New Britain herald., 1917-05-03

! land is hit commercially when sur
 rounded by the fighting world powers. ! A nasty arrangement was consequent ly necessary. which may be summar- : ized as follows: Switzerland used to buy principally in America, partially | also in France and Italy, it's most im- portant foodstuffs-grains and fats. l in addition to industrial material. | such as cotton, wool all metals, with ! the exception If iron,. and finally pe- troleum, benzine, vitrol and other like commodities. All the wares drawn from America came by way of French or Italian ports. '. Importing 10000 Tons Of Coal Daily.
 "Other commodities Switzerland has been obliged during the war to draw from the Central Powers, especially
 from Germany, primarily coal, iron. and agricultural auxiliary supplies.
 such as potash and other fertilizers, sugar and potatoes. Our coal im-
 ports alone approximate 10000 tons daily. Our circumstances are such that neither of the two warning groups
 can take the place of the other in
 supplying our necessaries Germany
 and Austria can give us no grains or fats. whereas France and Italy can
 furnish no considerable quality of coal or iron. This fact is recognized by
 both the Entente and Central Pow
 CTS. Thus the economic dependence
 of Switzerland rests on both groups
 of belligerents.
 We are under necessity, merely be-
 cause of the urgency of importing, of
 maintaining commercial relations with
 both sides, and therefore of remains
 ing economically neutral. This fact
 is the key to an understanding of our difflculties.''
 Asked why the export of many arr ticles from America to Switzerland, es- pecially grain, had increased during the war, President Schulthess said: Before the war. Switzerland import ed 36O,000 tons of grain from Russia. This importation has been complete ly stopped by the closing of the Dar- danelles. The same Is true for Ru- mania. Switzerland therefore is com pelled to procure her entire grain supplies from America and Argentina today. We actually can exist only by the help of shipments that come from the United States and Argen- tina. For us it is nothing less than question of existence or non-exist- ence Were America to restrict or stop the exportation of grain to Switzerland, our position would be critical. Without exaggeration, the danger of starvation would then be at hand.
 Concerning reports that foodstuffs sent from the United States merely passed through Switzerland to the Central Powers the president said:
 'I am glad to have the opportunity to explode this fairy tale. Our im- ports of foodstuffs since the begin ming of the war are not larger, but smaller than before. and as our, pop ulatioh has not decreased. 1t is sim- ply a question of arithmetic to show that such rumors are in the realm of fable.
 II can give you the positive dec- laration, which no one can deny. that all the grain imported into this coun- try has remained here. I will go further and say that the modest amount of. grain Me produce ourselves is not exported: Ti7is poiicyt is . mat ter of necessity, in addition to which we gave our word to France when that country permitted the transpor- tation of grain across it's domains"