FORMER DIPLOMAT

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 85, 11 April 1938, Page 9

FORMER DIPLOMAT

GERMAN AMBASSADOR

IMPRESSIONS OF BRAZIL. FUTURE ZEPPELIN SERVICE. Overcoming the problems of trade by barter. Germany has in the past two or three years developed a two-way commerce with South America, which now amounts to £30.000.000 annually. This fact was mentioned by Pr. A. Schmidt-Elskop. former ambassador for Germany in Brazil, who arrived at Auckland this morning on the luxury liner Reliance. He retired last August, after five years as ambassador to Brazil ajid 32 years in the German diplomatic service.

. For the products of cotton, rubber, coffee, skins, timber and meat, which Brazil produced, he said. Germany exchanged mainly machinery, chemicals and electrical equipment. Trade with a number of other .South American countries was carried on under the same system of buying and selling without the intervention of money.

Having made a good recovery from the economic troubles of some years ago. Brazil was to-day prosperous, he added, and as a result of the granting of extra powers last year to President G. Vargas had a stable and efficient Government. The President had been established in office for a further six Years.

There were 1,000.000 people of Ger-J man origin in Brazil's population of 47,000.000, said Dr. Schmidt-Elskop, and also 100.000 German nationals. In the Argentine there were ort.OOO German citizens and in Chile 40.000. Brazil was now within three days of Germany by transatlantic air route, and transcontinental air services were rapidly [ developing.

Although the ocean air route had been pioneered hjr Zeppelin, Dr. Schmidt-I Elskop was unable to s<iy whether! Zeppelins would again operate to Brazil. There was a possibility that the new service to l»e commenced this year would be limited to the North Atlantic and that there would l>e no competition with the existing airlines.

When a poll on the question of AustroGerman unity was held on board the Reliance yesterday while at sea. Dr. Schmidt-Elskop was among those who recorded their votes, and lie mentioned that there were only five dissentients in a total of 305 votes cost. The majority of the voters were members of the crew, but tliere \rere over 60 German passengers.