East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1920-02-17
SWITZERLAND SUFFERS
!. FROM 'NEUTRALHT|S IN
RECEIVING REFUGEES
Dethroned Monarchs Flee to
Little Country Where Bounds
of Hospitality Admit Outlaws
to Nations Safety,
by HENRY WOOD

(Cnited freSS STAR IprrespoiuSh''' \,
BERNE, switzerland, Feb. IL
switzerland just now is suffering from
n very bad case of "neutral-itis" and /
not entirely without reason.
Where most countries in the world ,
figure that the one thing they have I
got to defend above everything else /
in their national honor, poor Switzer-
land is up against the double job not
only of defending her national honor
but her national nuetrality as WE'LL
While II might be a little unjust TO
Switzerland to say that In pinch 4
where In she would have to make the
choice that she would defend her
neutrality above her honor. yet the.l
rather bitter facts in the case are that
she could get along without her hon
or a great deal better than she could
without her neutrality. In fact, with
out her neutrality her national exist
ence could no longer he insured and
as a consequence there would be no
national honor TO defend.
Guests Intr,itie.
And il is the decidedly ticklish job
which she is having now to keep her
neutrality from being violated-not by
herself but by her unweleome guests
that is causing her severe case OF
"neutraitis.
Ii was SvitzarlanS's neutrality,
guaranteed b. ai tne great powers of
Europe that lfnt switzerland out of
the present war and out OF all the
rest of the f II ein wars that have
preceded il for q ceatury or two or
three past.
However tltS i1raptsed neutrality
involves reel, TO i eallsations of neu-
trality on the part OF Switzerland, ana
while if there was no one to be con-
sidered but just Switzerland herself
she could be counted upon to sacri-
flee her national hcror and everything
else rather than V olate her neutral
ity. the trouble just now is that Slit
zerland is chock full of dethroned
royalty overturned statesmen. new
brands of bolsheviki, and political
exiles generally ali of whom are just
itching to to put across something in
a political way that would further
their own interests but which having
been .coneoeted on Swiss soil might be
regarded by other interested powers
as a breach of neutrality by Switzer-
land.
I While it is to be doubted in the ex-
treme degree if any European power
!: as constituted at the present time
!: would ever dream of holding poor
Switzerland responsible for any little
!: deals which her present unwelcome
!: guests might frame up, nevertheless
nutrality means SO much to Switzer
and that she has Highly developed if
not exaggerated idea of what's what
and what ought to be in the neutrality
line and she doesn't propose to let
anyone get her intr trouble if there
is any way to prevent it.
Takes Precautions .
As consequence, Switzerland Is
taking her precautons-and her pre-
cautions are almost as amusing for an
outsider as they. are serious for her.
First of all, before Switzerland
opened her arms to receive-with
overfIowing spitality--not--the de-
throned royalty of Europe such as
!: Emperor Charles. King Constantine,
and numerous German royal person.
ages whose names and titles are hard
ly known to any but themselves. to say
nothing of fleeing statesmen and po-
litical exiles Switzerland exacted
from them solemn promise that dur
ling the period they might enjoy her
hospitality they would cease from all
political plotting, all propaganda in
heir own behalf. all agitation and all
activity that might cause the most
sentitive European mind to interpret
as permitting a violation of Swiss
neutrality.
i The royal and political personases
are discouraged in the extreme degree
from receiving visits of any one, even
innocent Journalists seeking inter
views, that might result in some plot
hCd ie, fsrl.f
and shadowed, records are kept. innn-
cent actions are interpreted into po-
itentialIy evil ones. The atmosphere
generally is not SO different in many
respects, although ever so much more
healthful in general character thao
that Of the police-ridden countries OF
Russia and Turkey before the war
Visit Constantine.
This exaggerated idea of keeping /
her neutrality from being violated by {
someone else has givn rise to several I
amusing incidents. Two or three 4
months ago, the Swiss delegation at
Paris conceived the happy idea of
taking the American correspondents
who have been covering the peace
on sight seeing tour of
Switzerland. Some twelve accepted
the invitation. Upon their arrival in I
Switzerland nothing would do but ;
they must be received by ex-King
Constantine. The Swiss looked as
kance at such project but neverthe- S
less hospitality demanded that they t
give in. King Constantine consented, Il
and so 1t was finally agreed that Con- I
stantie should receive the twelve cor !
respondents in a purely personal way, {
and that the visit should in no way S
serve as copy d
The correspondents spent a half c
hour with Constantine. who is a past v
master in the art of good fellowship
With representatives of the press, and a
sasy were SO delighted with their visit a
That as soon as they got out of Switzers f
and several of them forgot the visit f
vas one purely of experience and v
wrote II up in real interview style and /.
In a manner that left no doubt thar |.
would not refuse the n
hrone Of Greece even without its be- G
nR offered him on a silver platter. N