tion epidemic having spread to Brazil, events appear to have! moved with a bewildering rapidity. The outbreak was first reported on October 4 but it seemed that the Federal Government. had the situation in hand. The sudden turn, transforming the whole position, came with the revolt of General de Castro the Military Commandant of the fortresses of the Capital. The belief that the revolutionary movement was mainly confined to the northern provinees could no longer remain valid. The imprisoned President, Dr. Washington Luiz, bowed to the inevitable and the provisional Government assumed office. In the mormal course Dr. Luiz' term of office would have been completed on November 15 next when the president-elect Dr. Julio Prestes de Albuquerque, who has discreetly escaped by air, would have assumed charge. 'The trouble appears however to have originated with Dr. Prestes' election which was confirmed on May 23 by the Brazilian Congress by 192 votes to 18, strong protests coming from the representatives of the State of Minas!
Geraes, which, it will be noted, has played a leading part in the' revolt. The feeling that the! president-elect was a creature of the outgoing President was! strongly expressed. It developed into a concerted move by the opposition parties who professed their intention to get rid of the clique which they alleged had dominated Brazil for 40 years and to establish what, the words of the first official announcement of the new government, is described as "the union of the Brazilians." This hostility to Dr. Prestes was maloly inspired by the belief that his election had been facilitated by Dr. Washington's Luiz' manipulation of the election machinery. His absence from the country in July, when he. paid an official visit to the British Government, may have' prevented his supporters from sufficiently meeting this impression. However he appears for the moment to have abandon. ed his ambitions and the fortunes of the new government claim prior attention.
The movement which started, therefore, primarily with the object of preventing the inauduration of Dr. Julio Prestes has now reached the more elaborate status of a revolution.
The provisional government, have not yet given definite proof of being firmly in the saddle for the messages hint of undetermined ries for the lief power. They have hi ever taken the prudent step of, accepting responsibility for the: liabilities of their predecessors in respect of foreign obligations and there seem to have been successful efforts made to prevent the extension of disorder. It is significant that among the wrtieipants in the outbreak its earliest stages were the officers of the battleship Sao Paulo who mutinied five years ago and bombarded Rio de Janeiro. After that exploit they repaired with their vessel to Montevideo where, under the protection of the Uruguayan Government they remained, in spite of the. protests of the: Brazilian authorities. It is plain that this important addition to the ranks of the insurgents had a valuable moral effect. Other early successes of the rebels included the capture of large masses of Federal troops with their staffs at! Porto Alegre and Santa Ana do Livramento.
That the new Government will be severely tested cannot be doubted. There will be much difficulty over the extraordinary incident of the shelling of the German liner "Baden." Details of the affairs are still lacking in completeness but it is evident that the explanations of the successful revolutionaries will be less effective than the dication that prompt reparation will be made for a tragedy which has greatly incensed German opinion. Then too the very important question of the attitude of the United States America will give the neweomers considerable anxiety. The statements telegraphed—from Washington suggest that the failure of the old Government maintain its position has greatly surprised well-informed diplomats. Colonel Stimson has issued a proper but guarded announcement regarding recognition of the new regime. It may be assumed that Washing. ton will require very firm proof of the stability- of those who now profess to rule at Rio de Janeiro before it definitely applies the principle to which Colonel Stimson refers. It may be noted that, according to the figures given' to the Brazilian Congress in May last the countly's finances are in a sound condition. The budget showed surplus of something like: -£9,000,0000. No doubt the economic' depression of the world has not gone without reaction in Brazil and exchange movements have during the past] few weeks indicated some weakness. It would however be more appropriate to attribute the upheaval to a purely political malaise, helped perhaps by the unrest in neighbouring countries for the Argentine revolution came about in spite of the general comparative prosperity of the country. It is to be hoped that before long the situation will be stabilized for Brazil's trade relations with Europe, ax well as with the Northern part of the continent are of great importance and, at this time, the world's commerce needs to be spared all possible extension of disturbing factors, already. sufficiently baneful other in places.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.