Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1915-12-01
GOOD SAMARITAN
Of EUROPE IS
u SWISS'LA
Surrounded BY War Switzerland
Finds SoIaCe Only in Being
Justly Termed the Good Sam
aritan Of Europe" at Present.

dlitdil VI EuIupe d. gI6S6Iils
BERNE, Nov 30.-Switzerland sur
rounded on all sides by warning ma
Z lions, Obliged herself to arm against
/ possible violations of her territory,
Z forced into an economic neutrality in
which she is scarcely able to suit
anybody while suffering a great deal
of harm herself. finds only one role
that pleases everyone-that of the
Good Samaritan of Europe, reliev-
ing the sufferings her neighbors are
causing to each others subjects. The
burden of maintaining communication
between several million prisoners OF
war and their kindred fell upon the
Red Cross committee of Geneva.
Switzerland also rushed to the from
tiers loaded with refreshments ana
comforts for refugees and mutilated
soldiers, returning home through her
neutral territory. What this has cost
Switzerland in money cannot be reck-
oned. What it has lost commercially
and financially in other directions it
is difficult to estimate beyond the
millions that her mobilization has
cost her
The Swiss people are particularly
sensitive over the suspicious they have
been exposed to by reason OF their
geographical position The varied
character of the population and the
resulting division Of sympathies in the
conflict. There has undoubtedly been
some cOntraband but no more than
there would have been in any other
country where private gain is tempted
by high paid risks A great deal of
contraband has been prevented. By
reason of commercial treaties Switzer-
land was unable to prevent the tran
sportation across her territory of
enormous quantities of merchandise
that Italy sent Germany inexchange
for coal before she declared war on
Austria The inspection of that mer-
chandise to detect conraband Of war
was a formidable task.
Regarding suspicious in France that
lmportations from that country into
Switzerland went to supply the Ger
mans the Swiss people point out that
these importations for the first quar-
ter Of 1915 were so million francs less
/ than for the first quarter of 1914. At
the same time they complain of the
stoppage by France of goods from
across the Atlantic that were indis.
pensable for the provisioning of the
population and for the operation Of
their industries. These complaints
were naturally more bitter from the
/ German part of Switzerland.
From the beginning of the war
Switzerland has been obliged to ap-
1 peal constantly to the good viii Of
. both groups of powers at war while
. being at the same time tugged at
from many different directions by as
many conflicting interests. All this is
what made possible, even necessary
/ the idea of an importing trust whihc
/ bears the name Of the Swiss Society
of Economic Supervision. This, 1t is
hoped, will remove the friction; it Will
not, of course. indemnify Switzerland
for her direct OUTLAWS of a hundred
million dollars in mobilization eN-
penses, her charitable work nor her
indirect losses in business stagnation.
Her mobilization costs her an average
of eight million dollars a month; IL
the war lasts two years the total will
be nearly two hundred million dollars.
What Switzerland has lost in re.
ceipts from tourists was shown by the
decrease of six million dollars in the
receipts of federal railroads from
August to December 1914
In July 1914 the number of tourists
registered at Zurich was 1856: this
year in the same month there were
only 1855 visitors. At Lausanne
there we're $3.50 guests registered in
July 1914; this year there were only
1880.
Prof Seipel is quoted as saying
"If the anguish of the sombre Eu
ropean tragedy didn't weigh so heavi
~ on our hearts and consciences, life
would never have been so agreeable
in Switzerland as at present. We are
like a little family that has bid adieu
to its borders and found it charming
intimacy again" The hotel keepers
are unable to look upon the situation
with the same philosophy All oil
them are in financial distress-somt
of them in desperate straits exposed
to the ruinous competition of new
houses OF of old houses that may ht
bought at ruinous terms after peace
that may be declared Their situa
p tion prompted the suggestion of q
y hotel monopoly in order to improve
the security Of banks who are askeI
to renew advances.
All business in Injuries has beer
{ tried. In July 1915 only 25,O43 golt
watch cases were stamped as com
pared to go in July 1914
e EXPOSITION ATTENDANCE GOAL
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 80 rTh'
aftpndaupA al tha EEnoeifion ha