Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-01-23
SWISS VOICE
PLEA TO Join
PEACE WORK
Ask Part in Deliberations
will Back Wilson
Plan to Last Ditch.

Paris, Wednesday, Jan. o.
The presidents OF the United
States and Switzerland will
meet tomorrow evening at
1880 o'clock. President AdOr,
who arrived here from BeTne
today. before he meets PreSi-
dent Wilson, VIII confer with
President POincare, Premier
Clemenceau and possibly Prem
ier Lloyd George.
He comes to Paris bearing an
official statement of the views of
the Swiss government on pending
international questions, which will
be laid before the peace congress.
The Statement
The statement follows:
"G. Switzerland expects to be
admitted with other states to the
peace negotiations as far as they
will deal with her own special in
terests or with problems Of general
importance. Exclusion from delib-
erations on problems of the league
of nations would be considered by
the Swiss people as inconsistent
with the principles of democracy. !
"(2). Switzerland highly ap-
proves of the creation of a league
of nations for preserving peace,
and expects from it a complete re
form of international relations. In
ternational conflicts must, as far
as their character allows, be solved
either by arbitration tribunals
formed by the free consent of the
parties or else by a permanent in
ternational court offering every
guarantee of political independence.
VIII Always Be Neutral.
"(3). Switzerland recognizes the
necessity for action which may ul-
timately consist of military pres
sure within the system of the
league of nations. Nevertheless,
Switzerland is determined not to
abandon her neutrality, which is
laid down in the Swiss constitu-
tion and based on the tradition of
400 years of peaceful politics. This
is necessary for SwitZer- |
land, considering the composition |
of her population, as well as on ac-
count of her being in a particularly !
strategical position. In /
case armed conflict should, after all |
occur under the reign of the league }
of nations, the existence of the sew 7
eral permanently neutral and in
violable states would be a great
benefit also for the league itself.
The institution of the Red Cross |
must be based On the existence of |
such neutral territory if it is to be
able to entirely fulfill its task.
80. Freedom of production and
commerce is of vital importance
FOR Switzerland. The Swiss people
hope peace will re-establish the
people to commercial freedom. AS
far as limitations will be imposed
importation, eXporta-
ion and free passage of goods, and
raw materials, all states should
accord each other most
favored nation treatment
FavOrS Access to Sea.
"(5). Switzerland, as land
ocked country, mainly dependent
Ipon its share of the worlds COM
nerce, highly approves Of the prin-
,iple of free access to the sea. First
If all, Switzerland attributes great
Importance to the maintenance and
of the existing inter-
rational waterway of the Rhine
rom Basel to the North sea, Switz-
,rland fully expects, besides that
t will soon be possible to come TO
IN understanding with France and
tally for opening the Rhine and
'o-Ticino rivers for navigation on
big scale, and obtain recognition
# similar principles regarding
hese rivers, as are in vogue for
.lready internatiOnalized water
Ways. 1t also is of vital interest to
switzerland to obtain the right of /
'assage over railroads to the sea |
nd through European states east
yard.
VIII Back wilson.
"f6). The political. legal and
Conomic principles formulated by {
resident Wilson are so entirely in ,
Uniformity with the traditional !
'ants of Switzerland that she will /
dhere to them, whatever difficult
es may lie in the way of their ;