The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1942. BRAZIL AGAINST THE AXIS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 199, 24 August 1942, Page 2

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 1942. BRAZIL AGAINST THE AXIS

"piIANKS to the crude brutality of Gorman U-boat commanders, the Initod Nations may now include Brazil in their number. But for the tr.rpfdoing of live coastal passenger ships, with consequent heavy loss of life, it is by no means certain that this rich South American State would have become belligerent. Her rulers might have been content. with declarations of solidarity with the United States, and not have taken the further step into actual belligerence. But the recklessness, or the calculated policy, of the Germans has effectually aided the efforts of American diplomacy, so that the sinking cf Brazilian ships has had crni. rr,nonces reminiscent of those which followed the sinking of the I.u. itania. The last of the consequences may not have been seen, for this decision of one of the major South American States will be influential with the others.

~ r ' lc . Positive advantages of Brazil's declaration of war against two £ Vhi 13 ,. owcr; ? a . re 'ess easy to enumerate than the negative ones, r t thn r i? e c .! t b ® gan ' evidence has been offered occasionally ot the operation in all South American countries, and in Brazil not i P nrt ki«« V e,man sub , ve, ; sivr G organisations. Brazil has German, Italian ' h JfPanese colonies which offered fertile ground for propaganda, nHin Ho t« a «ii goßp S l, particular, has been lavishly preached. The v- roil J'aa SUC J? move " l . ents of the Government under President Vargas was for a time ambiguous, but in 1938 he turned against both wfth th 2 rnu£i a s°f f m ' aM he u ai ? since pursued a course of friendship Si in ; Ncvmh l eloss the dan S er that Axis organisations Ko enterprises hampering to the case of the United willT™ T a If actions of the Axis submarine commanders mischief-makers mUCh casler for the Government to control

to hlwfn positive advantages of Brazil's belligerence are likely ''V 1 in , the economic sphere. In raw materials resources she is one of the richest countries in the world, and it may be expected that dc^vrUirlmpirt P wuf h war conditions, and the clamant needs of her allies, development will be rapid. It is unlikely that she will afford much military aid, although her naval vessels will be available to play a part In combating the Axis submarine campaign. But a great advantage in the view of the United Nations, will be derived from the mere fact that the policy of th s State is no longer doubtful, and that she may be included as a full partner in plans for the naval and military defence of South America. And, as neutrals are supposed to have the clearest view of the war, t is encouraging at this time that another of them has shown no hesitation, when provoked, in taking a decisive step acainst the Axis Her rulers would hardly have done so, or have been allowed to do so, had they thought the Axis was going to win.