BRAZIL

Hokitika Guardian, 30 October 1930, Page 7

BRAZIL

HOME OF REVOLUTIONS

(By J. D. LEC'KIE, in Auckland “Star.”)

According to the latest news from Rriyril, that country is in the throes of another revolution, and it is feared that a bitter war is threatening. Local airmen have bombed the city of Bello Hori zonte, one of their aeroplanes being shot down. Bello Horizonte is the capital of Alinas Gcraes, one of the richest and most p.osperous States of Brazil, winch has a population of over 6,000,000. Like Canberra, it is a city built to order, and to-day may have a population of over 100,000.

Brazil, like Ch.na, is a country which seems to thrive better under a monarchical than a republican form of government. During the reign of Don Pedro 11. it was peaceful and prosperous. With an area exceeding that of the United States, and a population of over 40,030,000, it is by far the largest and most populous country iu the Southern Hemisphere, tittd of great potential and actual Wealth, When I first entered the harbour of Rio Janeiro, more than thirty years ago, it was just after the revolt of the fleet under Admiral Aiello, which was unsuccessful. He had, however, bombarded the forts, and would have treated the city of Rio in the same way if it had not been for the intervention of the foreign warships in the harbour. Baffled in his attempts, Mello withdrew his squadron sailed to Montevideo, and there surrendered to Uruguayan Government. nil the massive stone folds at the entrance to the harbour bore traces at the time of my visit of the recent bombardment, and one of them GUegaignon), situated on an island in the harbour, was reduced to a heap of ruins. DREADNOUGHTS IN ACTION. Nearly twenty years later there was another revolt of the Brazilian fleet, with more trag.'c consequences. The sail ors, discontented wth their pay and treatment, mutinied, killed their officers and appointed as their commander a negro sailor named Candido. But this time the foreign warships did not interfere. For the flagship of the rebel admiral, the Alinas Geraes, was reckoned at that time the most powerful warship afloat, and could have blown, any one of them out of the water; while another of his dreadnoughts, the San Paulo, was almost as (formidable. Both these ships had only recently been built in British yards, and the mutiny broke„out shortly after their arrival ill Brazil. Candidi drew up his ships in battle array, was saluted as admiral of the fleet and proceeded to bombard the forts, though he spared the city of Rio. British naval officers who witnessed the operation declared that the ships and guns were admirably handled, though

not an officer was on hoard at the time. The shore batteries disdained to return the fire, the Brazilian Government be-

ing anxious to spare its own property. Candido also sent a wireless message to the President offering to treat with the Government, but his overtures were ignored, though an agent was afterwards sent to treat in an inofficial manner with the rebels. The result was a shameful backdown by the Government which practically conceded the demands of the mutineers. 13.'fore condemning the Government, however, it must be remembered that the rebels had the city of Rio at their mercy, and, after all, a precedent was set by the British Government in 1797, when it conceded the demands made by the mutineers at the Nore, though some of the ringleaders were afterwards hanged. This backdown on the part of the Government was followed By the wholesale resignation of the remaining officers o'f the Brazilian navy. But Candido and his comrades did not escape. Although nominally pardoned, they were arrested afterwards on a trumped-up charge and imprisoned. What happened afterwards is not well known. According to some reports, they were done to death in prison, but their subsequent .fate is still to a great extent a mystery.

At the time mentioned, when I first entered Rio harbour, though the revolt under Mello had been suppressed another revolution Was in progress in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost and most turbulent State in Brazil. This however, did not affect the rest of the country, except in so far,as it injured the credit of the Brazilian Government in Europe. The Federal Government did little or nothing to suppress this revolution, which, like so many others in Brazil, was purely a local affair, aimed at the State Government. The position was .somewhat similar to that in Ireland when the British Government did not interfere:'-,in the civil war waged between the Free State and the Republicans; for Rio Grande do Sul enjoys a large measure of autonomy. PRIDE AND AMBITION. No one who has lived among the Brazilians can help liking them especially the upper white class,., '.who are intelligent, well educated, .courteous and hospitable. Although Portuguese is the language of the country, nearly all the educated class speak French fluently, and many English as well. Personally, I have the most pleasant,recollections of the country and of the beautiful city of Rio, where I lived for about three years. Rio claims to be .the first city in South Amenta, and income respects it is, for although not.'quite so large as Bueonos Ayres, which, has now a rapidly increasing population;' of over 2,000,000, it is a much more-beautiful city. There is also an air of culture and refinement about the Brazilian eftpi tal which is not So noticeable in its Southern rival. It is the difference which distinguishes Paris from London, or Philadelphia from New York. The Brazilians are a proud and ambitious people, and already aspire to the position of the great Power, to which they claim they are entitled as their population now equals that of France or

Italy. It is a megalomania which has had serious consequences. One of them was to possess the most powerful warship afloat. This desire was fulfilled, with tlie tragic results related above. Not content, Brazil ordered in England a still more powerful warship, named the Rio de Janeiro, but while still on the stocks she was sold to Turkey. Then the Great War broke out, and she and another dreadnought building for Turkey, were commandeered by the British Government. The result was tragical. Turkey resented the seizure, and the opportunity was seized by our enemies. Two powerful German warships, the Goeben and Breslau, were then sheltering in the Bosphorus. The German Government offered these to Turkey as a bribe to obtain her support. The offer was successful. Turkey hitherto wavering, now entered the war as a German ally, a result which skilful diplomacy might have avoided. Thus one indirect result of Brazil’s megalomania was the Gallipoli campaign, so costly to us in blood and treasure.