The weekly soliphone., 1917-07-19
HOW NEUTRALS WILL
 SUFFER BY EMBARGO
Switzerland, Refuge of Wounded, Would Be Hit Hard by Proposed
 United States Action.
(From a New York American Spec
 ial Correspondent

lTTOUl d 4NCW 1OIh AIlleIlCdu DpCC-.
 ial Correspondent
 Geneva, June 19.-America is planning to cut off all exports to neutral countries on the suspicion that because the imports of sev- eral of them have been much great CT than in former years, part of these imports must go to Ger many.
 In the case of Switzerland, at least, this is not so. Switzerland, which does not grow enough at any time for her own people, and has suffered in recent years from poor harvcsts, has nearly doubled her population during the war. People from belligerent countries have focked here-those who can pay and those who cannot. She is feeding thousands of prisoners, wounded, convalescent, i'll with ter rible diseases, citizens expatriated by the enemy.
 In America you hear vaguely about Switzerland's many charities. Every day hundreds of civilians eX- fled from Belgium and northern France. to be returned to France via Switzerland, arrive. For the three or four days they remain here they must be fed. These mourn ful groups of women, children and old men have suffered so much that they tremble if spoken to suddenly These refugees, or eyacuces, aver age about 700 daily.
 PRISONERS PASSING THROUGH.
 Exchange prisoners = maimed. blind, crippled of the class that will never fight again-pass through Switzerland, too; the French ar irving at Geneva at a. m. and the Germans at 10 D. m. As many as a thousand at a time they come-and they. too, have to be fed while in transit.
 In places which used to harbor people who paid big fees. Switz- erIand has established colonies of tuberculosis victims. And these also must be fed.
 Now Switzerland has started a new charity. A like number of married prisoners from either side, who have left families of three or more children, are to be sent here and when possible the families are to join them. Shall we let them go hungry? No, But give us corn meal, wheat and potatoes, won't you?
 In addition to this much greater consumption of food, imports from helligerent countries have stopped. Italy and France can contribute nothing. Germany is hungry herself. A neutral consul in a small Ger man town told me had had not seen a potato in seven weeks! He had to import milk.
 SMloS AXE DfI1 INl Eb.
 Switzcrands own people are de- prived of many things; sugar is portioncd out to them; bread sells stale only: potatoes are a luxury The people have learned to use cornmeal-which comes from Am erica. Two days a week are meat less
 With so many businesses closed the men away guarding the from tiers, women have to be very, very saving. Everywhere are closed shut ters bearing the notice: "CloseC because of proprietor's military service" Prices have gone up tC an unheard-of scale, in foods par ticularIy, in clothing of all sorts shoes that could be bought for 1C or 15 francs now cost 40 to 50.
 Switzerland is taking care O thousands and thousands of people who have nowhere else to go. What If she has to say: q cannot feet you strangers lest my own people starve."
 Think of the allies being driver back to camps and hospitals in Ger many where there is not even now enough food! No, no! Imports mus go on.