Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-17
SWITZERLAND PORTRAYED.
Closing Lecture of Free Series Given
Last Night.

The closing lecture of free series on pop
ular topics was delivered last night at the
NJ Street High School by Mr.. John Hitz
The topic was Switzerland. A feature of
the lecture was the excellent singing in
Swiss costume. Previous to the establish
ment of a Swiss legation in the United
States Mr.. I1itz, the lecturer of the even
ing, for many years represented Switzer-
land as consul general at Washington. By
way of introduction he briefly referred to
the fact that the government of Switzer-
land being pre-eminently "of and for the
people, it's roads and facilities Of inter-
communication have on the whole received
special care and attention.
Telephones, teegraphs and 1atterly the
railroads and all stage coaches conveying
passengers and mails, he said, are under
the direct management of the government,
| conducted not with view merely to profit,
but mainly to insure economically every
reasonable accommo dalton and security to
the public The lecturer started at once
with his audience upon tour, commencing
with Base claimed to have been founded
by the Romans previous to the Christian
era, and now a thriving city of 10000 In
habitants. Berne, the federal capital
among the quaintest of cities on the con-
tnent," was visited. Its superb cathedral,
Erlach statue, with its bronze bears, and
was the extensive federal palace, or capital
building. Fine portraits of President Com
Jesse and ex-President Frey, who, it will be
remembered, is veteran OF the United
States army was the first Swiss diplomatic
officer sent to Washington, and when sta
toned here had his children attend, by
preference, the public school on Capitol
Hill where he resided. Following in rapid
succession were views of Lucerne, the
beautiful and its noted monumental lion,
succeeded by the perilous- looking but Sc
cure railways up the PilatuS and the Rigl,
the inception of whose construction the lee
turer is credited with by it's builder. The
first part of the lecture closed with pictures
of an Alpine sunrise, and illustrated some
spirited winter sports which prevail IN the
highlands of Switzerland.
After a brief interrnssion the second part
of the lecture took up Lausanne, the at
tractive hillside city" on the picturesque
Lake Geneva; then Vevey and Chillons
Castle frnmortalized by Byron. followed by
Helvetians who in the year 10I, under their
brave leader, Divicon, after defeating the
Romans compelled their survivors igno-
miniousIy, in evidence of their subsection, TO
pass under yoke. A scene above the
clouds at LeySin given. AlluS1on was
made to the longest railroad twin tunnel
that has yet been constructed, that or the
Simplon twelve miles and quarter in
length A group of genuine Bernhardin
dogs and pictures of an equipped Swiss
milkman and of unique male-attired Alpine
milk maidens of Champery followed The
closing portion of the lecture began with
views of Geneva and its harbor, portraits
of Rousseau Calvin and Henri Dunant,
founder of the Red Cross. The audience
was then taken to Charmounl ana the
glacial regions by a series of pictures Gull
minating with an ascent and representation
of the summit of the Alpen monarch, Mount
Blanc,