Evening star., 1915-12-26

Two events Of Importance OF recent
date direct attention to neutral Switsee-
land and the Swiss-the
President celebration Of the sixth
r,..A, centenary Of Helvetian in.
e0'eu' dependence, and tho elsc-
ton Of Camille de Coppet president Of the
Swiss republic and Edmund Schulthess
vice president. NJ. de coppst was the
former ucs president and minister Of Jus
tice. and accedes to the presidency accord
ing to the rules.
Tho president Of the confederation and
tho vice president Of the federal council
are tho first magistrates Of the confedera-
tion. Both are elected by the federal
assembly In Joint session Of the national
and state councils for tho term Of one
year. from January 1 to December 81,
and are not re-elisible to the same till
after the expiration Of another year. The
vice president, 1t IL provided, succeeds the
outgoing president. and this wise pro-
vision safeguards the state against the
chaos incident in some republics to sud
oen cnange4 maintaining thus in once
an. an ofnoial n .,hold-oves'' who 10 familiar
a model Of simplicity and economy. and
inasmuch as the republic Of the United
states OF America may adopt Switzer-
lanas military systSm-its national
miitia-as model. 1t might study with
tenn. ''
In 1903 Napoleon. in the act Of medi-
auon. gave new constitution, and in
creased tho number Of cantonp to nine
teen: In 1915 the perpetual. neutrality
or. 2. sw1tseriand and the inviolability Of
territory U7,0N H..
Great Britain. Portugal. Prussia and
Russia, and tho federal nact which had
oeen drawn up at Zurich. and which in
ciuoed three new cantons. was accepted
mained in force till 1slS. when = n.v
constitution, prepared without foreign in
tenerences was accepted by general con-
sent: This In turn was superseded Nav
~ 1874 by the constitution now in force.
W. Motta, the retiring President of
switzerland, in a speech at Bern No
vember Is. proclaimed
A Benevolent the nrm will of all,
Neutrality. that the policy of
Switzerland consisted
In a benevolent neutrality toward all.
Out at the same time q strong army
against ALL" And President Motta
added:
sole Swiss nation exists, a nation
1uil OF uniformity and inspired by
sympathy for the maternal civilization
on which 1t is nourished, but free DO.
iftically and economically, autonomous
ana founded less upon the fecund and
salutary variety Of races ana languages
than upon the fundamental unity of
the democratic will"
switzerland, besides depends for the
oeiense OF her neutrality upon a ma
tionai militia whose service In COM
puisory and universal. the exemption
10 10 which only is physical disability.
tain taxes in lieu. Liability to service
extends from the seventeenth to the
Lorty-elghth year: actual service com.
,mences s,.s at twenty. The first twelve
:.e1ttsn Is spent In the first line. the
'landwehr" and the remafninp e,sht
years In the 'landsturm." There fs an
unarmed 'landsturm," Composed Of
az az other males between twenty and
avsilabl @ Meoss sc nnn services may be made
Tb TIt recurring great physical capacity.
me total combatants for the Haii
army Is 10000. but Switzerland NAV
sturm Ie q, zyV;gUo q" aco aside from the land
IN order worthily and effectively to
carry out the spirit of internationsI i
cndrity winch Switzerland has adont "a
ss as ner policy it was necessary to as
S Sans s9 herself q solid army well or.
ginning Of the war. the fedsrsi e vov- ov-
ernment had not hesitsted 10 nnohii;.. .
a. al the military forcss OF the nattnn
da n.s action had imposed heavy hrr.
tfon. VI Inc conIeoera-
A dispatch from Bern on tb,. n..
reports the cost to Switxeriand -
Euaraing her neutrality At Ss1 -fe1,o aon
rnis ngure 10 given in an omciai stats.
Mill concerning the expense Of mo.
In ths Az army ana its maintenance
The dispatch adds: THE Swiss trans.
ury estimates that il the war shonid
commune until 1t has been in proTress
tsininw sars us. the expenses Of main
s7o,ooo.ooo to Isso.ooo.o6o switserIand 1
thus must nnd $1,000, 700 annuaiiv IN IN
oroer to supply the deficit
1t was suggested that recourse must
De mad to monopoly on tobacco. a
tax on beer and a re-
Expedieuts vision of the law rela-
for rs. tirr- to the military tax.
~"s' L. this program was not
accepted by the chambers or the peo-
pie it would be necessary to adopt as
q last resort the establishment of a
series Of fiscal laws on sugar, coffee,
wine. petroleum and other objects Of
current consumption. The federal
council, however will not proceed to
this expedient unless all other remedies
fail.
Switzerland possesses two groups of
people Of the races now engaged in
deadly confiict-the German-Swiss and
the Latin-Swiss, and it is not always
easy for the Swiss authorities to main
tain its wishes in the matter of strict
neutrality. Germanophilism dominates
In northern, eastern and central
Switzerland.
Besides the political and military neu-
trality situation, Switzerland is con-