Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-12
Letters to The Star
Sees the Future of Brazil Bright
With Rich Fulfillment

TO the Editor Of The Star:
At recent Government hearing, ac-
cording to news item, the statement
was made that contemplating ma
chinery could not be used in Brazil be-
cause the country was too billy" This
Is news to the writer who lived and
worked in Brazil for over rs years. The
fact is that Brazil has no real mountain
ranges; the highest peak is Itatiaya
and that sticks up like sore thumb,
5000 meters high. In sailing along the
coast from Pernambuco to Santa Cata-
rina we see what appear to be noun
tains but they are merely an escarp-
ment. The land beyond is fairly level
and slopes gradually westward to the
Paraguay valley. How rapidly the land
rises TO what is called the 'planato
alto" may be realized when we call at
tention to the fact that the city Of
Sac Paulo, only about IS miles inland
Is over 1000 feet above sea level, but
there are no mountains or even hills
of consequence in the whole state. AS
far as cotton is concerned previous
Ceara and Pernambuco in the north
east and far from Sac Paulo. However,
with the advent Of the AAA, the state
of Sac Paulo Immediately began to
plant cotton and in three years the
cotton exports of Brazil were second in
Importance only to coffee. Many mill
men claimed that this cotton was the
equal, If not superior to any in the
world. What is more important is
that most of 1t was sold to Europe,
largely to Germany, for the equivalent
of S cents a pound, which we believe
was about one half the price of United
States cotton. Also, during the war,
the number of mills in Sac Paulo in
creased by some 600-odd.
The fact is that anything in the
agricultural line may be produced in
Brazil. Due to the topography large
stretches may be found with any de-
sired climatic conditions from tropical
to mildly temperate. Brazil has prac-
tically no desert, and except in Ceara,
no serious droughts. Even in the much
maligned AmaZonia, climatic conditions
are superior to those in the Mississippi
Valley and the heat is not nearly as
enervating nor oppressive as that in
any Of our cities during our summers.
AS far as cotton, or any other agricul-
tural crop, is concerned, it can and
will be produced in Brazil, If the plant
ers find it profitable and they will also
use any kind of machinery it. by its
use, they can make money.
Brazil is becoming industrialized at
very rapid rate and many foreign
concerns are investing capital there in
such things as rayon, cement, leather,
chemicals, steel, paints and oils, cleo
trical goods. machine assembling, etc.
Labor is energetic and intelligent. In
dollars its pay is low, but conditions
are such that it can live well with much
less fixed annual outgo than in climates
where buildings must be heated and
cooled by artificial means. The de-
velopment and operation Of hydro
electric power can be done much more
cheaply than in countries that have
extreme cold and heat to combat and
the maintenance costs of all sorts of
residential and industrial property is
far below that in this country. All
this should give our labor agitators
something to think about, because when
Brazil has its capital plant fully de-
veloped it is going to be an important
factor in world supply. Due only to its
natural advantages, it will be able to
undersell many other producers.
CHARLES JAY SEIBERT.