The Wahpeton times., 1917-09-20
Loss Of Tourists Business
Means $45, 600, 900 a Year
to Little Nation.
UPHoLDs ITS NEUTRALITY
All eeIIiserents Contribute to System
ct Compensation for Maintenance
Country Really Struggling
for Existence

tional Industry. It Is estimated that
the gross receipts from tourist busi-
hess in Switzerland amounted in 1913
to over $45,O00,OOO, OF which almost
S1o,OO0,000 represented the net profit
of this industry. in which the capital
invested exceeded $2OO,OOO,OOO. The
1000 hotels specially built for the ac-
commodation of foreign visitors, con-
thinning more than 10000 beds and
employing about $4,000 servants, are
now mostly closed or empty. 1t is
true that some of them have been used
for prisoners Of war hospitalized in
Switzerland, but the profit thus made
Is only nominal.
The loss Of tourist business is by no
means the only one suffered by Swift
zerland. While other neutral coun.
tries prospered owing to the war,
Switzerland, surrounded by belliger.
ent nations-Germany on the north,
Austria on the east, Italy on the south
and France on the west-and com.
PEELED to keep her army ON q war foot
ing to defend her neutrality and watch
her frontiers. paid the penalty of her
special geographical position. But
besides increased military expenditure
which the war rendered indispensable,
Switzerland, despite her neutrality, is
exclusively dependent ON her neighbors
for food. Without their help she will
starve, and she needs help both from
The allies asd ths central empires:
Both groups ci beiligetFfssnts admitted
that the case of Switzerland was es
senttally aG SSceptiQDal one, '6daI affest
laborloas Regulations they Consented
to the adoption Sf the s6scal!ed system
Of compensatlans. This system is fai
from perfect. as besides benehting
Switzerland It benefits her neighbors
as we'll, but not TO- the same extent. 1t
follows that the allies and the central
empires complain that their goods are
being re-exported to the enemy, and
both are continually blaming the Swiss
government Of partiality and threaten.
ing to break off commercial relations
Switzerland only exports natural
products to the central empires, prin.
cipally live stock, milk, butter and
cheese, and she gets in return coal
iron, artificial manure, sulphate OF
aluminium, benz0l, zinc, straw, chem
ical dyes and potatoes. Swiss exports
| to Germany and Austria are supposed
to compensate the imports from these
two countries, and in order to prevent
that goods of ally origin should be OK
ported to enemy countries. the Society
of Swiss Surveillance, generally known
as S. S. S.. has been formed under tho
auspices of the allies to control Swiss
expectation to the central EMPIRES
The allies export wheat to Switzer
land, or rather allow it to be exported
| from neutral countries, and grant spe
cial facilities for it's being landed an(
discharged ut Cette in France an(
conveyed to destination. Rice, corn
sugar and other fOOdstuffs, as well as
raw materials. are also exported by
the allies to Switzerland, which com
pensates them by exporting in re
turn machinery and northumberland
materials which serve for the war.
Allies Gain by Deal.
It is fact, however, that Switzer
land is getting more from Germany
and Austria than what she is givini
them. while her compensation to the
allies is considerably less than whal
she gets. Besides. while Swiss exports
to the allies are not absolutely indis
pensable. those to the central empires
representing exclusively foodstuffs, are
undoubtedly prolonging the military
resistance of the enemy and counter
acting the effect Of the allies block
ade.
It is suspected that Germany ant
Austria are compensating Switzerland
literally for cOntraband which, despite
the control Of the 8. s. s.. still -four
fishes and that even allied goods, such
for instance as rubber, find their way
to Germany and Austria. The Swiss
government denies that cOntraband in
favor Of the central empires is tol.
Grated. Every effort is done to re-
press it and generally with success, al.
though 1t is impossible to stop it alto.
gether. The excess of AustrO-G German
exports is explained by the fact that
since the allies cannot supply Switzer.
land with coal and minerals, which
are indispensable for Swiss industries
! which otherwise would be paralyzed
and widespread unemployment and
destitution would follow, every effort
is made not to diminish Swiss exports
to the central empires which benefit
the country considerably more than
those to allied countries.
If cattle were not exported to Ger.
many for instance cattle raising
would not be profitable in Switzerland
owing to the high cost of fodder and
the rural population would suffer. The
same may be said Of milk, fresh and
condensed. and cheese. which besides
are also exported to allied countries.