The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-08

DIT. Bella Sekely.
imports 81 per cent Of its foodsturs
and raw materials.
In times Of economic crises. like the
n brought about By the war. the Swiss
people might regulate their diet. replace
Ing meat by dairy foods. vegetables by
fruit. and II the worst comes to the
worst sat their cheese without bread.
II would be impossible, however, to man.
ufacture machines without iron. textile
goods without cotton, chocolate without
q and to run factories at all with.
out coal.
Should the industries shut down owing
TO lack OF raw materials II would throw
hundreds OF thousands Of workingmen
out OF employment. plunging a large part
OF the Swiss population into misery.
This is Just the situation which Swift.
serland faced at the outbreak OF the
war. wedged in between the warning
countries, each OF which endeavored to
PROSTATE the economic life OF the enemy.
Switzerland experienced the difficulties
OF a besieged fortress shut or from
outside supplies.
The net OF ejnbargoes OF the belligerent
Powers gradually grew tighter and
tighter. and control Of the origin and
destination Of shipments was made
sharper and sharper. France OF land
and England OH the seas made II all but
impossible for switzerland 20 import her
needed foodstufs and raw materials. For
Il considerable .ength OF time the German
border was closed. too and during this
period switzerland was unable not only
10 &c, German goods but even ship
ments consigned to her via Germany. In
o little while. however. the German from
tier vas opened, bu; for "a long time yet
the left bank Of the Rhine was unavail.
able for freight transportation.
- An idea Of the disastrous enect of
these conditions upon Swiss economic lie
nay ne gained from figures showing that
from August I. 1914. to December 81.
1914. that is during the five months fol-
loving the outbreak of the war. imports
fell to {? per cen and exports TO 81 per
cent Of the figures for the corresponding
r,'iod Of the preceding year.
Little for Home Is~.
swiss industrial organization has a
weak point. II has developed with ex.
portation as the single objective. The
most important o. Switzerland's indus
tries are silk goods. embroidery. watches,
machinery and chocolate. little OF which
Is FOR home consumption. In 1913 the
value of manufactured goods was Loo
000. 900 francs. of which l.o23.o00, 900
francs worth was exported. Thus the
growth Of her industries perllously In
creased Switzerland's double dependence
upon foreign countries FOR raw materials
as well as for an outlet for manufactures
1t was imperative for Switzerland to
come to All agreement with the belliger-
ent Powers which hould not hamper her
legitimate foreign ;rade. In August
yAys tha n0nstAsinVo mitch (.ArrNnnN rA,
suited In the establishment ~ "A wis
Government bureau controlling and SUI
pervising German imports. This bureau
also designated several agents to whom
IN return for compensations. the German
Government issued authorizations fa
the expectation Of goods upon which
there was an embargo. These agents
were made responsible for the conscien'
,!ous discharge of the obligations and
Tor The keeping Of the conditions upor
which such expectation permits were is
sued.
Negotiations with the Allies were MOI
so successful II reached "A critical
stage. The Allies insisted upon their
" agents exercising control over the
Importation Trust. To this the Swiss
Government absolutely refused TO sub
nit. Another bone Of contention was the
| refusal Of the Allies to permit Switzer-
| land 10 Use any Of her imports for com
sensational exchanges with Germany
To this again the Swiss Government,
could not agree. More than one-third
~ Switzerland's imports in raw materiaI
and half finished goods come from Ger
many. These raw materials could not
be got anywhere else.
II was therefore the Swiss view that
II would IN impossible for Switzerland
dependent az she liz for hev economic III
| upon the markets Of all the b~elligeren'
Powers. to sever commercial relations
with any OF the warning nations. Ir
order To keep Swiss industries going II
was necessary that raw material anc
half finished goods imported from on
gronp OF countries should be allowed u
be exported in the shape Of manufar'
tured products 10 another group Of
tries, especially in cases when raw ma
terial. half finished goods and manu-
featured articles which are absolutel,
needed by Switzerland cannot be- oh
tanned except by way Of compensationa
exchanges.
Allies Finally Yield.
Swiss demand for home control of TN
Importation Trust finally was conceded
by the Allies. The question OF compen
sation, however. caused a great deal o.
trouble and pending settlement all bu
paralyzed Swiss industries.
The Allies contention was that the,
were willing to permit importation o
certain quantities OF raw material AM
half finished goods based upon previous
average annual imports OF switzerland
hut hat since they were not askinI
themselves for conversational exchange
uitzerIan nd should not grant any I,