The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-07-05
- F all the countries in the world,
surely Switzerland is the most

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QGer and annex Swwitzerland;
but that is Switzerland's affair. 1t
does not parade its internal orga MIA
ton, though, from close inspection Of
the Official notices on public buildings,
one may gather that every Swiss from
youth to middleageis required to prac-
tice shooting, and that If trouble arose,
these William Tells of later day
would lie behind the shoulder Of an i'm
minent avalanche and pick the apple
from the invaders eye. f.
But the ordinary visitor to Switzer-
land is only dimly conscious Of being
in a well-governed country. Vaguely
he knows that Geneva watches are fa-
nous, that Swiss milk is on the worlds
market, that the native population
seems we'll fed, we'll dressed and re-
markably clean, as compared with the
English peasant who never washes
his hands, but when they gets 'ard,
1 lies 'em." And in a moment of re-
Election he may realize that this is
not a nation composed exclusively Of
hotel managers, walters, porters and
the rest of the people that smooth their
manners to make the tourists path
easy.
By some extraordinary combination
of circumstances 4 motley gathering of
Italians, Germans and French, Prot
estants and Roman Catholics, Conser-
vatives, Liberals, Socialists, Anarch-
lists, walters, peasants and statesmen,
have combined to form the most pa
triotic community in the world.
In the last weeks I have had to re-
construct my ideas of patriotism while
lettering about the shores of Lake
Leman and talking and mixing all the
languages of which have smatter-
ing, not excepting an artful adaptation
of the ancient Greek Of Oxford to the
modern Greek of Athens. No doubt
the late Mr.. Buckle would have called
Swiss patriotism geographical. Thucy-
dides gave the hint when he touched
the phrase that may be translated
community of interests" Switzerland
has that community Of interests" and
to the ordinary tourist who spins down
to Dover, lunches on beef and pickles
as q Briton should. upon a turbine
steamer, dimes in Paris, and, break
fasts upon rolls, butter, coffee (such
coffeeD, and honey in Geneva the Won
der arises.
How is this managed? The question
went round the dinner table at Geneva.
What is the name of the king, premier,
president or ruler of this happy coun-
try? No one knew. The thing is done
without fuss or tumult, without crowns
and robes and Daubles. 1t was only
when the Anglo-Indian shouted for a
waiter that the whisper was given
the name of the gentleman who hap
pened this year to be the head OF the
Swiss Republic.
Very businesslike is the Swiss Re-
public. 1t has arranged its seasons.
In winter you may skate, toboggan
and enjoy many winter sports, or lie
in pure mountain air and get rid OF
tuberculosis affections. In summer
you may crowd Lucerne and hang in
punches over Zermatt on the ends OF
ropes-guaranteed not to snap. But
Switzerland has another line under the
counter. It has a spring season-and 1t
smooths the way. Gently it invites
you to the shores of Lake Leman-with
promises Of flowers and the protection
of mountains that ward of the horrid
winds from north and east.
From the very first the way is
smoothed, for you may fill your pock-
ets with tourist agency's hotel cou-
pons, and wave them languid!y as you
dodder round the lake from Geneva to
Evian and back again. 1 was rather
nervous about these coupons, fearing
that the hoteikeeper would complain
that was not playing the game. For
mel stood on velvet. There was my
food and lodging at so much per day,
and the only exertion demanded was to
tear bit of paper from a little book.
But the Swiss Republic is business
like; the hotelkeeper knows that ne
can make his profit out Of the luxuries
of life wien the necessities are pro
vided. I hear him murmuring, "Ihe
little more, and how much it is" And
the traveller departs without murmur-
ing. since he knows that the neces-
saries of life are in his breast-pocket.
Switzerland knows well enough that
the spring visitors to the lake are not
intent upon climbing, or, indeed, upon
any physical exertion that can be rea-
sonably avoided. There is just the
hint of peaks to be surmounted, and
from the middle Of the Pont du Mt.
Blanc at Geneva the old gentleman on
crutches surveys the snowy summit be
has no hope of reaching. He is type
of the spring visitors to the Lake OF
Geneva (Which you may call alter
nately thu Lake Leman) We lounge
on deck chairs before the hotel at Lau'
same and comment on the extreme
blueness of the lake, while one or two
remember that Tyndall grew almost