The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-25
SWISS WILL VOTE
 ON GAMBLING DENS Advocates Claim They Are Necessary to SOOthe the
 Nerves of Tourists
By JULIAN GRANDE


 Geneva, March 31-(Special.) .)-Nearly thre-quarters of century ago the Swiss decided to abolish all gambling dens, and l Incorporated this decision in their con- 'sstitution. Nevertheless, with the increas- ing importance of the tourist traffic, va rious resorts contrived to open what they called casinos, and in these, very quietly, gaming tables were installed. where petits chevaux and other games of chance went on merrily all day and some times all night. In fact, some of these casinos became miniature Monte Carlos. By 1916, despite the solemn prohibition of gambling saloones in Switzerlands there were nine such saloons in casinos in the country-at Baden, Berne, Geneva Interlaken, Locarno, Lugano, MontreuS and Thun In al lthese places, strange to say, no Swiss subject was allowed to gamble, but only visitors and tourists, Which was one method whereby the Swiss hotel proprietors and sacino managers contrived to drive a coach and six through the Swiss constitution.
 But the Swiss themselves were not pleased with this state of things, and shortly before the war more than IT, ,O00 Swiss citizens, all of course voters, signed Ia petition demanding the closing of all existing gambling hells and an absolute prohibition of opening any others, whether inside or outside casinos. This petition ought legally to have been sub mitted to a referendum within a year ,res it's presentation to Parliament, but, doubtless because hotel and tourist inter yests are SO powerful in Switzerland, it 'Fkas been repeatedly delayed; and only now is the matter really to come to rhe vote of the people.
 The French-Swiss, who have never been slaves to foreign tourists, are champion ing the cause of what they call cleansing Switzerland-tkat is, the cause of those who would abolish existing gamb-~ig facilities and prevent the creation of any more. Especially do they want to rid Switzerland of gambling rooms before the League of Nations settles in Geneva. But the government is in a quandary; although it cannot forbid the referendum, yet it is putting before the people, es an alternative the most elastic counter proposals worded in such way that nothing could be easier than for anyone to have gambling rooms if he wants them. He has only to pretend that ''thes are for the purposes of recreation or of public utility (the latter can always be done if any portion, however small, of the profits be devoted to charitable purposes),a and he can have 9 Monte Carlo at once.
 The propaganda now being carried on by those interested in the maintenance of gambling is as extraordinary as 1t is amusing. For instance, the head office Of the Swiss Hotelkeepers' Association is sending out to all Swiss newspapers a series of articles in French, German or Italian as the case may be, asseverating the innocence of Swiss sacinos and in ssting that these casinos (and of course their gambling tables) are necessary for foreigners who come to Switzerland TOT rest, refreshment or to calm their nerves and recover their capacity for woir. The best way. apparently, to calm SoAr nerves and recover your capacity for work is to sit at a gaming table-according to the Swiss Hotelkeepers' Association We i. are also assured by them that rich Tor eigners who visit Switzerland to calm their nerves by trying their luck at games of chance are really thinking how they can help Swiss hospitals and charitable institutions and how they can earn a little money to help embellish Swiss tour ist resorts For it is on these most worthy objects, we are assured. that the profits, at any rate part of them, rom gaming tables in Swiss casinos, are really expended And a whole farrago or other arguments, of which it is hard to say whether they are the more ingenious or ingenious, all trying to prove that black is white, are being offered to any SWISS editor simple enough to publish them The Journal de Geneve, the leading French-Swiss paper, however, holds up these arguments to merciles ridicule.
 Swiss hotellzeepers seem to imaginSSeat casinos cannot exist without gaming tables, that Swiss hotels cznnot con trive to exist without casinos; and that Switzerland cannot manage to exist with out her hotel industry. Supprfess ca sinos, they, argue, and you will deal death blow to the hotel and tourist indus try as it is called. But Swiss hotel- keepers do not realize that the great ma jorty of people, not British and Amer jeans alone, who visit Switzerland are attracted to it by anything and everything except casinos. Quite as many of them would come if there were not 6ngle casino in the country, perhaps, indeed rfaore might come, and a better class. To argue that gambling is good for the nery es and restorative is sheer effrontery.