New Britain herald., 1916-02-11
FEELS HE IS ABOUT
 HALF AMERICAN
Former President of Switzerland
 Fought in Our Civil War

fCorrespondencs or the Associated Press,
 Berne, Switzerland, Jan. 24-Emil Frey, former president of Switzerland, is one of the notable men of the coun- try, who, since retiring from the presi- dency, has become head of the inter national union by which the telegraph, cable and wireless systems of the world are regulated at this central point. But while MT. Frey has risen to the highest office in his own coun- try, he feels that he is about half American, for he was in the Ameri- can Civil war from start to finish as a member of an Illinois regiment, was captured at Gettysburg and held as prisoner for fifteen months at Rich mond, met and knew such war figures as Grant. Sheridan, Lee and Long, street, and later on returned to Wash ington as Swiss minister, where he re- newed the acquaintance with Sheridan and others made in war days
 When friend remarked on the cor rectness of his English, he said:
 "I took my lessons under rather
  Richmond. My prison companion could speak nothing but English so that after being with him for fifteen months I had acquired a good knowl- edge of English
 Held as Hostage.
 MT. Frey was held as a hostage against a, Southern prisoner, Capt. Gordon, held in the north under sen- tence of death, and as a result he also was under sentence of death until Gordon was released. When Gordon died later some of the southern papers had the picture of Gordon and Frey as the two whose lives had been paired against each other. But few know this northern soldier, Frey, was the | president of Switzerland.
 The International Cable and Tele- 1 graph Union, which MT. Frey directs, 1 is one of those world organization ad- 1ninistered here in Berne. It is rather strange that Switzerland, far from the | sea and without any cable connections, should be chosen to direct the vast ramifications of the worlds cables, to which has now been added the worlds wireless systems, and all the tele- graph of Europe and the Orient But it is largely for the reason that Switzerland has no direct interest in 1 these huge systems, and stands at one side as a neutral observer, that she is chosen to carry on this intricate ser vice. MT. Frey's offices occupy a large building, with an extensive per sonnel at work on cable and telegrs- ph tariffs, the adjustment of disputes be- tween countries over rates and pro- eedure, the preparation of cable. tele- graph and wireless maps and printed volumes embracing every point the world over that can be reached by ny of the modern methods of quick trans mission.
 World Administration.
 '"This union is unique in one re- spect," said MT. Frey, ''as it is the first realization of the idea of world administration. Before it was creat- ed in 1865 the different nations had passed similar laws, and uniformity was secured by treaties and conven- tioRs under these laws. But the In- sernational Union actually realized a world administration which is now carried on for nations all over the globe with the same regularity as any administration of a state or private organization"
 The war has had a paralyzing effect on cable and telegraph transmission- greater in it's restrictions and interr Jp- lions than anything in the history of electrical transmission. This affects chiefly the belligerent countries, all transmission between them being at a standstill, while the transmission be- tween neutrals and belligerents, and between two neutrals, is very much re-