New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-02-04
BRAZIL ON GUARD
AGAINST GERMANS
Government Convinced Teuton
"Guests" Inspired Disturbances

Rio Grande do Sui, Brazil, Nov. 80.
-(Correspondence of The Associated
Press by the belief that
German 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 fur
Their German inspired disturbances.
Large forces of troops now are
CHARTERED in southern Brazil and the
customs houses at Porto Allegro 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 schools and rem owing
German priests from Catholic schools,
the government has succeeded i'll
blocking a large part of the German
propa ganda and a strict censorship
prevents the spreading of news regard
ing German unrest or the govern
ment's 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 it's shipments
| to the Entente Allies. Municipal Off
| GERS in one of the principal towns of
| the western part of the state of Rio
! Grande do Sui told me that their in
| designations had led them to believe
that German support was largely re-
| fhn
| duration of the recent railroad strikes
and that they also were convinced that
| the strikes were part of a revolution
| airy plan which has not been entirelv
| crushed.
On several occasions Brazilian peo-
| pie have set fire to the property of
| Germans as a protest against their at
titude which has been considered de-
faint and disrespectfuI toward the
| Brazilian government.
Of the 1,S38,240 people living in the
| state of Rio Grande do Sui, it is es-
| timated that 10000 are Of German
| birth or first generation descendants
| of Germans and it has been officially
| reported that there are 1000 German
! reservists in the German rifle clubs of
this state alone. These Germans have
| practically controlled the commercial
| enterprises in this part of Brazil.
Even after Brazil broke diplomatic
| relations with Germany the campaign
! Of the Germans was kept up and Ger
! man business houses in Rio Grande do
Sui and Porte Allegro flew the German
| flag from their windows without the
| customary courtesy of flying the Bra
! lillian flag with it. The Brazilians
| were denied membership in the Ger
! man clubs and the German shooting
! ranges.
Finally, soon after the declaration
of war, the Austrian consul in Rio
Grande Go Sui attempted to smuggle
several interned German sailors out of
the city and to one of the German
| colonies in the state OF Santa Cath
| arina whence they could have found
their way into Paraguay or Argentina
| The fugitive sailors were recaptured
but the consul succeeded in reaching
| Paraguay.
AS soon as the people became aware
| of this they formed into a mob and
| marched through the streets burning
| German goods and stoning German
| buildings, as was done in Buenos Aires.
| The German club in Rio Grande was
burned and bonfires we're built in the
streets into which were thrown the
merchandise that was thrown out Of
| German shops.