Show Vespucci Was Says German Geographer pher By ARL H. H VON VaN WIEGAND Universal Service Staff BERLIN March 11 Amerigo H.-Amerigo Amerigo Vespucci was a a swindler He never saw Amer Amer- ica tea And AntI America was was named after a a. a I swindler That is the verdict of a writer In a late number of the German Geographical Geo Geo- graphical Magazine who bases his aCcusation accusation ac aC- aC- aC upon the contradictory and nebulous neb- neb I ulous statements made by Amerigo in his two chief works work and Mundus Novum In these Vespucci claims to have made four Journeys journeys- s to the shores of the new world but the fact that In none of his writings does he mention the name of 1 the ship nor of the captain together with the highly incredible assertions made therein led the present Investigator investigator investigator gator to examine a quantity of fifteenth century geographical l files by which he found that Vespucci's record as an ex explorer explorer explorer ex- ex w wOuld uld not bear scientific tiny Upon a ver very meager background b of facts he has projected a fantastic structure structure structure I ture of lies and gasconade which makes him a rival to the famous Baron Muen- Muen South America as seen through his hise e eyes es was a land Inhabited by cannibals who subsisted solely upon human flesh and lived to be years of age One man he met had already eaten oCI of oC his comrades In a certain city city for for de deits despite despite de- de I spite Its Us cannibalistic tendencies South I Iother America a apparently boasted of cities and other marKs marls of civilization he he saw shops before which h hung quantities of salted I human flesh just as herrings and sides of bacon a are displayed In n the windows I g r re sh of or a modern d delicatessen e shop Shocked by these sights and customs V Vespucci en endeavored not without success If we are to believe his story to convert convert convert con con- vert the natives from the error of their ways was Ills His lively imagination further led him to describe his Journey as having lasted sixty-four sixty days during which time he neither saw the sun by day nor the stars by night With a fin fine disregard r for dates he mentions a conversation between between be- be I I tween Pliny and Maecenas In the In Introduction Introduction introduction In- In o of his referring to the latter as I If iC he j had died shortly before Ills his Vespucci's birth It would be a pity to explode the bubble hubble hub bub I I ble of oC his lis fame after a lapse of more than years during which he has held an honored place in the the- annals of his native city of Florence and been placed I I side by side with her other illustrious sons such as Dante and Michael Angel An- An gelo gel In ibis tiis connection It is interesting to I remember that It was another German geographer by the name of Waldsee- Waldsee mueller who first used the term AmerIca America America Amer ica to designate the western continents wishing In this w wAy wy y to do honor to the I memory of the navigator and explorer Amerigo Vespucci |