The Wilmington morning star., 1944-07-30

greatly compncatlng transport.
Some cities along the coast are
isolated from the interior and con-
nected with each other only by the
sea.
Another great difference between
the United States and Brazil is
that the latter is not a transcon-
tinental, two-ocean-fronting power.
Brazil, too, had its colortul area
of westward expansion, but when
its pioneers reached the towering
Andes mountains they not only
found an impossible barrier, but
also ran into already established
Spanish colonies Of tn e western
coast. The United States, spurred
by the gold discovery in California
reached the Pacific and found her
self facing unlimited opportunities
in the Orient.
Finally, climate largely affected
the growth Of the two American
land giants. If Brazil were Topped
over, with the Equator as a pivot,
so that its present southern edge
became it's northern border, the
latter would barely reach southern
Georgia. This picture emphasizes
for North Americans the FREEDOM
inantly torrid character of Brazil,
, as most of the country lies in lat.
itudes comparable to Mexico, the
West Indies and the northern part
Of South America.
immigration was affected by eli
mate. Europeans wanted to &c
where the weather would be about
the same as at home. In the cen.
fury Of greatest immigration. 49,
600, 900 people settled in the Unit.
, ed States, 100000 in Brazil. The
newcomers in Brazil, largely Ger.
man and Italian, did not assirni.
late as they did in North America,
but created still unsettled prob.
lem by retaining the customs, Ian.
guage and antagonisms of the old
country.
Brazil's political structure is like
that of the United States; in fact,
its full name is the United States
of Brazil. Twenty states, eight ter
ritories and two federal districts
, make up the country. It's strong
central government is situated in
Rio de Janeiro, a city near the
two million mark.
A state of war against Germany
and Italy was recognized by Brazil
after a Nazi submarine wantonly
sunk a coastal vessel on August
%, 1912, killing 600 persons. Though
land actions have been relatively
! far away, the war has been cruel
to Brazilians. Its large non-self.
sufficient population areas have
suffered severe shortages because
i of transportation difficulties. Lack
of fuel, Brazil's great peacetime
, problem, has not only kept war
plants on day to day basis, but
also in some instances has curbed
train traffic by rs per cent. Prac-
ticare no private automobiles have
operated since July, 1943. Official
and Army cars run on a mixture
largely Of alcohol made from cane
sugar.
During the height OF submarine
operations Brazil was cut in two.
The Rio-Sao Paulo areas only con-
nection with the vitality important
Recife-Natal bulge was by sea.
Lack Of petroleum made wholesale
air traffic difficult. In normal
times the airplane was often inte-
rior Brazips only link with the pop
ulous coast.
Brazirs leaders have indicated
that they look to postwar days
when the country can import ma
chinery from the United States to
set UP plants on a large scale for
processing raw materials at home
instead of sending them to foreign
countries for manufacture. Erszirs
war role, however, has oeen to
supply in ever-increasing amounts
her rich resources so BADLY need
ed by the Allies-rubber, coffee.
beef, quartz, copper, iron. indus
trial diamonds, mica, bery1lium,
manganese, tungsten, bauxite,
timber, cotton, vegetable oils and
many others.