Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-02-22
WHAT HAPPENSAS
ITALYS FRONTIER
IS SHUT BY WAR
Many Humorous Incidents
Are Recorded By Guards
Watching Lines
RED TAPE OFFICIALS
MADE EXPERIENCED
Bedrooms of House Which
Are In Italy and Kitchen
In Switzerland

Chiasso, Italy, Feb. 20-The Italian
frontier is closed. Here at the inter-
national railway station of Chiasso,
Italy's northern gateway, though it
| implies stranding of travellers, stag
nation of commerce, accumulation of
foodstuffs, and score of equally dis
agreeable consequences, Italians and
Swiss draw comfort from the knOwl-
edge that the longer the frontier il
closed the more imposing is the mum.
Der of troops pouring into Italy to
help drive back the invader.
Closing the Frontiers.
The methods adopted to close the
various frontiers which shut the
Swiss territory offer contrast in ma
tional characteristics. Beyond Basic,
when the edict to close the German
Swiss frontier comes from Berlin.
barrier across the road is formed by
fierce-looking German soldiers, who
point bayonets menacingly even at the
nurse maids who unwisely push their
perambulators too close to the line of
| demarcation; outside Geneva, when
| the French-Swiss frontier is closed,
| the poilus nonchalantly drag a lorry
| across the road and pile up wheel
| barroWs on the pavement; the Aus
| trian-Sw frontier is closed, when
the occasion arises, by a frayed rope
which schoolboys in their fun creep
under the leap over. At Chiasso the
| Italians, having no need for either
wheelbarrows or bayonets, employ a
lever-crossing type of gate to mark
the end of Italy and the beginning Of
| Switzerland.
Only One Person.
Only one person-the Italian Min
lister at Berne-has crossed the from
tier during the past 10 days. The
Minister himself had to display a
| large collection of sealed, signed and
cocketed documents, had to plead,
argue, coax and threaten before the
quill-hatted Guardian di Finance al
! lowed him to pass into Italy.
"Well, we will let you in, Marquis"
said the chief officer, finally; ''but 1
am not so sure that we will let you
OUT
''I will bring back with me a pass
port signed by the Prime Minister
and Cadorna themselves" replied the
Minister, as the gate was raised and
ne entered Italy.
Frontier absurdities, of course,
abound. The pedestrian may stand in
Switzerland, but may not protrude
his head over the gate. because, ac-
cording to the opinion of the best au-
| thorities on the sebject, the air over
country constitutes the territory of
that country-and the head of the
pedestrian would be in Italy.
Expensive Shave.
An Italian one afternoon bitterly
complained that the sudden closing of
the frontier had incidentally produce
ed the most expensive shave on re-
cord. He had crossed to pay his Gus
tomary visit to the BARRIERS shop on
Swiss territory, when the sudden clos
ing of the frontier was announced.
With soap still on his cheeks he hur-
ried to the gate but he arrived 20
seconds too late. and the guards prov
ed inexorable. He estimated that in
loss of wages. and cost of board and
t lodging on Swiss territory the shave
had so far cost him 125 francs lover
$3.50 and was automatically augment
ing.
Bedrooms In Italy.
LIS plSAL VI luS occupants OF a
; house situated partly in Italian and
3 partly in Swiss territory, is equally
ludicrous. The bedrooms are in
Italy, and so, for over week the
family have slept in the kitchen and
} living room, which are in Swftzer-
land. Two Swiss chickens-to men
t ton third of these incongruities-
? which, startled by the noise of q
, motor car, scuttled across the from.
tier on another afternoon have beer
G detained by the Italian authorities
who base their action upon regulation
4 81 of the code governing frontier
traffic namely: when the frontiel
is closed no live stock, dogs, or Other
animals, may be permitted to cross.
The inspiring character of the new.
which, in spite of all precautions
leaks out from the strong room O.
Italy, helps the 5000 Italians whC
live here to endure patiently thes,
. minor crosses. All Italy, particular,
n all northern Italy, is af1ame with pat
4 riotism. The knowledge that tn,
i. enemy is on sacred italian soil ha.
A galvanized this nation to giant efforts
: (By the International News Bureau
q Inc, Boston, Mass)
Couenhaean Feb 20-An 12-vea