Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1915-10-09

breathe less easily even than Hol-
land Constant disputes are arising
relative to contraband. conditional
contraband, imports and their final
consumer
Is Between TWO Fires.
The situation finds adequate expreS-
sion in the words of contributor to
the Gazette de Lausanne:
Germany and Austria have said to
Switzerland: We are perfectly will
ing to deliver you such raw materials
as you lack. But you must give US
in exchange not money but certain
products of which the allies blockade
deprives US and which we need. The
allies object to this, saying to Switzer-
land: From the beginning of the
war we have placed our ships and
our trains at your service, and, I'M
like our enemies, we have never
thought of imposing compensations
in goods upon you. In the future, as
in the past, we are quite willing to
| furnish you with raw materials as
well as with foodstuffs. Only desir-
! ing that our blockade be effective, we
ask you to give your word not to pass
on in any form whatever to our enc
mics that which we procure for you
Switzerland replies to the allies:
/ am grateful to you for supplying
| me with soOdstuffs and raw materials
| without demanding compensation.
| Masters of the ocean, you have been
! able to do me this service, like good
| neighbors Germany and Austria, al
though blockaded by your fleets, have
also done what they could for me.
Driven by need, they asked me to
pay them in goods, while continuing
to pay you in specie, and have not
refused, being myself hard pressed
and neutral-that is. equally friendly
to all and unwillingly to increase diff
fculties. In the meantime your fears
are groundless, for 1 have taken care
formally to forbid the expectation
from my territories Of a whole series
Of goods of urgent necessity. And
| am always on the watch for SNUG
glGrs.
Needs of Swiss Industry.
On the other hand, my industries
must live in spite of your war, on
account of which I, though perfectly
innocent, suffer more than you, per
haps, believe. And In order that my
Industries be not ruined they must
be permitted to re-cxport to all coun-
tries the articles manufactured from
raw materials furnished by no matter
what belligerent. | am neutral of my
own free will, but with your appro-
baton. That is why, although | have
obligations toward you land do not
deny them, that you also have a few
toward me, Of which the first and es-
sential is to let me live
Here is the situation in a nutshell.
The result of pressure from both
sides, but principally from the side of
the allies, has been to make the Swiss
conscious of their nationality and to
start a wave of patriotism Negotia-
ti0ns are going on to regulate the mat
ters Of difference between the little
mountain country and its powerful
neighbors by establishing a Swiss con
troll of all foreign trade with a view to
doing away with chances for cheating.
For the people will not listen to prop
ositions from either side Offering
compensation" after the war. They
want the difficulty done away with
now, Immediately.
Would Fight for Rights.
The Swiss are aware of their force.
The effect OF $4,000 sturdy, we'll
equipped and trained soldiers thrown
into the balance today on either side
would be considerable-might be de-
cisive
We have been much too humble"
men tell me here. From now on we
shall cease to supplicate and begin to
demand couueously but firmly"
Would you fght?"
Certainly II forced to it. We re-
fuse to starye or be driven bankrupt.
England and France and Italy must
be brought to realize this fact or
face the consequences"
But your personal sympathles. as
you have just told me, are with the
countries you mention"
That is true. But you must real
ize that before we are German. French
or Italian we are Swiss We have
our own country to look after. In any
hut an extreme case an attempt by |
the Germans speaking majority to |
force the nation into war against the
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