| Show brazil ID razi 1 to link ports with inland cit cities 1 es by rail RIO DE JANEIRO BRAZIL Is south america defenseless against an invasion threat military experts of the U S are operating cooperating co with all latin countries in a speedy survey of just what defenses this great continent could muster against bel belligerent aig attack nearly the whole ot of south america is east of new york bringing it well within the danger zone of the european conflict defense surveys indicate that the combined armies of south america would be under men to defend the scattered citizens of this whole continent together these nations ha have hae e about 1200 planes and a joint navy of about ships to defend a coastline on two oceans that is thousands of miles long brazil is said to be by tar far the best equipped in defenses but brazil is mammoth in size 47 per cent of south america and most vulnerable to attack if En glands fleet were destroyed and gibraltar taken the U S fleet would be stretched along the entire atlantic and pacific seacoasts of two continents in defense of the western hemisphere A strong block of well defended american nations would be needed chief problem for the defense of south america is its tremendous size size and the great distances over which supplies and troops must be moved it is admitted that whole sections of this continent might crumble defenseless before any strong concentration of enemy forces there is a very real possibility of splitting up south americas nations which are in general isolated from each other by lack of roads and railroads as well as danger of isolating whole areas within the larger countries by enemy forces working from within improve transportation brazils president getulio vargas who has already accomplished much in in his program tor for modernizing g and industrializing brazil has now tu turned arned his attention to the pr problem eblem of transportation and the necessity tor for spanning brazil with railways and roads for defense more than airports have been built tor for brazils air defense travel and communication to meet this emergency president vargas last year nationalized railroads in brazil bringing 15 11 different systems under union co control ditrol he just recently created the national nati national department of railways which will launch an extensive rail expansion program with U S financial aid more than kilometers of tracks have already been laid modern bridges span mountains and rivers and many tunnels open ways through mountains A nationwide nation wide highway building program now under way is planned to link brazil with all nations touching her borders many of these new developments will link brazil by land air and water with her neighbor nations greatly strengthening pan american defense the brazil bolivia railway railia y now being built will bring in much needed bolivian oil supplies while giving to bolivia an outlet to atlantic seaports crossing the heart of south america a transcontinental railway from santos brazil to arica chile will open vast productive areas for exploitation reconstruction ot of the rail line from argentine to chile destroyed by floods in the andes is 1 4 to be undertaken r principal problem in connecting south american railways is presented by the rocky coastal ranges which follow each seacoast cutting off port cities from rich interior resources resource s this brought about building of isolated short railways to port cities only and now today latin countries face the huge expense of building many interconnecting inter connecting lines to connect port cities as well as to connect isolated inland cities to each other impressive purchases of new railway equipment from the U S include 26 locomotives and nearly cars now being delivered highways and good roads are part of brazils defense program the highway bringing brazil in in touch with paraguay and the network of roads from 7 to miles long in rio grande of the south win will link brazil to argentina and uruguay uruguay auto excursions now may only travel in good weather but increasing auto tourist travel and the mile auto races from B A to peru and back again last year has encouraged building of better roads U S defense units are rushing completion of roads in panama around the canal region and latin nations along the west coast are building roads too although jungles swamps and mountains bar the way some day the great pan american highway will complete its mile route a new all american lifeline it will cost to build but it will open a vital route for military supplies and one that will attract thousands of tourists int in time of peace i jn in air travel most significant new development is the extension of pan air lines into interior cities of brazil in competition with the german condor lines seven air routes across brazil more than airports more than the U S has are a vital factor in brazils defense |
