The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-01-09
SWISS WOULD CLOSE THEIR DOOR
AGAINST FOREIGNERS WANTING IN


vast wealth would not constitute a
danger and would be encouraged as
a highly desirable addition to the ma
TONS wealth and population.
In a small country like Switzerland,
however, the situation is vastly diff.
ferent. The Swiss see clearly that all
Of this vast wealth now coming into
the country will Eventually be invest
ed in Swiss industries. That means at
the end of a year all the financial, in
dustrial and economic life of the
country will be in the hands of for
eigners.
Then from private control to pub
lie control is but step. The naturali-
zation laws in Switzerland at the
present time are very loose and easy
Only very short time is necessary
for all these wealthy foreigners to
become Swiss citizens, to become
eligible for IAN the public offices from
the highest down,
As a consequence they are now put
ting up a valiant fight to save them
selves from this experimentation"
largely through the revision Of their
naturalization laws and their regula-
tions permitting foreigners to reside
in their country.
no country in the world where it was
Before the war there were probably
easier to get naturalized either by
honest or dishonest means than in
Switzerland. All that was necessary
was for the foreigners to take up resi-
dence in some Swiss canton and aft
ep two years the canton authorities
had the right to grand Swiss citizen.
ship. AS a matter Of fact hundreds if
not thousands were able by the pay
ment of little hush money to in
duce the local authorities in some out
Of the way canton not only to short
en- this period of time but even to
render actual residence unnecessary
This possibility was greatly taken |
advantage of before the war by citi- |
iens of Austria, Italy, mad other coun- |
ries where divorce laws do not exist |
)r are very difficult BY going up to |
switzerland and arranging with the |
ocal Swiss authorities to become nat
lralized in a remarkably short period
If time, then secure a divorce under
swiss laws they could return, to |
heir native country, and either re-
ume their original citizenship just as
hey pleased or not and eventually
emarry.
70 remedy all of this number of
rejects are now before the Swiss
ederal council tending to render
wiss naturalization a most difficult
hing to secure Perhaps the most
rastic of these provides that the
)reigner must first demand from
le Swiss federal council the right to
which will still be
ranted as heretofore by the local
lntons but only with the permission
the federal council The latter will
'quire that each applicant during
e IS years preceding his request
r naturalization shall have passed
least 10 years in Switzerland in |
uding the last two just preceding J
S request.
Another project before the council t
ovides that no naturalized citizen t
II hold a public office unless he has /
red in the country at least 12 years n
tween the age of five years and teh 0
ne they attain their majority. G
during the war scores of 5
e principal public offices in the va ii
'us Swiss cantons were filled by r,
turalized Swiss who had the real D
.erests of almost every country at "a
art except those of Switzerland. d