THE MIGHT HAVE BEEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 3 May 1932, Page 5

THE MIGHT HAVE BEEN

PROBABILITIES OF HISTORY MUNICH, 22nd April. : New York might have been a Bavarian town had the British not occupied New Amsterdam at the decisive moment and forcibly made the Dutch settlement an English colony, ancient documents incidentally discovered in the Munich archives disclose. In 1664, the documents show, negotiations 'wore un " der way between the Bavarian Elector, Ferdinand Maria, and a group of Dutch diplomats for the sale of Manhattan Island and the surrounding territory, which tho Dutch bad possessed since 1626. The British move upset their A 'scheme of Dr. Johann Becher, Bavaria’s financial adviser, > provided for tlie acquisition of colonies ancl the creation of. a Bavarian navy. His efforts were warmly advocated by the Elector Ferdinand Maria. Bavaria s search for colonics was born out of the 30 years’ war which bad ravaged the ’country and exhausted the Treasury. After Manhattan had been lost to it, Bavaria turned to South America. A trip to Guiana convinced Dr. Bechet ot the advantages of'that continent. In a report to Munich lie described its wealth and climate glowingly. According to the documents, the Dutch were quite willing to sell part ol their possession to Bavaria, but the colonial scheme passed into oblivion lor some undivulgcd reasons. The reports rested in the archives almost 300 years. A general bouse cleaning brought them to light again.