The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-02-15
PEOPLE OF THAT REPUBLIC
FEAR THAT TREATY OF 1915
BE NEXT "scRAP PAPER"
IN WAY OF ATTACK ON FRANCE
Little Swiss Army Would be Helpless
Before Hordes Under Hindenburg
is Boast of Germans in Neutral
Country.
Country.

Dy w IllLJI Ah
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
Copyright, 1918, by United Press)
ZURICH, Switzerland, Feb. 13.-
After Belgium-is Switzerland's turn
next?"
Hindenburg is massing troops
against the French right flank, with
vast stores of ammunition with many
guns.
The people here are asking whether
the treaty of 1916 will be the next
scrap Of paper
Germans in Zurich are openly
boasting that Ludendorff could smash
the Swiss army in 4S hours.
The Prussians while gorging them
selves on little republics brag they
could occupy this city the first day.
They declare Switzerlands 1900 ma
chine guns, 16 sixinch cannon, so bat
teries of three-inch field guns and
small stock of ammunition is insuf-
ficient to cause much trouble.
They say there are only 100000
troops under colors and that of these
but $4,000 are on the German border,
which could be swept aside, and
France entered before the remainder
of the Swiss could be mobilized.
The consensus of opinion of peo-
pie | have talked to is that if Hinden-
burg does not attempt to cross Swift
zerland in an effort to turn the
French flank, it will be because he
considers it strategically unwisH.
| am told the Germans have planned
the invasion to the last detail; even
skeleton governments for the cantons
(Swiss states) exists.
At the trial of number of suspect
ed spies at Vevey, documents placed
in evidence named a certain tailor as
the mayor of town upon Prussian
occupation.
Today Switzerland is struggling val
iantly not only to maintain its neu-
trality but for independence itself.
German agents are threatening the
staunch republic with revolution, hop
ing the revolution will spread into
Italy and France.
The Prussians boast that German
people are better disciplined than the
rest of the world that if revolution
ary doctrines are scattered broadcast,
other nations will succumb while Ger
many will remain unscathed.
Switzerland is swarming with
agents of the Prussian war party. Dis
cussing the question Of what the Rus
sian Bolsheviki movement could have
hoped to accomplish in Switzerland
France, Italy, England and even Amer
ica, the celebrated Journal de Geneve
declared:
"a great revolutionary wave COM
ing from the Orient and crossing Ger
many, is now swirlng at the foot of
the Alps. Concerted, methodic, in
ternationalist agitations are growing
in other cities. These tend to pro-
woke by violence revolution which
from Switzerland would gain neigh
boring countries
The paper is one of the most sub
stantial in Europe. The warning was
prompted by sensational Developments
of the past few weeks throughout Ger
man Switzerland.
Labor troubles are increasing. Pure
ly political strikes have already oc-
Cured. Others are brewing. am
told they are all inspired by foreign
ers not belonging to allied countries.
The latest menace came from the
radical laborities, foreign led, in the
shape of an ultimatum to the govern
ment, demanding withdrawal of GER
tain war measures, immediate release
and indemnification of deserters who
are forced to work and complete de-
mobilization of the army by May l.
Laborites declare that if within As
hours after the ultimatum was rati-
fled by labor unions and Socialists,
the terms were unheeded, a general
strike would be called.
The best element of labor is gen.
orally against the ultimatum by Ger
man agitators, aiming at revolution,
are busy day and night.
| Meantime, German troops are gath
ering near the Swiss border.
All true Swiss are crying a warn
ing, demanding what is the connec-
tion between the menace Of Swiss
revolution and Hlndenburg's often
siye?"