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Show Friendly Neighbors to the South of US . South America, Led by Republic of Brazil, Now Closely United With U. S. After Rio Conference I ' V V"' T 1. ' V . i By CHARLES A. SINGLER (Released by Western Newspaper Union.) Consider briefly the great continent to the south of us, and see what bearing it may-have may-have upon Uncle Sam's all-out all-out victory effort. Time was, in the early days of the war, when South America Amer-ica was very much like Benito Mussolini. Remember that stocky orator, poised on the fence of power politics, eagerly eager-ly watching each move in the great struggle to see which way the balance of power was shifting. And then, satisfied that he had made the right decision, jump into the fray with his Italian legions. South America's attitude was much on this order for a long time. If Germany were to win in Europe, South America stood ready to move in a totalitarian direction. If Germany Ger-many lost, she would be content with what Pan-Americanism might have to offer her. The United States was regarded as "the Colossus of the North" and viewed with both susnicion and con- nere are just a few of the Brazilian "Good Neighbor" anti-aircraft guns, and their crews. In addition to many more guns such as these, not only In Brazil but other South American nations, Brazil's good neighbor neigh-bor air-defense program calls for a largely Increased fleet of planes and pilots to fly them. This South American nation, working with the United States against the Axis, has received many "mass deliveries" of bombers bomb-ers from the U. S. the Hitler-Hirohito-Mussolini combination combi-nation of international brigands, for at that time Juan A. Rios, pro-democratic pro-democratic candidate for the presidency, presi-dency, was elected by a landslide vote. And while these two countries coun-tries have not gone all the way, the steps they have taken indicate a definite trend away from the Axis, which is reassuring to say the least. They have pledged to cut business relations with the Axis, to bar war materials from going to the enemies ene-mies of the democracies, and to combat totalitarian influences within with-in their borders. i Argentina's and Chile's failure to give full co-operation at the Rio conference, however, has not been without its price. That price is the cutting off of special economic military and na- i cern. The Latin-Americans resented resent-ed Uncle Sam; they distrusted him; they thought he was meddling. Shjrt organizations, cut to the measure of Adolf Hitler's military tailors who were cutting up Europe on a pattern of their own, were flourishing everywhere every-where throughout South America. Here was a picture that needed need-ed changing a pattern which could only spell trouble and plenty of It. Confronted with this picture, Uncle Sam evolved his "good neighbor policy" which already has gone a long way towards banishing distrust and bringing about that hemisphere hemi-sphere solidarity so urgently needed to present a solid front against the Axis powers. No attempt will be made in this limited space to cover all the potentials po-tentials in natural resources, or in men, munitions and ships, which South America represents to the United Nations. And it is well that we bear in mind that we are bound to South America by much more than a thin neck of land through which the Panama canal has cut its way. Spirit of Freedom Kin. We are bound to South America by cultural, traditional and economic econom-ic ties. We are kin to it by the spirit of freedom. For the very same love of freedom which caused the Pilgrim Fathers to break away from Europe's feudal ties caused Brazil to break away from Portugal Portu-gal Rio de Janeiro, with its magnificent mag-nificent backdrop of 365 mountain peaks a mountain peak for every day in the year was founded 55 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. The conference in Rio de Janeiro was charged with significance, and the outcome of that conference, the United States proper. Into these great spaces of mountain and valley val-ley Jungle and plain the whole of Europe omitting Russia could easily be enclosed. While Brazil with its 43,000,000 inhabitants in-habitants and boundless natural resources re-sources represents a vast potential of power, it also represents a military mili-tary liability because of that dangerous dan-gerous land-bulge towards Vichy-controlled Vichy-controlled Dakar, on the bulge of Africa. It will be recalled that the British and Free French forces battled bat-tled to wrest Dakar from Vichy early ear-ly in the war, but found the job too big and too costly. Dakar is 1,600 air miles from Natal Brazil. World War I Ally. America has not forgotten that in World War I Brazil went to battle on the side of the Allies. With its big coastline and its big reserve of vital war materials, such as rubber rub-ber and manganese, and its leadership leader-ship in the Pan-American movement against the Axis, it is quite natural that Brazil should come in for the most aid from the United States. Brazil has an army of 100,000 men, the largest army in South America, and most of these men under arms are in the zone where her coastline bulges to within attacking range of the base of Dakar, Africa. The republic re-public has about 300,000 reserves, re-serves, and an untrained manpower man-power of 1,000,000. Brazil not only controls the shortest invasion inva-sion route across the ocean, but guards the southern shores of the Caribbean gateway. In northern Brazil air defense drills are held almost every day. The wild and uninhabited coastline offers many an ideal site for enemy en-emy submarine refueling operations, opera-tions, within but a few hours' flying time from the Panama while it was not a total success, was so full of good import that every citizen' of the United States can take heart from the results achieved. After the conference in Rio, in which Under Secretary Sumner Welles and Foreign Minister Oswal-do Oswal-do Aranha of Brazil, former ambassador ambas-sador to Washington, were the principal prin-cipal figures, Brazil moved into top position among the ten South American Amer-ican republics a position which Argentina Ar-gentina had enjoyed over a long period pe-riod of years, and the Western hemisphere hemi-sphere began to turn hopeful eyes to the great republic of Brazil for new leadership in the solidifying of South America against the wiles and tricks of Axis propagandists. At least three countries which had been satellites of Argentina Paraguay, Para-guay, Bolivia and Uruguay-switched Uruguay-switched allegiances, and began looking hopefully to Brazil for guidance. guid-ance. As for Chile, she demonstrated at her last election how she felt about At Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sumner Welles, under secretary of state and head of the U. S. delegation to the Rio conference of American republics, repub-lics, is pictured with a Brazilian naval man during a visit to the navy yard at Rio. A Brazilian wardship war-dship Is pictured In the background. val aid under lend-lease, the theory being that the countries that have either severed relations or declared war have exposed themselves to Axis attack and possible invasion. Lend-lease commitments will, therefore, there-fore, preferentially be extended to those nations which have already made the breach. Chile, however, because of her long coastline and her small navy, will get modified treatment in regard to military and naval supplies. The smallest of the South American Ameri-can republics is Uruguay, with 72,-153 72,-153 square miles. Brazil, the largest, larg-est, has 3,285,319 square miles within with-in its borders, an area larger than canal. In realization of this threat, air forces patrol the coastline. Brazil has two battleships, seven destroyers, two cruisers, and four submarines. Its air force consists of a sizeable armada of U. S. -built planes. Happily for all concerned, it is rapidly expanding its army, navy and air force. Happily, also, is the fact that Getulio Vargas, president pres-ident of Brazil, is a great aviation enthusiast, who has a plane and a pilot of his own, and who knows what it's all about Another item on the happy side of the ledger: Brazil has a sizeable merchant fleet, the second largest in the hemisphere. hemi-sphere. Warplanes and munitions are being be-ing made in Brazil's factories on a large scale; iron is being mined from the hills and rubber is being tapped from her rubber trees. America's desperate rubber situation situa-tion may find at least a partial answer an-swer in Brazil. Importance of Colombia. Among other vital raw materials which come from Brazil are bauxite, baux-ite, which is vital to the manufacture manufac-ture of war planes; quartz, graphite graph-ite and mica, also castor oil which is used in the lubrication of highspeed high-speed engines. Colombia's position on the map makes her full co-operation with the U. S. a matter of vital Importance. Colombia was among the first ol the Latin-American nations to declare de-clare war on the Axis. She has some 15,000 men under arms, and more than 250,000 trained reserves guarding areas close to the Panama canal Colombia's principal exports are coffee, oil and gold. Bolivia, shivering on her cold and barren mountain plateau, is more important in our war effort than most of us imagine. Since the fall of Malaya into the hostile hands of the Japs, the tin center of the world, at least tor the U. S., has become Bolivia. Tin furnishes 70 per cent ol her exports. Venezuela's vast oil fields are ol strategic importance in the all-out war effort of the United Nations. The great bulk of this crude oil is refined at the huge plants on the Dutch islands of Curacao and Aruba. |