BRAZIL'S POSITION AS AN ARMED POWER By Huo Lono re Drazit In New York sinep June, 1620, Mr, a bonition a0 ap 0 the. Preskioncy. ry of the Rrazilan Delegation to tho Vorsalltes erat ath ot" Bracht Ga cr Conferesice. delegate to the Fifth Pan-Ammarican Conterstee ‘tel Consul General in Leadon Weakness of Brazil's national defenses from the standpoint of territory and population—Relations with Argentina and Chile— Proposals to pave the way toward disarmament rejected by other Latin-American nations—Brazil’s genuine aspirations for peace N diseussing the subject of armaments I in South America, some of the organs of the American press havo com. mented on the alleged “militarism” of Brazil, Brazil, according to these uttor- ances, is first, arming heyond the require- ments of her natural defense; second, she prevented at Santiago, on the occasion of the Fifth International Conference of American States, the tation of arma: ments. ‘These charges are serious onough to justify consideratior Not every one has Brazil's geographical situation clearly in mind, Brazil possesses approximately half the area and. popula- tion of the South American Continent. Her territory extends from 5.10 degrees noxth latitade to 3846 degrees south latitude, and the Tength of hor coasts along the At. Tnatie is greater than the distance between New York and Liverpool. Her inland fron- tier touches every republic of South Amer ica save Chile, 28 well as the three colonial possessions held by France, Great Britain and Holland under the name of the Guiavias, Such is the territorial extent of ‘his immense country that one of her small. while the largest of them is three times as. lvge as France." Though Brazil covers io large a part of the southern continent, she us never been able to mcet the most ele- mentary requirements for her defense, States is about the size of Belgium, Br Eighteen of hot twenty-one States are Iit-» toral, and in te event of foreign atiack or internal revolution defense would be diff- cult owing to their isolation. There are few railways or highways, and almost the ‘only means of cominunieation has been by coastivise navigation, which requires no Tess then ten to fifteen days from south to north. Ifthe territory of Brazil were super. imposed on that of the United States there would still bo room for a State larger than Texas, Nevertheless, the railway system of Brasil is barely equal to that of this Amer- ican State, Furthermore, it is concentrated’ in the southem part, As compared with the 250,000 miles of railway in the United States, we have in Brazil but 19,000. ‘Thin shows that the fundamental problem of Brazil, eapecially in respect of military af. fairs, is the extension of her railways. Until this is accomplished (and not lees than half @ century vill be necessary for the task) she will have to give attention to her lend and naval forces, and especially {0 the latter, which will conaiitite the mo- bile dofonse of the littoral, Only a comparatively short timo ago i}, urged on by sirong national sent tient, ‘accomplished what had long been ired—-the establishmeint of two parallel isions, one for the army and another for the navy. The first eartied on its work under the direction of General Gamnclin, a ” ‘Copyright (¢) 2000 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company ‘Copyright () Current History, Inc.