Evening journal., 1918-02-07

embargo 10 prevent Tho shipment Of
foodstuffs TO neutrais.
The food pinch upon her. Switzerland
listened eagerly 10 what her German
friends" had to say.
American troops were reported on the
Alsace-L orraine front. near the Swiss
line This meant, said the German pro
pagandists, that America contemplated
an invasion Of Switzerland in an effort
10 reach Germany. The embargo, they
said, was equivalent 10 an act OF war.
While the Swiss were In this mood
Germany produced a treaty made IN
time Of peace with Switzerland, which
70 Interpreted as giving TO Germany the
right TO use Swiss tunnels and sections
Of the railroad system leading thereto
in certain emergencies. Such an emer-
gency, argued tho Germans, was al
hand.
Germany at this time was sending
troops into Italy. The way Of the troops
was a hard one, compelled, as they
were, 10 go over the mountains The
use Of the Swiss tunnels would obvate
much hardship and speed up and sim
plify the getting Of troops into Italy.
Feeling against America at this
period was intense. Even some Of the
newspapers printed IN French bitterly
criticized US and our embargo.
America Is trying 10 starve as and
then she will invade US one heard az
every hand, repeated, no doubt, after
the German agents.
Never had Germany been 80 near 10
getting what sho wanted Of Switzer-
land.
At this moment President Wilson
modified the embargo food was assured
Switzerland, and the crisis passed.
Germany did not win the use of the
Swiss tunnels, but her propagandlsts
have not gone home. They never des-
pair. a time will yet come. they be-
lleve.
Germany reaches the French troops
with a newspaper 70 Is printed in
French and is full OF pictures and
stories about the war
10 hints that England Is saving her
self az the expense Of the French, and
that when peace Is declared she will
have most Of the gains ana the French
most Of the losses.
Needless 10 say. the propaganda has
borne no fruit AS regularly as The
newspapers come showerlng down from
the balloons upon the French lines they
arc gathered into heaps and burned
7 The French understand perfectly thai
save for England there would now be
no France.
/ The Germans believe that the differ
ences IL blood and nationality amons
the allies cannot be overcome. Briton
Latin and Siay they regard as an i'm
possible combination. A British once
who had been prisoner In German'
three years, and whom I met IN the IN
ternment camp In Switzerland, told M
how tests were made In an attempt q
establish this fact among the prisoners
"They put English, Irish, Belgian
/ Russian, French and Serblans an I'm IN
same prison. he said
"When they assigned us 20 our plaS
10 sleep each prisoner was surrounded
with men OF other nationalitics whosl
! language he could not speak.
They believed that this coniac
would develop the racial difference.
and would be an illustration Of the in
surmountable difficulties In the way Of
unity among the allies.
Fortunately all Of us saw through
this scheme from the beginning. ] thinl
we should have gotten along very wei
together anyhow, but knowing that ~
were under the bell-glass. we all pu
forth a special effort at Twins in har
mony.
Il learned afterwards that our iailer'
were psychologists from the various
universities. They hoped 10 be uhO q
say 10 their kaiser that racial dlfi6ren
ces among the allies could not be over
come and 10 offer as proof tho quarreli
among the prisoners
German intrigue was responsible FOL
the Italian defeat. Not that commander