supporting scientific institutions for information and research in Germany and in Latin-America.

The Institute issued in 1916 a circular letter headed 'An Appeal for participation in an effective increase of German influence in South and Central America,' which was printed in its 'Transactions' (November 1916). This letter runs as follows:

'Not the least important task which will confront Germany after the war is the provision of a more thorough and effective scheme of enlightening and influencing foreign opinion in the German interest. The war has made us realise as we never did before how much this has hitherto been neglected, being left, as it were, to particular groups and individuals, and not furthered by the nation as a whole, nor even by its leading elements. After much preliminary investigation and consultation, we have come to the conclusion that for the practical accomplishment of this task there must be, in the first place, a division of work into (i) the news-service for the foreign press, (ii) the safeguarding of German economic interests abroad, (iii) the cultivation of scientific and artistic relations with foreign countries on the lines of a general "cultural" policy. In the second place, it is necessary to make a geographical division, in order to do justice to the linguistic, political, and cultural peculiarities of each single sphere of activity abroad. The Institute, with the consent and support of the Imperial and the Prussian authorities. concerned, has undertaken the third task within the extremely important and culturally homogeneous sphere constituted by the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Southern and Central America. The direction of the news-service and the safeguarding of economic interests will be set apart for other institutions to deal with.'

The Institute's collection of information with regard to South America is carried out on an elaborate scale; and an attempt is being made to build up a bureau de renseignements, from which Germans may obtain information concerning South America, and South Americans information concerning Germany. Such a collection is made possible by the cooperation of various scientific bodies. Commercial information concerning South America is collected by the central office of the Hamburg Colonial Institute, medical information concerning both Germany and South America by the General Hospital

at Hamburg-Eppendorf, other scientific information concerning America by the Seminary for the Romance Languages and Civilisation (Seminar für Romanische Sprachen und Kultur) in Hamburg. Technical information regarding German and South American questions is collected by the bureau at Aachen. Inquiries may be made in Spanish, Portuguese or German, and are answered free of charge. The Institute, with the assistance of the Prussian Ministry of Education, which made it a grant in 1915, has founded at Aachen a SouthAmerican Library, which will be housed for public use in a building provided by that city.

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The Institute issues, besides El Mensajero de Ultramar' and 'O Transatlantico,' the monthly review, 'Mitteilungen des Deutsch-Südamerikanischen Institut.' It acts also as middleman for the distribution in Central and South America of the publications of kindred societies. For the Seminary for Romance Languages and Civilisation it circulates the monthly review, La Cultura Latino-Americana'; and for the German-Spanish Society of Hamburg, of which Dr Eddelbüttel is chairman, a pro-German history of the war in monthly numbers, La Guerra Europea, mirada por un SudAmericano. Crónica politico-militar'; the author of which is Lieut. J. G. Guerrero, Peruvian military attaché at Berlin. Like all other German propagandist societies, it issues the pictorial war-edition of the 'Hamburger Fremdenblatt,' and the weekly editions of the Hamburger Nachrichten.' It has, of course, agents in all the countries of Central and South America; and the resources and influence of the Deutsche Ueberseeische Bank and the Brazilianische Bank für Deutschland are everywhere at its disposal.

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Scarcely less important than the German SouthAmerican Institute is the Hamburg Iberian-American Society (Hamburgischer Ibero-Amerikanischer Verein, known in America as the Sociedad Ibero-Americana de Hamburgo), the President of which is Prof. B. Schädel, the vice-chairman of the Council of the German SouthAmerican Institute. Among its supporters are the shipping companies, Woermann and Kosmos, and the great newspaper combine, of which the best-known organ is the Hamburger Nachrichten.' An article from El

Heraldo de Hamburgo' by Dr Llorens, a South-American who is Lecturer on Spanish Life and Language at Hamburg, officially circulated, states that the object of the Society is to establish closer relations between Germany and the Latin-American countries, making the life and institutions of each country better known to the inhabitants of the other.' A circular letter written in Spanish, and issued broadcast, sets forth the advantages to be gained by membership of the Hamburg IberianAmerican Society. Information, free of charge, is supplied in Spanish and Portuguese on science, art, literature, and economics concerning Germany and the LatinAmerican countries; advice for those visiting Germany for the purposes of business, study, or pleasure, and accommodation at special rates in hotels in Germany, Spain, and Latin-America; and despatch gratis of the publications of the Society, and of El Heraldo de Hamburgo' and 'La Cultura Latino-Americana.'

The Society apparently desires to appeal as a kind of Young Men's Christian Association, with the religion left out. What it actually is may be gathered from the appeal issued by the Committee of the Society in German only. This document lets the cat out of the bag. No longer is the Society represented as a philanthropic organisation, which showers benefits upon its members in return for a nominal subscription; nothing is said about its pacific designs; nor is there any reprobation of 'national exclusiveness.' It is all very clever, only not quite clever enough; you are offered in the one document God, in the other Mammon; and it is obvious that both masters cannot be equally well served.

The appeal in German starts by saying that the war has shown the result of Germany's neglect of the Spanishand Portuguese-speaking peoples, and complains that England and France, by their organisation, their ruthless Press control, their teaching, and other methods, have forestalled Germany in South America, and thus have been able to disseminate their anti-German propaganda with its catchwords of Huns, Boches, and Kultur. A gigantic struggle lies before Germany and German trade against French influence in the intellectual sphere and against English capital in the economic sphere.' The objects of the Society are then enumerated-to counteract

enemy propaganda, to strengthen German influence, to spread the knowledge of the German language and science, to make known Germany's services and her real method, and to establish and cultivate sound and useful connexions in economic, social, literary, and scientific spheres. These ends, it is further stated, are to be achieved by the distribution of the 'El Heraldo de Hamburgo' and 'La Cultura Latino-Americana,' the issue of works on special subjects in Spanish and Portuguese, the extension of the German book-trade, the subsidising of the native Press, the intercourse with institutes and officials, and the appointment of confidential agents; also by persuading South Americans to visit Germany for professional and technical instruction or for pleasure, promoting intercourse with them at Hamburg, and spreading the study of the Latin languages in Germany.

The German Economic Union for South and Central America (Deutscher Wirtschaftsverband für Sud- und Mittelamerika), Berlin, is run on much the same lines. The Union is associated with the German-Argentine Central Association for the Promotion of Economic Interests (Deutsch-Argentinischer Zentralverband für Förderung wirtschaftlicher Interessen), the President of which is Herr Waetge, a wool-merchant; and the GermanBrazilian Commercial Association (Deutsch-Brasilianischer Handelsverband), the President of which is Herr G. Maschke. These gentlemen, with Dr B. Dernburg, are the Presidents of the German Economic Union for South and Central America; and on its committee sit representatives of the Deutsche Ueberseeische Bank and the Deutsche Bank für Südamerika.

Within the limits of this article it is impossible to give full particulars of all the German propagandist societies, but enough has been said to show what an enormous amount of trouble they have taken, and what vast sums they must have expended. The entire world has, through the agency of these institutions, been told that Germany is the greatest country in the world, the Germans the most wonderful people in the world, and German Kultur the last note in civilisation. Wherever you go, in neutral countries, you will find a paper uttering the most violent pro-German sentiments; and, if

you are behind the scenes, you can with little difficulty estimate what the expression of these sentiments costs the Fatherland.

The United States, China, and the republics of Central and South America, in particular, have been wooed persistently with what result the whole world knows. China, the United States, Cuba, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Brazil have declared war on Germany; Bolivia, Honduras, and Nicaragua have severed diplomatic relations. How great a blow this must be, can be imagined from the fact that, at the first annual meeting of the German Economic Union for South and Central America, held at Berlin, Sept. 1, 1915, Herr G. Maschke, President of the German-Brazilian Commercial Association, stated that 'South and Central America are our greatest assets overseas.'

Evidence that Germany for some time past has been realising the comparative futility of these propagandist efforts is to be found in the declaration by Herr Waetge, President of the German-Argentine Central Association for the Development of Economic Interests, at the annual meeting of that society, Dec. 15, 1915, that the report of the work done, which he had just read to the members, must not be published because our enemies, especially England, closely watch our activities and seek to counteract them.' The third annual report of the German-American Commercial Association, published on Oct. 1, 1916, is more frankly pessimistic.

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'In reviewing the past, account must be taken of the extraordinary obstacles presented by the continuance of the war to commerce between Germany and the United States,' so runs a passage in that report. England's disregard of all written and unwritten rules of international law has introduced a state of anarchy into international trade relations, which no one before the war would have supposed even theoretically possible. German firms trading with America have remained for months without news of their business friends there. Robbery of the post has become a daily institution; the possibility of trade has been reduced to a minimum; and only a small part of the former exchange of goods between the two mighty nations can be maintained.'

This is pleasant reading for English readers, who, if