TaÌˆgliche Omaha tribuÌˆne. [volume] (Omaha, Nebr.) 1912-1926, 1917-08-17
A PLEA FOR SWITZERLAND.

fJ @AH S|0AF4hSlIlSlg plSdQl
the case Tor Switzerland. II,
says:
No sooner has the much-dis.
cussed embargo question beer
settled in that it has been put
in the hands of the export cotin.
Gil, than some of your contem.
poraries have found it neces.
sary to write again long sensa.
tional news dispatches and edi-
torials rejecting 0 n the attitude
Of the few remaining neutral
countries in Europe. OF course.
this IS the privilege OF the press I;
hence a few words of accurate
information for the benefit of
the readers, relative to one of
them-Switzerland - might not
be inappropriate.
1t has been shown that the
Swiss imports from the United
States have increased remark
ably since the outbreak OF the
war, and as a result Switzerland
has been accused Of turning over
the surplus to Germany. This
assumption is, however, most
unjust, for it must be remem.
bered that the Helyetian repub.
lie is at present unable to pur-
chase on her former markets.
which also included allied cotil-
tries-and she was consequently
obliged to turn to America for
her needs and France has placed
the Mediterranean port Of Cette
especially at her disposal. This
very fact makes any further
explanations unnecessary.
Then it has been openly sug-
gested that the Alpine republic
should give MP her neutrality.
This is but idle talk, of course,
and excusable, because one can
not expect to be fully informed
5000 miles away from the actual
theatre Of war. The foolishness
of such suggestions is moreover
apparent through the fact that
none of the European bellige-
rents have ever made the sug.
gestion that Switzerland should
join them! Switzerland is bound
the treaty of 1915 not to allv
herself, in case of war, with
SIDE.
In return her n~eighbors guaran-
teed on their part to respect
territory, STIMULATING that
Switzerland herself defend it
against all corners. And as
Switzerland in her true demo-
cratic spirit regards a treaty as
a binding contract" in the full
sense of the word and not as a
scrap Of paper, She cannot, in
honor bound to this agreement,
but watch on all sides of her
frontier against any possible at
tempt-from whatever quarter
it might come-to violate her
territory for the sake of attack
ing the enemy from the flank.
If one Of her neighbors should
succeed in setting foot on her
soil, Switzerland would unavoid-
become the battlefield of
Switzerland, as you know, is
the champion of democracy and
which she heroieally de-
ever since 1921 and it
would be unfair to question her
good faith in this struggle. For
80 years she has been able to
maintain her integrity, and her
efficiently trained soldiers would
without doubt give a noteworthy
account Of themselves again If
1elvetian territory should be
riolated; but hardly would they
able to repulse the overwhel-
ming forces which would then
rom all sides invade the eoun.
ry.
Does it not occur to you that
he fate OF Switzerland would
,e sealed beforehand, that she
would be doomed to devastation
nd destruction no matter how
'ictoriously the struggle would
end for her? And to pre-.
-ent the misery and for the
.enefit of all belligerents, Swift
erland's soldiers have for three
ears vigilantly guarded the
rontiers at a cost of Sl16,0O0-
making $50 per capita on
er population of $4,000.
During this period Of three
ears, when a wave Of unprece-
ented prosperity swept over the
States, the European
eutrals have made enormous
acrifices and have had to over