The Press. TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1903. GERMANY IN SOUTH AMERICA.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11534, 17 March 1903, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1903. GERMANY IN SOUTH AMERICA.

According to Tecently publiehed Blue j Booke, Germany took some paina last year to assure the United States that she had absolutely no designs upon South America. A few days ago •Wβ were told of German perturbation at the prospect of a landgrant railway being built through the province of Santa Catharina in Brazil. The echeme, it was said, blighted the hope of a great German settlement in Brazil. These two statements hardly square with each other, and Germany's whole attitude oTer the Venezuelan business, coupled with certain undeniable facts as to the growth of the German colonies in Southern Brazil, justified America's suspicion as to German intentions in that part of the world. Recent events have not tended to allay those suspicions. The German Minister to Brazil has been visiting the German colonies there and delivering highly patriotic epeechea, and the merchants of the Hansa cities, to whose initiative the foundation of these colonies was largely due. have secured possession of the vessels of the Brazilian Lloyd. If theee events, with the presence of a German squadron in the Caribbean Sea, give America cause for thought, they are not without their effect on Brazil itself. One of her public men lately drew attention to the slow but sure denationalisation of the Southern Statee, and to the fact that the Germans everywhere cling to their nationality and language, and even when born in Brazil " eon* "eider Germany as their Fatherland, and "celebrate all the German national festivals and anniversaries." For fifty year* German* have been emigrating to Brazil, in great pan by the Brazilian Government, which is now becoming alarmed at their increasing importance in the State. Accofrding to Mr Stephen Bonsai, in the "North American Review," the natural increase in the population of these German colonies is 'something almost fabulous. ,, Blutnenan, one of the original and most prosperous settlements, more than doubles ! itself every ten years, and now contains : some 45,000 people. From this place and I others, all of them little bite of Germany transplanted to Brazil, set out exploring I expeditions, such as in other climes have ! proved advance guards of the German flag. i Theee are understood to be of a mixeu \ scientific and commercial character, but little is made public by their leaders' reports. Other German travellers are less cautious. One .who lately published a book about the province of Santa Catharina is extremely outspoken. "Nowhere are our " colonies," he ■■vrritee, "so flourishing as I " here. To-day, in, these provinces, over "thirty p«r c«at. of theißimbite&tvwe Gta>

"mans or ofQermmidescent,and the ratio "of their increase fur exceeds that of the " Portuguese. Surely to us belongs the> future •' of this part of the world, and the. key to "it all is Santa Catharina." Another of these travellers hue declared that "the German "spirit in iueradicably grounded in the " hearts of these colonists, and it will un- " doubtedly bear fruit, perhaps a rich har"vest, which will not only prove a bless- " ing to the colonies, but to the Father"land." In view of these expressions of opinion the United States naturally accepts with some reserve German protestations of agreement with the Monroe doctrine.