New-York tribune., 1909-12-05
POLITICAL ASYLUM
M8NT SEEK REFUGE
IN SWITZERLAND.
Little Republic Quite Ere
queRflg ia Hot Water on
Their account.

ium las always been icalously guarded
by free states. This is a cause Of many
Nexsfioms international complications
-he United States. Great Britain and
Switzerland have been more than hos
pitahle 10 revolutionary sgitstors from
other countries
II L. Switzerland which has chiefly suf-
fered from inirsders who have sought
not 50 much = peaceful habitation as a
hase for conspiracy against friendly
powers Switzerland has the doubtful
a6vantsEe Of being quite accessible 10
fugitives on the Continent. To he SURF,
passports are required. and permis de
seiour ~ al except the tourists. But
the swiss frontier is adjacent 20 France.
Germsny. Austria and Italy. The Ian
gusses % All these countries are spoken
with more or less fluency and frequency
IN every canton ~ the federation. Free
dom 81 the press and freedom % speech
are guaranteed. The cost Of living is
not great.
The educational institutions are excel
l-nt. Even the Russians who cross the
frontier 70 escape their own police come
in great numbers 10 the Swiss schools
and universities
CHIEFLY AMONG wORRMEN.
IT IS not among the students. however.
that most of the political schemers are
- 10 found. but rather among the work
men in the factory towns 81 northern
Switzerland. Yet when Russian uni
vcrsity has been closed for political rea-
SONS the locked out students have usu-
ally found Geneva. Lausanne snd Zurich
more hospitable than Berlin and Leipsic,
where the Muscovite is looked upon with
suspicion. The latest ceusus shows in
deed. that p large number OF Russians,
especially students. have residence in
Switzerland. There arc six thousand Of
hem IN Geneva The universities and
schools Of commerce everywhere show a
like proportion. They are 20 be seen by
scores IN the restaurants and cafes. and
their language can be heard almost
everywhere.
~ course. only e small proportion Of
tins foreign element entertains revolu-
uonary, much less ansrchistic. designs.
But as the negro said. zone hornet can
hresk up a whole camp meeting: and
ny these visftors-bv the cosmopolitan
throng which has crossed the frontier
The policy OF these political conspira-
tors has been pretty much the same from
the beginning. AS a rule. they have 1T
tie money with which 10 carry on their
propaganda. When the Swiss do not in
teEfere revolutonarv newspapers and
Pamphlets are printed. sometimes pre-
tending 10 come from foreign press;
and these are smUggied into France.
Germany. Italy and even into Russia,
fhus provoking emphatic protests from
tho foreign Offices OF those countries.
Public meetings arc held IN the inter
ests Of the revolutionary cause Fur
thormore. whenever labor troubles arise
in any Of the factory towns. such as La
Chaux de Ponds. lie Locle or St Imier.
the sgitators are not slow 10 take advan-
tsgc Of the discomfort and they organize
groups 20 carry the war into Africa"
All these things. for reasons which viii
presently appear. have greatly embar-
rassed the Swiss authorities. AS a small
independent state Switzerland is forced
20 maintain a correct attitude toward the
great powers. But her internal politics
l.as often intcrfered with the fulhlment
80 International obligations and comfy.
The people generally are very quick 10
resent any attempts made 20 coeroe their
government on the part Of a foreign
power. Naturally. the majority of the
nation do not care 10 have their country
regarded as a hotbed of conspiracy
against friendly governments.
PROTESTS OF POWERS.
Foreign powers for more than a cen
tury have protested repeatedly against
the plots against themselves which were
hstcheo within Swiss territory. But with
al good viii 10 prevent such conspira-
cies end even 10 expel or extradite the
offenders. the federation has been hin
dered through the protests Of the swiss
themselves, who are always complain
fng that foreign demands and foreign die
tstion have played too large a role IN
their internal politics. and that Switzer-
land might soon become q mere de-
pendency OF the neighboring monarchies
That is very plausible But events
have proved that leniency and mberality
on the part o. the Swiss toward political
conspirators. especially in the surveil-
lance OF anarchists and other revolu-
tionary evils. have disadvantages.
20 sooner does the Swiss government
relax fts vigilance and refuse 10 Act than
the foreign powers send their secret po-
lice across the frontier always 10 dis
cover. but sometimes 10 provoke. sedition
or crime. And n must be said here that,
owing 20 the geogra phical position OF
Switzerland. in proportion as IL las been
severe IN the treatment OF political con-
spirators In that proportion IL has avoid
ed international difficulties. I do not
refer especially 10 anarchist plots. But
the most serious diplomatic clashes that
the federation has had with It's friendly
neighbors have been Que 10 the incursion
of a foreign secret police deputed 10 cor
rect the negligence or indifference Of the
Swiss authorities.
one OF the earliest and most singular
diplomatic adventures % this kind was
IN the case Of Louis Napoleon. After
his expulsion from France and his brief
stay in America he came. IL will be re-
membened. and sought naturalization in
the Swiss canton OF Thurgau without re-
liaquisfing his French citizenship. In
1888 France made a demand that the