BrazfI, Jan. "a.
Prompted by the belief that Ger
man residents have fomented and
supported railway strikes and other
labor troubles in southern Brazil, the
Brazilian government has prepared
to take severe steps to- prevent any
further German inspired disturb
ances.
Large forces of troops now are
quartered in southern Brazil and Gus
tom houses at Porto Alegera and Rio
Grande are filled 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 clos
ing German school and removing Ger
man priests from Catholic schools,
the government has succeeded in
blocking a large part of the German
propaganda and a strict censorship
prevents the spreading of news re-
garding German unrest or the gov
eminent steps for overcoming it.
| There is general talk, however
throughout southern Brazil, even by
Brazilian officials, to the effect that
the Germans have not given up their
attempt to harrass the Brazilian gov
eminent and embarrass its shipments
to the Entente Allies. Municipal of
ficers in one of the principal towns
of the western part of the state OF
Rio Grande do Sui told me that then
Investigations had led them to believe
that German support was largely re-
sponsible for the success and Ions
duration of the recent railroad strikes
and that they also were convinced
that the strikes were part of a revo
lutionary plan which has not been en-
tirely crushed.
j On several occasion Brazilian peo
pie have set fire to the property o.
Germans as a protest against their at
titude which has been considered de
fiant and disrespectful toward the
Brazilian government.
Of the 1,S5S,240 people living in the
state of Rio Grande do Sui, it is esti
mated that 10000 are of German
birth or first generation descendant!
of Germans and it has been official
ly reported that there are 10000 Ger
man resservists in the German rifle
clubs of this state alone. These Ger
mans have practically controlled thu
commercial enterprises in this part O
Brazil.
Even after Brazil broke diplomat,
relations with Germany the campaign
of the Germans was kept up and Ger
man business houses in Rio Grand,
do Sui and Port Alegere flew the Ger
man flag from their windows withou
the customary courtesy of flying tn
Brazilian flag with it. The Brazilian
were denied membership in the Ger
man clubs and the German shootin,
ranges.
Finally, soon after the declaratio,
of war, the Austrian consul in Ri
Grande do Sui attempted to smuggl
several informed German sailors GU
of the city and to one of the Germa
colonies in the state of Santa Cath
arina whence they could have foun
their way into Paraguay or Argen
tina. The fugitive sailors were recap
tured but the consul succeeded il
reaching Paraguay.
AS soon as the people became awar
of this they formed into mob an
marched through the streets burnin
German goods and stoning Germa!
buildings as was done in Bueno
Aires. The German club in Ri
Grande was burned and bonfires wer
built in the streets into which wer
thrown the merchandise that wa
thrown out of German shops.