Evening star., 1942-08-18
Vargas Hits Axis
As War Fever
Rises in Brazil
Crowd Before Embassy
In Rio Cheers for
u. S. and Roosevelt

NLdTItCT StVIN vi AkC h-A'
By the Associated Press
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 1s.-
The rising fury of Brazilians over
the sinking by Axis submarines
of five Brazilian ships in three
days brought President Geutlio
Vargas himself today to de-
nounce the sinkings as "acts Of
piracy in an address to a tu-
multuous crowd which paraded
to the presidential palace.
Another crowd of 500 demonstrat-
ed in front of the United States
Embassy, cheering for the United
States. President Roosevelt and Am
bassador jefferson Caffery and urg-'
ing American nations to unite
against the Axis.
All commerce and schools in Rio
de Janeiro closed for the afternoon
in homage to the victims Of the
sinkings.
Vessels Carried s36 Persons.
Latest tabulations showed the five
vessels sent down of Brazils coast
carried 1886 persons, including 274
soldiers, and that only 157 have
reached land.
The government already has
promised that crimes practiced
against the lives and goods of
Brazillans will not go unpunished,"
but urged the public to remain calm.
1rate newspaper editorials and
street demonstrations spread the
war fever today.
The steel shutters fronting busi-
ness houses suspected of having Axis
connections banged shut as crowds
moved through the center of the
city and converged on the presiden-
tial palace
There they sang the national an
them and shouted for Vargas and
Brazil until the President appeared.
Feelings Of Sadness.
The press department, in a sum-
mary of the Presidents impromptu
speech, quoted him as declaring he
well understood the feelings of
sadness and patriotic excitement
which now fil1 vibrant hearts"
He said, "All Brazilians should
share these feelings, and at the
same time feelings of repulsion and
indignation at being confronted
suddenly by acts of piracy
I'VE have done nothing that our
merchant ships operating on coastal
lines should be attacked and sunk,
with the deaths of sailors who
operated them, and even of soldiers"
The President said ships of ag-
gressor nations would be taken over
to compensate for damages and the
property of Axis subjects in Brazil
would be held responsible, while all
those who had given information
on ship sailings would be put to
work with spades. shovels and pick
axes to build roads In the interior"
The Brazilian steamers Bage and
Cuyaba, due to take Axis diplomats
to Europe, were held in port
Just before noon a crowd tore
Brazilian flags from the Offices of
two pro-Axis newspapers and
marched to the Foreign Ministry,
where spokesman for the demon
strators declared:
This demonstration is to show
the Brazilian government that peo-
pie will follow the government any,
where"
One Minutes Silence.
functionary of the Foreign Min
istry accepted the flags. and then
the demonstrators, estimated to
number 1000. observed one minutes
silence "in memory of all who have
died throughout the world in the
struggle against aggressors."
Special police prevented damage
to the newspaper buildings, but
there were other cases of attacks on
German property by enraged Bra
zilians.
There was one attempt to attack
a suburban German hospital A
German bar was sacked. Demon
stations occurred against various
business houses known to be Ger
controlled.
Dispatches from Porto Alegre told
of anti-Axis demonstrations by a
huge crowd there.