Evening star., 1932-09-04
BY GASTON NERvAL.


TN the midst Of the bitSerest civil war
in their history. the inhabitants of
the largest South American repub-
i lie will have a holiday this week.
While Brazilian loyalists and
Brazilian rebels are fighting for the
spoils of government, with contending
forces several times larger than the ma
tional armies OF many Latin American
countries, the federal authorities at Rio
de Janeiro and the revolutionary lead
ers at Sac Paulo will celebrate next
Wednesday, with equal enthusiasm, the
10th anniversary of the nation.
On September Z, 1922, Brazil was
proclaimed a sovereign state, the only
empire that ever existed in South
America. Later on the empire was con-
verted into federal republic, but Bra
zilians still commemorate joyously,
every year, the date on which they first
achieved independence from Portugal.
Larger Than U. s. Mainland.
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 IL
iustrated by the fact that her boun-
daries touch all the South American
countries except Chile. In this i'm
mense territory live some 10000 900
people, a population equal to that of all
the other South American republics
together. And this territory is almost
virgin empire with inexhaustible re-
sources which but await the next step
in development to flow all over the
world
In spite Of this, Brazil Is very little
| - A. to
all the other Latin American nations,
people here have 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. typical flavor OF
romance of adventure, Of artistic beau
ty, CT poesy.
But with Brazil it is different. Bra
zil is the only republic of South Amer
ica which was not discovered or set
tied by the Spanish. On her shores
it was not the Spaniards, but the Portu-
guese, who landed with the cross and
banners of conquerors at the begin
ming Of the sixteenth century. For
ulOfc Llldll CUU yCdLo Vic tOaAby Wo'
a Portuguese colony, and during the
| last century, at the same time that the
other Latin American peoples won their
| independence from the crown OF Spain,
Brazil separated herself from the rule
| of Portugal and began her independent
life.
Portuguese Ideas and Customs.
This life of hers is as closely modelled
on Portuguese IDEAS and customs as are
those of her neighbors on the ideas and
customs of Spain.
| Brazil, then, Is not 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. Therefore
| they wonder when they hear, it said
that among the Latin American nations
there Is one where the language is not
Spanish, and where no one has ever ex-
perienced the thrills of bull fight, OF
felt the romance of those "old Span
ish customs" so favored in American
movies and novels. And they wonder
still more when they are told that the
country Is larger than the United States
and has a population as large as that oi
| all the other nations of South America
together.
And yet, in spite Of the boundless lack
of knowledge which exists here regard
ing things Brazilian, Brazil is the best
friend Uncle Sam has in Latin America
For more than century the Brazilian
government, one of the most powerful
in that part of the world, has eagerly
given approval and moral support tc
the foreign policies Of this country
standing by 1t even when interested par.
ties were trying to arouse suspicion and
criticism Of the big brother Of the
North" among the Latin American peo-
Piles. When the Monroe Doctrine was
the first to applaud it, and has ever
since been a most enthusiastic sup
porter Of that principle. There stands
in one of the most beautiful spots in
Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian capital, q
magnificent building, the Monroe Pal
ace, erected by the Brazilian govern
ment in memory of the famous Presi-
dent of 1923. That building has been
| for many years monument to pam
American ideals and the center of sew
4 eraf international meetings held in
Rio de Janeiro to carry out these ideals
and to foster the pan-American move
ment.
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
declare war on Germany, soon after this
country had done so, and to fight in Eu-
rope beside the American "Sammies" for
the sake Of democracy" Two other
republics, Cuba and Panama, also de-
clared war on the central powers, but
did not actually send troops into the
conflict, as did Brazil, nor did any
other Of the South American countries
! participate In the conflict, though sew
eral Of them, like Bolivia, Peru and