The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-01-08
SWISS PUT CHECK
ON UNDESIRADLES
Demand IroncIad Passports of Al
Foreigners Entering the
Country.
HOSn.Il.77.llITY IS VIOLATED

Switzerland Has Suffered From For
eign Element as No Other Neutral
: Since War Began-country Is
Overrun With Spies.
! Berne.-Switzerland finally has tax.
en- initial steps to control the undesir
able foreign element from which she
has suffered as no o;hcr neutral coun'
try since August, 1871.
New regulations adopted by the fed
eral council are intended to make it
difficult for the agent of one of the
warning countries, for the deserter
from any side, for the foreigner with
out obvious, legitimate means of liveli-
hood and occupation to flock, as here
tofore, into the little country that is
trying desperately to maintain an up
right neutrality and at the same time
weather the storm until peace arrives.
Switzerland hitherto has permitted,
without any material objections, scores
of thousands Of strangers to enter al
most as freely as in peace times. Now
action has been taken to stop this only
because her hospitality has been gross
ly violated, her neutrality at times
even threatened.
The new rules, which will become
effective as soon as the Swiss diplO-
matte and consular officials throughout
the world can be notified, require that
all foreigners entering the country
must be equipped with ironclad pass
ports from their own countries, or
equivalent papers of Identification;
that prior to coming to Switzerland all
foreigners must furnish to Swiss diplo-
matte or consular officials adequate
reasons for wanting to come here, and
hat, after arrival, strangers must reg
lister with the police Of the city or town
they intend to inhabit.
overrun by UndesirabIes.
There always has been daily traf-
fc between France and Switzerland in
the neighborhood Of Geneva, and be-
tween Germany and Switzerland near
Basel, on the part of laborers and 9TH
ers Many undesirable foreigners have
smuggled themselves across the bor-
del and have failed to return. Once in
Switzerland, they have been able to
hide because ct the lack Of control over
foreigners.
That all is to be changed. Every
person crossing the border at other
than the ordinary points where iron
clad passports will be required will be
numbered If he fails to return, the
police will be put upon his trail. He
will have little chance of escaping, for
without the right kind of credentials
he is unable to obtain bread. A bread
card today is more important even
than the money with which to pur~
chase it-and bread card is issued
only on presentation of Identification
papers.
The hotel at which the newcomer
stops, the pension that takes him In,
the private family to whom he may 60,
are all liable to heavy penalties If they
Problem for Deserters.
There remains the problem OF the
deserters who have managed to fee
across the boundary from one army or
another and Of the near-deserters,
those who have come here with the
permission of their respective govern
ments, and then have declined to re-
turn. Swiss law prescribes that these
deserters and refractionaries, as they
are called, cannot be forcibly deported-
There are in Switzerland now, 1t 10
estimated, between 10000 and 1900
of these gentry. Not all of them are
bad citizens. Hundreds of them, at
least, are gainfully occupied and are
living model lives. Others are unde-
sirable to the point of being out-and-
out criminals. Figures for Geneva
alone show that out of 10000 foreign
ers among its 10000 population, 1885
are deserters and 2,452 dictionaries,
while in Zurich these figures are ex-
ceeded.
The agitation for the utilization OF
the man power represented by the de-
serters and refractionaries is so strong
that it will surprise no one to see steps
taken to incorporate the majority OF
them into civilian service of manual
labor in agriculture.
LAW VIOLATOR is FORGIVEN