The Washington times., 1922-11-19


- solid rock in the founda-
tions of Europe.
Thanks to its impregnable po-
sition In the Alps and it's on-
rivaled political construction,
whereby the minority as well as
the majority rule, It Is certain
that even should the economic
structure OF the remainder Of
Europe crumble Switzerland will
not succumb.
The moment one crosses the
frontier one gains an impression
Of solvency-an impression "ne
viii not get anywhere else In
Europe. except perhaps in Hol.
land or the Scandinavian coun-
tries. With the rest of Europe
paper money mad. Switzerland
olOnc TeIHdilS sane.
GOLD FOR ASKING.
One of the first surprises the
traveller accustomed to the un.
stable currencies In the Cont
nent gets when he arrives IN
Switzerland 10 that gold has free
circulation. Anyone can get his
change in gold If he SO desires.
Curiously enough this gold is
Trench-the ten and twenty
goldpiece. or louis, which France
has not itse.f seen for eight years.
Millions of these CONS have
found their way to the mountain
confederation.
A French boy born in 1915 was
taken by his parents to Berns
this year for q holiday. When
his uncle gave him a gold louis
TO play with 1t was the first gold
coin of any kind he had ever seen
though gold il still supposed to
be the basis Of the French franc.
PASSING OF WORD GOLD"
In France anyone who took a
hundred.franc note to the Bank Of
France and requested it's equiva-
lent in gold would be considered
mad. Long ago the words IRE
deemable in gold" disappeared
from French banknotes. To re-
deem in gold all the paper money
circulating In France would take
fourteen times the amount OF
bullion in the Golfers OF the
treasury.
Even Switzerland could not rs-
deem In gold all its paper cur
rency. But the mere fact that
anyone wanting gold can obtain
II has q tremendous psychologi-
cal effect on the country's H.
nances.
Switzerland obtained French
gold for the simple reason that a
twenty.franc goldpiece, worth
only twenty francs in France.
could be exchanged In Switzer-
land for twenty francs Swiss.
which could be Immediately ex-
changed for fifty paper French
francs.
In spite of strict laws prohibit
ing the export Of gold from
France hundreds Of people made
large fortunes In the traffic.
SWITZERLAND SANE.
Switzerland is sane in moro
ways than one. came to Lu.
cerne direct from Deauville.
where millions were spent nightly
for luxury and amusement and
millions more tossed to the god
dess OF baccarat. I do not say
goddess of chance" for there II
no chance about Deauville. Out
Of n thousand persons who 60
there with money nine hundred
and ninety-nine return efficiently
broke. The largest European
business In American letters-of-
credit Is done In Deauville Casino.
The business of Deauville Ii
uniquely to get the money. The
only value given for II is the SEN
sational thrill a man gets from
seeing somebody else take his
bank roll.
In Switzerland there IL no bac.
carat and very little gambling.
What there Is iu Of the piker kind
that would be disdained by the
highflyers OF Deauville and Monte
Carlo. In the kursaal there IL a
species Of roulette called "Petits-
Chevaux," where n minimum of 1
franc and ma ximum of francs
can be bet and where the winner of
q s.to.i chance is paid only 5-to-1.