BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE OUT

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 280, 25 August 1942, Page 5

BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE OUT

Hunt For U-Boats ROUND-UP OF AXIS SUSPECTS .

(Bv Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.)

LONDON, August 24.

In all the big towns in Brazil Axis suspects are being rounded up. A secret German airfield has been discovered GOO miles from Rio de Janeiro. A radio transmitter was seized and the operators taken to the capital. The Brazilian Air Force is out hunting for U-boats day and night. Three U-boats were seen off the coast. Uruguayan planes are reported to be taking part in the search. The President of Uruguay, General Boldomir, has sent, a message to the President of Brazil, Dr. Vargas, expressing Uruguayan solidarity with Brazil.

FERVENT SCENES “Give Us Guns!” Crowds Call (Received August. 24, 9 p.m.) NEW YORK, August 23. Sweeping searchlights over the harbour, shrieking police cars, the rounding up of Axis nationals, patriotic crowds chanting, “Give us guns; death to Germany,” witness Brazil’s entry Into the war, says the Rio de Janeiro correspondent of the Associated Press. Hundreds of Axis nationals have tried to escape to Uruguay. However, the Uruguayan Government, which has granted Brazil non-belligerent treatment and hinted that “further steps will probably be taken,” ordered the authorities to detain Axis refugees and to extradite them to Brazil. The Montevideo correspondent of the "New York Times” says that Uruguay has granted Brazil all rights of nonbelligerency, thus enabling Brazilian warships and planes to use Uruguayan facilities as in peacetime. Officials

emphasized that this is only the first of several steps Uruguay intends taking to give tangible expression of her solidarity with Brazil. As Brazil entered the war, pilots of the Brazilian Air Force arrived at Rio de Janeiro after a successful mass flight of 9000 miles from the United States with 44 new American planes. The flight consisted of 25 Fairchild primary trainers, and 19 cabin monoplanes 'which will replace the obsolete German Focke-Wulf trainers. After the introduction of the new trainers, Brazil will start the production of American craft in a Government factory. „ ~ Defence Problem.

The military authorities will concentrate on stiffening the defences of R r “ zl1 “ Atlantic bulge, which is only I<oo miles from Africa, and therefore the continent » most vulnerable point. They will aso pay close attention to the Vichy-ruled French Guiana, which lies athwart the communication line between Brazil and of young Brazilians are now awaiting their calling-up papers. Keeruiting offices open tomorrow and a big rush of volunteers is expected. A message from the sick bed of the Brazilian Ambassador in London, who recently underwent an operation, stated that Brazil’s traditional policy had always been one of peace, and the country was now at war with Germany aud Italy because to remain neutral in the: present circumstances was not to serve the cause ° f Broadcasts from Berlin, R” uie Tokio, commenting in exactly the same tenor on Brazil’s declaration of war against Germany and Italy, sought to blame the United States for it. The Axis broadcasts heard here minimized the provocation given Brazil by the action of submarines off the coast and ignored the outbursts of popular indignation in Rio de Janeiro. , ~, , . .. Berlin said Brazil had yielded to-the United States’ blackmailing requests by declaring war and added that since Brazil had already surrendered military facilities to the United States, the declaration of war was without military significance. Tokio asserted that Brazil had been influenced by dollar diplomacy.