Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-10-08
IS
FIRST DUTY Of
STURDY SWISS
Many Of Them Sympathize With
the Allies, but Demand Fair
Treatment.
STANDS BETWEEN TWO FIRES
European Republic Declines to 30
overawed BY Powerful Neishbors
7-Refuses 20 starve or Do
Driven 6ankruPt-WouId
Fight for Rights. y.

.
7-Refuses 20 starve or Do
Driven eankrupt-Wouid
Fight for Rights. 4.
By EDGAR ANsEL MoWRER,
} Correspondent of the Chicago News.)
Lausanne, Switzerland.-Seign
in his "Histoire Politique de rEurope
Contemporaries" begins his chapter
on Switzerland as follows:
THE interest of Swiss history must
not be measured by the size Of the
country. This little country holds .
very important place in the history Of
contemporary European institutions.
To whoever desires to understand the
evolution Of our modern democratic
society, this history may be recon-
mended as the most instructive selec-
ton Of examples of the application of
the principle of popular sovereignty.
Foreigners who know Switzerland.
with or without having visited it, as q
country OF tourists, hotels. mountains.
picturesque chalets, mountain rail.
roads, glaciers, milk chocolate, st.
Gall embroideries, cheese and refugees
for revolutionists, may be pleased to
know that of all the people of Europe
the Swiss have, historically, been the
most belligerently tenacious of their
independence and that they are today
the people who have gone farthest in
the realm of popular government.
The initiative has been general
since 1s4s, and the referendum" con-
sidered most radical, ,modernist
measure. came in about the same
time. Proportional representation
was adopted by the Italian canton of
Ticino as far back az 1891.
g.. German Element 10 Strong.
The Swiss confederation counts to.
day approximately 3,450,OO0 inhabi-
tants. Of whom about 100000 are Ital-
ian by race and language. 100000 con.
slider themselves French and the re-
naming 2.5OO.00O speak German Thus
the German element is by far the
strongest numerically and the most
important. It can control in fedora
tive political matters. The French
cantons, with the important centers Of
Geneva and Lausanne and their excel
lent newspapers, play intellectually q
role somewhat beyond that presumed
by their numerical inferiority. The
Italian element is relatively insigni-
ficant, although one OF the most brill
liant OF the government ministers,
Sig. Motta, comes from the Ticino.
So much by the way of prelude to
a presentation of Switzerland's posi-
ton during the present great war. 4
At the beginning of hostilities the
French and Italian cantons manifest
ed sturdy but inoffensive sympathy
for the allies. The German cantons,
to the contrary, gave vent to a single
strong burst of Germanophilia. have
not taken account of the individuals
whose sympathies are always with the
side uppermost.
Today, though by stages so imper
ceptible that they cannot be traced.
the situation has become different
Here in Romansh Switzerland the pop.
ulation is still overwhelmingly pro.
allies. There is little German In the
streets or in the stores. As soon as
Italy entered the war the Ticinese
pronounced for Italy. 1t is not an ex-
aggeration to say that, notwithstand-
ing the German speaking majority,
there are now In the country as many
open adherents of the allies as of the
Austro Germans. This means that q
large number Of persons who speak
German favor the nations of the quad
ripple alliance, particularly France.
Swiss Industry Badly Hurt.
But q new economic problem has ap-
peared and is forcing people to face
1t squarely. Switzerland, accustomed
in time OF peace to derive considera.
BILE profit from it's fine scenery and it's
central position, now pays heavily for
the latter. A large proportion Of the
national army has been mobilized at
considerable expense and kept under
arms since August, 1914. Industry is
suffering. The foreignert comes but
rarely to the countless hotels, which
stand bleak, and deserted like SO many
gigantic mausoleums. Only a few
homeless individuals from foreign
parts loiter in the streets--few by
comparison with former years Even
the exiled revolutionary has quit the
little country where he for 80 many
years found sanctuary. A few from.
tier towns are centers Of espionage
and intrigue. That is all. The sun
rises alone over the glaciers fair des-
olation There are no tourists shiv.
ering with cold and delight to welcome
his upcoming or to turn away to hurry
down the last slope homeward as he
sets behind. the purple mountains.
The country suffers from tho loss
Of tourists. But most OF all It suffers
from the bonds and restrictions with
which the warning nations. and chiefly
those which command the sea. ape
endeavoring to correct II During I
! year the strings have been drawn
ever tighter and tighter. Because she
lacks seaport Switzerland can
ec.e~e.c,,
eau Es RUSH FOR TIMBER
orsat Demand fer WOOD Product Il
Maks scuncotton Tor Us ss