The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-24
SAYS AMERICANS
SAVED SWITZERLAND
l.. +. Lorcc Tells of Prompt
Measures TO Insure Its
Food supply.
SECURED GRAIN FROM I. :.

l.. =. Loroc. president Of tho Delaware
and Hudson Railroad. who arrived at
Quarantine last night on the Antilles Of
the Morgan Nnc from Genoa, had the
following to say
The embarrassments To- which foreign
ers were exposed in switzerland were due
principally To two causes, the Inability
TO realize on their instruments OF credit
through the local banks, and the restric-
ton OF the food supply. Alter the first
three or four days fresh vegetables. milk.
butter and cheese began TO come in from
France.
Before | left on August rs arrange
ments had been made by the Government
with the assistance Of some OF the Amer
leans who were in tho country, notably T..
B Thomas, president Of the Lehigh Val
ley Railroad. for sufficient supply of
grain to be delivered through Bordeaux
as the property OF the Swiss Government
under bond. and the transshipment To
he respected by the Powers, To carry
Switzerland through the winter, 80 that
with strict economy IN the daily ration
which was beint universally observed.
there was no reason why there should
be any suffering from lack OF food sup
plies.
1T was nearly ten days before money
could be secured from the banks. and IN
relieving this situation too much praise
cannot be given To the American Express
COMPANY. an institution which does busl-
ness all over Europe and which was or
lnestimable value to Americans. When
one realizes the service which this COM
pany daily renders and the organization
and resources that enable II to do 80
under such difficult conditions one won
ders why our Government for the last hVe
IN
destroy H. and still more why our people
permit their representatives such course
OF behavior.
The other influences which came under
my attention and which excited my ad-
mlration were those Il Morgan, Hdr)es
\ Co, the Paris house OF j. p. Morgan q
Co. and the Americans who were In
vited In consultation by the national ad-
m,nistration at Berne, particularly Charles
II Warren, treasurer Of the Mutual ttc
Insurance 6 mpauy. whose familiarity
with American conditions and with prob
lens OF finance m de his suggestions pc
culiarly effective / was quite Impressed
by the very effective and yet quite sim
pie way m which the French railways
handled the m Obligation
"rhe double track main lines were abso
lutelv given up TO the movement or
troops. supplies and munitions OF war,
while the small single track branch lines
were left TO be operated locally by their
minor officials and the limited amount
Of equipment allotted to them was not al
lowed 10 go beyond the jurisdiction OF
these fflcers The effect OF this was that
while ii war possible to go from Geneva.
Switzerland to Paris the journey involved
a movement over seven local Jurisdictions
with changes at junction points and de-
laws waiting on train movements, 50 that
the trip which Is ordinarily made In ten
hours required thirty eight hours
While this worked hardship ON the
transient passenger q was amply suiti-
cent for the then needs Of the French
people and IL allowed the central admin
istratou to concentrate lts entire atteu-
ton on the problems raised by the military.
THE European conflict must have at
fected differently each one brought Into
direct contact with d. The thing that
most appeals To tho man whose habit Of
thought has been along business lines
after making due allowance for tho vast
destruction of life and the distress which
viii naturally follow with tho loss Of heads
Of families and IN" support of the disabled
H. tine tremendous waste Of capital and
the effect of that loss ON tho future. Mod
ern industrial conditions require tho capt
tai Investment OF about $1,000 for each
workman employed