August 22, 1942 – Special Program – Brazil Declares War – NBC – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
On this day, Brazil made the decision to declare war on the Axis. President Vargas addressed the nation via radio while addressing the assembled crowd from the balcony of one of Rio de Janeiro’s evening newspapers.
The declaration was made after a week of rising agitation which followed tlie sinking by nazi submarines oE six Brazilian ships with the loss of possibly 600 lives. Urazil was the first nation south of Panama to declare war on the axis and her action was expected to have repercussions in the attitude of other South American nations. It was believed that Chile, which excepting Argentina, was the only nation in South America continuing diplomatic relations with the axis, may sever relations.
Observers expected Saturday that the Brazilian decision to go to war with the axis as a result indiscriminate submarine attacks on Brazilian merchant would be followed within 24 hours by a similar declaration war by Uruguay. Brazilian Ambassador Bapista Luzardo reported to Foreign Minister Alberto Guani that his country considered that a state belligerency existed with the axis countries as from Saturday. The information was imparted a brief talk at Luzardo’s residence prior to a luncheon.
President Roosevelt cabled his reaction to President Vargas:
August 22, 1942:
I have been informed that the United States of Brazil has today recognized that a state of war exists between Brazil, on one hand, and Germany and Italy on the other hand.
On behalf of the Government and people of the United States I express to Your Excellency the profound emotion with which this courageous action has been received in this country. This solemn decision more firmly aligns the people of Brazil with the free peoples of the world in a relentless struggle against the lawless and predatory Axis powers. It adds power and strength, moral and material, to the armies of liberty. As brothers in arms, our soldiers and sailors will write a new page in the history of friendship, confidence, and cooperation which has marked since the earliest days of independence relations between your country and mine.
The action taken today by your Government has hastened the coming of the inevitable victory of freedom over oppression, of Christian religion over the forces of evil and darkness.
I send you my warmest personal regards and expressions of the fullest confidence in the success of our common cause.
And that’s what was going on, this August 22, 1942 as reported by NBC via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
