Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-12
BRAZIL DECLARES
WAR ON AUSTRIA;
WILL SEND FLEET
South American Republic to
Actively Cooperate With
Allies Overseas.
GERMAN PROPAGANDA
GOES FOB NAUGHT
Ambassador Da Cana Is to Be
Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Copyright, 1918, by \. \. Evening fost' Ahc.l
Brazil has just severed diplomatic
relations with Austria-Hungary and
has also sent a message to the Vienna
government which amounts to dec
laration of war.
The Brazilian government declares
that in order to render effective the
protests made in February, 1SlI
against the submarine blockade pro-
claimed by Germany and affirmed by
Austria, a division of the Brazilian
navy is to be dispatched to European
seas to cooperate with the allied ma
vies.
Although Brazil has been outspoken
in her sympathy with the United
States and the cause Of the allies, be-
ing the first of the big powers in South
America to follow our lead in denounc-
ing, Germany's violations of interna-
tional law. the decision to send naval
force to European waters is prac-
tical step which is the outgrowth Of
fervent enthusiasm for the cause of
the allies as the war reaches its criti.
cal stages. Indeed; the ssopiad BIazniiaa
few days ago adopted unanimously
motion to express their ardent nope
for the victory of the allies on the
battlefelds of Europe and pledging
their solidarity and unconditional
support to the glorious allied press"
Ambassador Promoted.
incidentally it became known today
that Domicio da Cana, Brazilian am
bassador to the United States, has just
been selected minister for foreign
affairs and will leave Washington
toward the end of October to take up
his new post. His successor has not
been chosen.
The appointment of Ambassador da
Cana to take charge Of the Brazilian
foreign Office is an event of conspio-
uous importan in pan-American af-
fairs. Few men who have come to
,, Washington from Central and South
America have been SO consistently
have won the affection and admiration
of officials of both republican and
democratic administrations.
Ambassador da Cana is not a politi-
clan, but trained diplomat, and his
appointment at this time is undoubted-
1y due to the desire Of the new Presi-
dent Of Brazil, Rodriguez Alves, to have
in the foreign Office a man especially
familiar with large diplomatic affairs.
Mr.. da Cana was originally a newspa-
per man and has been twenty-five years
in the diplomatic service of his country,
serving in several important posts in
Europe as well as South America before
coming to the United States. He has
been dean of the Latin American diplo-
mats and his prestige and personality
have counted for a great deal in the
councils of pan-American diplomats.
The Germans are still active in
their propaganda in South America,
and, while in no case are they striving
to get any of the nations definitely
aligned with Germany, nevertheless
the effort is to induce those countries
which have not already Joined the
entente to remain strictly neutral"
The Germans have been undermining
an-Americanism wherever they can
which, it had been confidently ex-
pected here, would be among the first
to follow the United States in making
war on Germany have remained aloof.
AS minister of foreign affairs in Rio
Janeiro, the allies can feel that in
man as deeply interested in uprooting
German propaganda and defeating
Germanism in South America as the
minister of foreign affairs of any of
tthe other allied governments. He has
the rare faculty of knowing how to
view with that of the United States
and Europe. He was one of the three
men who attempted to mediate the
Mexican dispute at Niagara Falls and
was given a medal by the Congress OF
the United States for his services.
He was always conservative inf1u-
ence in the Mexican mediation con-
ferences, and while anxious to see the
question resolved satisfactorily, he
was always desirous, on the other
which would mean outside interfer-
ence with the internal affairs or SOW
ereignty of Mexico. something on
which Latin America was particularly
sensitive.
Since the European war began Am
bassador da Cana has been an invalu-
able adviser to the United States. gov
ernment in pan-American affairs, and
while his departure Is a distinct loss,
the fact that he will occupy so promi-
nent a position in South America and
be able to advance the cause of the
much qualification among the high
officials Of our government. who to-
day were congratulating him on his
appointment.
Brazil was the first nation to affirm
the Monroe doctrine. and Brazil is the
HrSt 70 Jake an active part alongside
the United States in the European
war. The influence of her course on
other South American nations may be
expected to grow, and certainly any
rope that Germany may have had OF
hostile combination of Argentine
Brazil and Chile or any other group
| of South American countries against
the entente can be said to have COM
pletely vanished. South America is be
ginning to realize that the destiniea
also of her peoples are being settled