The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-06
But for Her Wonderful 0rgani-
zatiOn She Would Be Starving.
Almost Everything She Requires
Comes From War Nations.
HAS LOWER BREAD RATION
Germany Gets Swiss Butter in
Return for Coal.
Berlin Squeezed Little Republic
for 100 Million Francs.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMs.

BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS.
Berne, Switzerland, February 10 (by
naaiI1-Switzerland has been hit hard
err by the war than any of the allied
nations, except in the matter of money
spent and men killed. But for her won
deFful organization she would be
starving, freezing and in revolt.
With almost everything she requires
coming from the warning countries
Switzerland by maintaining her neu-
traIity and feeding her own popula-
ton, while doing more than her share
of ministering to the bleeding world
has proven that democracy is worth
fighting for.
This country is rationed more strict
" than is France, principal battlefield
OF the world. 1 have eaten a better
meal in Arras, Verdun, Toul, Belfort,
Rheims ITSELF than l can get here in as
fine a hotel as there is in Switzerland.
And you can't beat a Swiss running
hotel
Bread Ration Smaller Than in France.
In. France the bread ration is 800
grams per person a day. Here the
daily bread ration is 225 grams and
the quality is not so good. In Paris
YOU can order eggs, fish, chicken,
meat and game, fruit, cheese, dessert,
coffee and the rest But here you
can have but one meat. And if you
have Srneat you cannot have eggs or
cheese: if cheese, then no meat and
no eggs; if eggs, no meat and no
cheese.
In Zurich, at one of the finest hotels
in the city, they would not let me have
any sugar Here in Berne, l get
couple of very small lumps-the ra-
ton differing a trifle in the various
cantons This apparently unfair and
undemocratic distribution of sweets is
really the reverse. Sugar is given out
according to the number of SWISS
lob
crammed with German war refugees,
the sugar ration per head is naturally
less than in some other cantons where
there are fewer visitors.
Cheese and Butter Scarce.
Pread being an absolute necessity. is
naturally handed out according TO the
mouths. whether Swiss, German,
French or American.
Butte is difficult to get. Cheese is
scarce. 1t is said that Germany is
buying most Of the butter. Germany
is insisting on this butter, threatening
to cut IF some of the things which
Switzerland needs and which Swift
zerland cannot very we'll get else
where.
Coal is very scarce. This comes
from Germany almost entirely and
Germarv herself is short of coal. The
coal stony is the story of Switzerland
today. SO I'll tell it.
DurinS the first part of the war,
Switzerland ordered her coal from
Germany. One day Germany said:
''If you want to get coal from us,
you've get to come across with cheese,
condensed milk and meat"
Nation in a Quandary.
Switzerland had to have coal, so she
said:
"All right" But to make cheese, a
certain Iart of veal is necessary-to
make tie milk CONCEAL properly. This
frOr1 ENr-lv1
TO make condensed milk, sugar is nee
essary-sugar which the allies only
could furnish Switzerland. Naturally,
: the allies said:
mo more cheese and condensed
raiik go to Germany or your veal
product and sugar will be cut off,
So Switzerland was in a quandary.
IF you can't give us condensed milk
and cheese" the German Shylock
said. 1--WE can't sell you coal. That is,
unless you lend US gold to help us
boost our declining mark"
Had to Buy German Bonds.
Prussia squeezed Switzerland to the
tune of 120,O00,00O francs before let
ting her buy puny 225, 900 tons of
coal monthly-about a quarter OF
what they got in peace times
Switzerland, as a nation, was too
poor to furnish this money. A cor
poration of coal users had to be
formed. Every user of five tons OF
coal a year had to take a 500 franc
bond. This money is a loan and pre-
sumably will be paid back. Germany
gave her neutral victim nine months
in which to pay the quarter million
francs, the time being up this April
Almost everything Switzerland gets
she had to get like she gets coaI-by
special treaties and special bargains
She does not get anything for moth
ing. save perhaps from the United
States and certainly it was good poll
ties for Uncle Sam to send Switzer-
land bread without holding her UT
like the Germans.
The Swiss will remember it
Accept New Armistice.