Evening star., 1933-09-10
BY GASTON NERVAL,


TINE inhabitants OF the largest
South American republic had
holiday last week, when they
i celebrated the l11th anniver-
sary Of their independence. On
September 7, 1922, Brazil proclaimed
itself a sovereign state, discontinuing
its connection Of three centuries with
the crown of Portugal. and adopting
an autonomous imperial form Of gov
ernment. Later, the empire was con-
verted into a federal republic, but Bra
zilians still commemorate joyously the
date on which they first achieved inde-
peudence from Portugal.
Last year, their national day found
Brazlians engaged In the bitterest civil
war in their history. Federal govern
ment troops were fighting the rebel
armies III the State of Sac Paulo, in
q bloody contest which has been char
acterized as second only on the Ameri-
can Continent to the war between the
North and the South in the United
States. Battles were being fought on
fronts two to three hundred kilometers.
with all kinds Of modern weapons, from
the swift hand grenade to the clumsy
tank and the feet airplane. Two hun
dred thousand men were under arms.
This year, their fourth of July"
found the Brazilians under much more
auspicious circumstances. The internal
struggle having finally ended with the
victory of the government forces, and
the electoral requisites for the return
of the country to a constitutional
status having been fulfilled, the whole
nation Is eagerly, but in peaceful,
democratic mood, awaiting the transl-
ton from the provisional regime now IN
nxy O
administration Since the 1880 revo-
luton, Brazil has been under the rule
of a de facto government which seems
to have had considerable difficulty IN
insuring an orderly return to consti-
tutional normalcy. A few months ago,
however, Provisional President Vargas
fulfilled his promise of holding general
elections for a constituent assembly
which is to enact a new constitution
and designate the head of the govern
ment for the next legal term. The 254
elected members will meet soon in the
Tiradentes Palace to carry out this
mission and thus close the restless,
transitional period represented by the
past three years.
Although Brazil has an area larger
than that of Continental United States
and population of some forty million
people. it is country scarcely known
in the United States. AS to all the
other Latin American nations. people
here have a general idea, a mixture Of
tradition and legend, which one finds
in everyday experience. 1t is known
that those countries were discovered
and conquered by Spain and that from
Spain they have derived their culture,
their civilization and their customs.
And cultured Americans are familiar
with Spanish civilization, with all its
traditions and romance.
Modeled on Portuguese Customs.
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
conquerors at the beginning of the six
teenth century. For more than three
hundred years the country was a Por
tuguese colony. During the last CEN
tury, at the same time that the other
Latin American peoples won their in
dependence 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 customs and ideas 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. where no one ever experiences
the thrills of bull fight or has felt
the romance Of those '.old Spanish Gus
toms" so popular in American movies
and novels. And they wonder still
more when they are told that that
country Is larger than the United
States and has population as large as
that Of all the other nations of South
America together.
And yet, in spite Of the lack of
knowledge which exists here regard
ing things Brazilian, Brazil is the best
friend Uncle Sam has in Latin Amer
lea. For more than a century the