Evening star., 1921-05-01
German Colonies" in America.

Though Germany has been stripped
Of her colonies. in the strictly po-
litical sense. there are nevertheless
German colonies of considerable i'm
portance on the American continent.
even if they are under foreign flags.
\ writer in the Independence Beige
of Brussels gives some interesting
facts in the following article:
1T is not ony recently that the Ger
mans have turned towards America
and have tried to establish themselves
as masters. Since the time of Hum
boldt. who intervened for a nome mt
in the negotiations relative to the
Panama question. they have planted
themselves little by little everywhere
and have not been absorbed any
where. If they are taken from the
Mexican frontier to the extreme south
point of the new continent. there is
not one who has not remained abSo-
lutely German. strongly opposed to
all assimilation. not exactly an ele-
ment of trouble in the country where
he resides. but one of stability.
"One of the most curious characteris-
tics of these collections of residents is
that they imagine that they form a sort
of extended Germany, a colony among
the states. The strongest proof OF this
spirit is shown in the maps that they
take care to have published; whenever
a certain number of Teuton nationality
are together the district is especially
limited, and if these districts increase
the whole region is marked, and, whether
state or province, 1t is at once annexed
by geographers, who mention it with
special heading in their writings. Take
for instance. maps of Brazil: very rare
are those where you will not find the
provinces of Rio Grande. Santa Catha
rina Parana, Espirito Santo, and even
Rio specially introduced with this men,
ton: Die Deutschen Colonieen in Bra
zilien German colonies in BraZiD.
But it must also be said that none of
these groups ignore the tremendous i'm
portance Of German capital in their
country.
This capital for Mexico and Central
America amounted in 1910 to 1914 to
figures considerably more than l,15o.-
000, 900 francs; at the same time IT was,
for South America, more than 3.oOo.Ooo
600 francs. These figures are establish
ed in taking into consideration the Vaiue
of the mark in 1914.
"It is Of particular interest at the
time when Germany is pretending not
to be able to pay the reparatlons
which the allies exact from her nor
the indemnities which she owes. to
see how this activity ~ is carried on on
and how it tends to displace at the
same time capital and activity.
I'm Mexico" says the writer, where
at the beginning of the war, with re-
gard TO CarranZa, Germany played
game plainly hostile to North Amer
lean interests to prevent them from
taking part in the war. the day after
the armistice she negotiated conces-
sions of ground and persuaded the
Mexican government to make ar
raneements to receive one hundred
thousand colonists. In the republic
of Honduras. more especially on the
Pacific coast. where they are in pos
session of almost the whole COM
merce. they are Strengthening the po-
sitions which they occupy; it is the
mala. In the form of notes. of Of
fers of aniline. of oil. of pharmaceu-
tical products. of Solingen steel. etc.
they boast of the carefulness. the
scrupulousness and the punctuality
of German manufacturers
The writer then relates that in Ven !
ezuela the government in 1920 grant |
ed to a German named Zimmerman |
about 10000 acres OF waste land. to |
be colonized by German emigrants. !
It was to be an agricultural colony |
but there was nothing to prevent ex-
cavations or building manufactures !
or exploiting any produce which |
might be found. All expenses of |
clearing, Of buying implements. cat
tie, esta fishing transports. etc. are |
his business. and it belongs to him for |
fifty years, after which a fresh con-
cession will be made to him of about !
$4,000 more acres, at present waste |
land, but which will be planted with /
fruit trees, ETC.. and given as compen-
sation for the loss of the first.
1T Is evident" he says. that install