Evening star., 1916-08-06
Neutral Union
Advocated.


Neutra1 nnion ity OF a union among
neutral nations to de-
0usoCdteu. fend their economic
independence"
After the receipt of the German note
which demanded that the Swiss gov
ernment in exchange for coal should
furnish Germany in return goods Of
equal value. a Swiss delegation was
sent to Paris to confer with delegates
of the allies. with the result that the
allies felt obliged to refuse the Swiss
request. The allies, 1t was said, were
actuated by a sincere desire to accord
to the Swiss people all that 1t might
be necessary, but could not permit
Switzerland to become the medium of
provisioning Germany and Austria
Hungary with products of real i'm
portance coming directly or in transit
from the allied states
The Helvetian negotiators returned
to Bern little satisfied with the
meager results of their visit, and now
it is rumored that Germany threatens
to stop all expectations of coal. New
ertheless. these expectations had not
been suspended at the latest reports.
The Gazette de Lausanne wrote on
the subject of the threats of suppress
ing exports of coal:
1T is useless to conceal it: the situa =
tion grows worse daily. We are con-
fronted by a crisis. the gravest we
have suffered since the commencement
of the war. Our interior life is still
cent events of federal politics. and we
may ask ourselves if we are in nor
NAL state permitting US to face the
situation with all the caimness and
coolness which is necessary.
The German press, according to A
dispatch from Geneva. attempts to con-
fuse the economical
Inexact Notions question while the
o. Journal de Geneve
AAeeIou. esta blishes the truth
Of the matter and the nature of the ar
rangements concluded:
1T is not necessary to hinder by ex-
cited discussions the negotiations be-
tween Germany on the one part and
Switzerland and the entente on the
other part, on the subject of the new
difficulties with which Switzerland is
menaced: but it is not necessary either
to permit to go unchallenged certain
inexact notions. 1t Is thus that the
Gazette de Cologne speaks of the Ger
man note under the title of an illegal
pressure of the occidental powers over
Switzerland.
"One might think" says the Journal
de Geneve. 'in reading the dispatches
that are sent from Switzerland that Ger
many's demands are considered in Ger
many as entirely natural and the objec-
tions of the entente as contrary to the
treaties. 1t is to deceive the reader.
We have, it is true. concluded with
France on the eve of the war an arrange
ment by the terms of which she engaged
to permit to pass over the territory the
cereals that Switzerland might purchase
for her own consumption from countries
beyond the sea. In the present case it is
not a question of cereals but above all of
cotton. Germany affirms that she can no
longer deliver up certain articles of no.
siery of which we have need If we do not
give cotton which she had bought from
us through her agent; besides she will
stop her expectation of coal. 1t is by
coal Germany creates over Switzerland
a menacing pressure. Now we buy of
Germany $4,000 of coal a day. No
special arrangement has been concluded
on this question Of coal. Germany is not
held to furnish except by virtue of trea-
ties of commerce, which have not been
abrogated. In refusing to permit coal to
arrive in Switzerland it is Germany that
commits an illegal pressure.
1.-The only commercial accord concluded
with Germany since the commencement
of the war concerns
German.Suiss the system of compen-
:, sations. Germany sends
heclproclty. us certain products in
exchange for other products which we
from certain stocks of goods imported
formerly into Switzerland for the account
of Germany and whose re-expedition had
been interNcted. These exchanges refer
to quantities strictly limited. The powers
Of the entente have admitted this prin-
ciple and are held strictly to be informed
of all our operations.
According to the terms of the statutes
of the S. S. S. (Swiss Surveillance So
ciety) Switzerland promised to negotiate
with the powers in every case where Ger
many would exact new compensations. 1t
was by virtue of that article that nego-
tiations were opened in Paris There is
up to the present no pressure exer
cised by France, England and Italy; there
is pressure only by Germany. 1t is not
an ultmatum as stated, it is simply a
menace. Now menaces have never accom-
plished anything with US. We are de-
cided to act according to our treaties, to
ask nothing, to receive nothing. which
may be illegal. incorrect or humiliating
for Switzerland. This should be under
stood everywhere"
An article by NJ. Louis Bresse shows
Switzerland from Swiss point of view.
War" says the writer. has placed
Switzerland in a false situation. Geo
graphically the Helvetian confedera-
ton is more attached to Central Eu-
rope than to the occident. but its in
stitutions and democratic spirit incline
it toward the latter"
There are in fact. 2,59t.29s German
Swiss. 1878 French Swiss. 302,57S
Italian Swiss. Thus ii is the German
element that dominates largely. Be
fore the war there were 100000 Ger
mans established in Switzerland. of
these 1000 at Zurich, $4,000 at Basel.
Before the war Germans acquired
Swiss nationality in great numbers.
The superior officers of the Swiss army
are Germans: Gen. Ulrich villa is Ger
Gen. Won Bismarck. Germany has es-
tablished, in violation of the treaties,
the fortress of Istein on the banks of
the Rhine and fortified the heights of
Tulingen. Istein was Surnamed by the
Germans die Wacht am Ober Rhein."
These were included in the strategic
railway system which permits the Ger
mans to invade Switzerland whenever
they wish
Up to May "a, 1915. Germany was
freely provisioned by Switzerland. but
since October 10, 1915, Germany re-
n j.,