THE MIGHT HAVE BEEN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17769, 3 May 1932, Page 5

THE MIGHT HAVE BEEN

PROBABILITIES OF HISTORY MUNICH, April 22. 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 disclpse. In 1664, the documents show, negotiations were under way between the Bavarian elector, Ferdinand Maria, and a group of Dutch diplomats for the sale of Manhattan Island and the surrounding territory, which the Dutch had possessed since 1626. The British move upset their plans. A scheme of Dr. Johann Beefier, Bavaria’s financial adviser, provided for tlie acquisition of colonies and. the creation of a Bavarian navy. His efforts were warmly advocated by the Electoi Ferdinand Maria. Bavaria’s search for colonies was born out of tho 30 years’ war which had ravaged the country and exhausted the Treasury. After Manhattan laid been lost to it, Bavaria turned to South America. A trip to Guiana convinced Dr. Becher of the advantages of that continent. In a report to Munich he described its wealth and climate glowingly. According to the documents, the Dutch were quite willing to sell part of their possession to Bavaria, but the colonial scheme passed into oblivion for some undivulged reasons. The reports rested in the archives almost 300. years. A general house cleaning brought them to light again. . _____________