Evening star., 1938-10-17
Brazil and GERMANY.

The diplomatic breach between Brazil
and Germany comes as small surprise
in Washington, although it was scarcely
expected to take such a drastic form
because of the outwardly smooth course
that relations between the two govern
ments have followed in recent months
The governments at Berlin and Rio
have been periodically at odds since
President Getulio Vargas effected his
coup last November and the German
Ambassador until his recent trip home
Was under running fire from the Bra
lillian press for his alleged connection
with Nazi propaganda activities among
Brazil's $4,000 Germans, many of whom
are naturalized Brazilians.
The refusal of Brazil to permit the
return of DR.. Karl Ritter to his am
basSadorial post at Rio impelled the
German government to demand the re-
call of the Brazilian envoy in Berlin,
Jose Moniz de Aragao, and for the
present charges d'affaires will conduct
the affairs OF the respective embassies.
The incident evoked storm of typical
Nazi denunciation in the controlled
German press, form Of pressure at
which the Hitler regime excels.
The refusal to accept DR.. Ritter cul-
inmates steady campaign by the Vargas
government to eradicate Fascist in
fluences from Brazilian politics and to
check the Nazis' drive to retain their
hold upon Brazil's German population by
propaganda, much of it directed against
the United States, which is pictured as
creating false issues of Nazi ism in Latin
America.
Last Spring Senior Vargas took two
steps aimed chiefly at this Nazi inf1u-
ence-requirement that all primary and
secondary schools, including German
language institutions, teach the Por-
tuguese language and Brazilian cultural
subjects, and a prohibition on all po-
litical activity by foreigners in Brazil.
Both evoked rage in the German press
and representations by the German
Embassy in Rio.
German activities also have been
linked with those of the Green Shirt
Integralistas. whose plot against the
life of President Vargas was thwarted
last March and who conducted an
abortive coup against his regime in
May. In the latter incident nine Ger.
mans were arrested and DR.. Ritter at
tempted to intercede for them.
The German trade expansion cam
paign also has contributed to differences
between Berlin and Rio, and last July
a short-lived trade war resulted from
refusal of Brazil to accept more Ger
man barter marks. German trade ex-
pansion efforts have been aimed at the
export commerce of the United States.
This resulted in a reaction in favor of
American goods which carried this coun-
try into first place in Brazilian imports
III way, A1Ol LldAy.
In the forefront of Brazilian resist
ance to German theological and COM
mercial promotion in Brazil stands the
foreign minister, Oswaldo Aranha, for
several years Brazilian Ambassador in
Washington and confirmed democrat.
His pro-American leanings spring largely
from his intimate contacts with Presi-
dent Roosevelt and State Department
officials during his tenure here.
Senior Aranha will have prominent
role in the coming Pan-American con-
ference at Lima, Peru, and this latest
warning to Germany that her theology
is not wanted in Brazil will certainly
strengthen his hand in striving, in CO.
operation with the United States to
consolidate the Americas behind pro-
gram of peace.