Stories of Paraná - War and pioneer

Stories of Paraná - War and pioneer

War and pioneer
Darcy Nigro Samways

After the sinking of eighteen Brazilian merchant ships on our coasts, on August 22, 1942, at 13:00 hours, the Brazilian Government (Vargas) bends to pressure, and declares the state of war to the countries of the so-called "Axis Tri-Partite "- Germany, Italy and Japan
The following month, precisely on September 16, is ordered to "General Mobilization of the country" after the sinking of two more merchant ships in Brazilian waters. (There were a total of 33 ships sunk on our shores during World War II, without which the country was still at war ...) Our Capital, as could not but be so, and given the government decree, mobilizes to the conflict.
The Fifth Military Region initiates the call in Paraná and Santa Catarina.

Young people are asked to compose or complementary home the troops of the military units based in Curitiba.
The girls, tnaiores 16 years, are also called for, if necessary, serve as nurses or nursing assistants.
A succession of exercises total darkness (black-outs), only liolofotes air base sweeping the skies of the city.
The film shows almost exclusive fun from Curitiba at the time, were suspended, the entries returned ...
The collapse in transport, several products began to fail, imposing their rationing: sugar coming from the northeast, imported wheat.
Queues have formed at bakeries at dawn ...
Fuels (oil and gasoline) is imposing a very severe rationing. And when there are the famous "gasogênios" turning cars into authentic wood stoves vendors, forcing vehicle owners to maintain a separate compartment in your car with fuel reserves (the chopped firewood). Lacked gasoline and oil to all and all but one "Dungarees" that he was transporting passengers between Sao Mateus do Sul and Palm.
Maintained by G. Kantor, the bib of gasoline used and abused.
But how?! The explanation given seemed fiction, old wives tale ... Said the gas was extracted some rocks abundant in São Mateus do Sul and used up like gravel ... You could believe that?! ...
For today, the pioneer of shale gas extraction, Roberto
Angewitz, better known as the "wooden leg", has up statue in São Mateus do Sul, sent by lifting Petroxis the Petrobras subsidiary that operates the plant shale.
At the foot of the statue, the identification of the honoree: "Roberto Angewitz.
At the time of World War II, in rudimentary facilities through the batch process, conceived that his inventive genius and tenacity made it work, produced 300 liters per day of automotive fuels. "
And the number of young people called? After some training, have moved into the cities and Cacapava Pindamonhangaba, São Paulo, and after "thickened" with contingents coming from the other states of the Federation, depart for Europe.
This, however, is another story ...

Darcy Samways Nigro, retired State Attorney

Source: Stories of Paraná, Brasil.