Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-13
BY CASTOR NERvAL.

largest Latin American republic
- celebrated the 109th anniver-
sary of their independence from
the crown Of Portugal. On September
ereign state, the only empire that ever
existed in South America Later on
the empire was converted into federal
republic, but Brazilians still commence
rate enthusiastically every year the date
on which they first achieved independ-
ence from Portugal. This year their
national day found Brazilians engaged
in an earnest period of reorganization
Of the country, as a consequence of last
years revolution, which overthrow the
conservative administration of President
Luiz and set up a new government
headed by Getulio Vargas.
The Republic of Brazil, on the east
coast of South America, has an area
larger than that of the United States,
not including Alaska or the insular
possessions Brazil's huge extent is illus
trated by the fact that her boundaries
touch all the South American coun-
tries except Chile. In this immense
territory live some 100000 people, a
other South American republics to-
gether. And this territory is a virgin
empire, with inexhaustible resources,
which but await the next step in de-
velopment to flow all over the world.
Brazil Little Known.
In spite of this Brazil is very little
known on this side of the world AS
to all the other Latin American nations
people here have a general idea, mix
ture of tradition and legend, which
one finds in everyday experience. 1t
is known that those countries were dis
covered and conquered by Spain, and
that from Spain they have derived
their culture, their civilization and their
customs. And everything Spanish has,
for the Americans. a typical flavor of
romance, of adventure, of artistic
beauty, of poesy.
Hence, whenever an American listens
to the melodious harmony of a piece of
Spanish music - that Spanish music
full Of sentiment, OF life, of expression;
every time he sees a work of art or of
architecture of Spanish colonial type,
now SO much in fashion; every time he
hears some new incident of that Span
ish spirit of daring adventure, of ro-
nance, of gallant knights and beautiful
senoritas; every time, in a word. that
an American comes in contact with any
phase of that Spanish atmosphere
which attracts him SO strongly Ns
thoughts fly to the countries south Of
the Rio Grande, which have inherited
that tradition and that spirit of the
Spanish
And, vice versa. every time he hears
those countries of the south mentioned
he thinks instantly of Spain and it's
traditional spirit. and thus there is
built up in peoples minds general
idea, which. if not exactly correct, or
definite is at least an approximate con-
ception of the atmosphere and charac-
teristics of those people.
But with Brazil it is different. Brazil
is the only republic of South America
which was not discovered or settled by
the Spanish. On her shores it was
not the Spaniards. but the Portuguese,
who landed with the cross and banners
Of conouerors at the beginning of the
sixteenth century. For more than three
hundred years the country was a Por-
tuguese colony. and, during the last
century, at the same time that the
ether Latin American peoples won their
independence from the crown of Spain,
Brazil separated herself from the rule
Of Portugal. and began her independent
life. This life Of hers is as closely
modelled on Portuguese ideas and Gus
toms as are those of her neighbors on
the ideas and customs of Spain.
Nation That Is Different.
Brazil then. is net included in that
tradition Of Spanish inheritance and
Spanish legends, which the inhabitants
of this country have in mind when
they talk of South America. There
fore, they wonder when they hear it
said that among the Latin American
nations there is one where the Ian
guage is not Spanish. and where no one
has ever experienced the thrills of a
hull -fnl1f fo1f tho IF fhncc
"old Spanish customs" so favored in
American movies and novels. And they
wonder still more when they are told
that that country is larger than the
United States, ard has a population as
large as that of all the other nations OF
South America together.
And yet, in spite of the boundlesS
lack of knowledge which exists here
regarding things Brazilian. Brazil is
the best friend Uncle Sam has in Latin
America. For more than a century the
Brazilian government. one of the mos
powerful in that part of the world
has eagerly given approval and mora
support to the foreign policies of this
country, standing by it even when in
tereSted parties were trying to arouse
suspicion and criticism of the "bia
brother of the North" among the Iatir
American peoples. When the Monroe
Doctrine was announced to the WORLD
Brazil was the first to applaud it. and
has ever since been most enthusiastic
supporter of that principle. There
stands in one of the most beautiful
spots in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian
capital. a magnificent building, the
Monroe Palace. erected by the Brazilian
Government in memory of the first
man to warn the world against impe-
realistic designs or political ambitions
over any nation of the American Con-
tinent. That building has been for
many years monument to pan-Amer-
lean ideals and the center of several in
ternational meetings held in Rio to
carry out these ideals and to foster
the American movement.
Declared War on Germany.
Nothing can picture better this close
understanding and similarity of politi-
cal principles between the United States
and Brazil than the fact that Brazil
was the only South American nation to