Evening star., 1924-04-15
GENEVA MAY APPEAL
TO LEAGUE FOR AID
Moving of French Customs Frontier
Up to Boundary Brings
Protest.
CANT0N'S PAST EVENTFUL
Dukes Of Savoy Long Sought Con-
troll of Land.
CANToN'S PAST EVENTFUL

Calling on the league of nations
speak-to settle a discussion with
France. next door, is an action threat
ened by the canton of Geneva OF the
Swiss republic, in which this world
organization has it's seat.
This queer combination OF world
problem and domestic problem results
from Geneva's being sort of "politi-
cal and economic peninsula thrust
into France" according to a bulletin
from the headquarters here of the
National Geographic Society describ-
ing the canton.
Depends ON French Supplies.
"The canton of Geneva seems TO
hang precariously to the rest Of Swift
zeriand. like a fragment of food on
the bottom of spoon" says the bull
letin. Though 1t has an area of
more than hundred square miles. its
contact with Swiss territory is across
a narrow neck little more than three
miles wide. The contact with France,
on the other hand. is along a border
more than fifty miles long.
Naturally. Geneva has looked large
ly to French land, only a stones
throw away in every direction, for it's
fresh food supplies. The fact that
this surrounding region is one OF
natural dependence. Ringing Gevena
round are the prolific orchards and
gardens and chestnut groves OF the
departments of Upper Savoy and Ain
and the general farming regions in
and small focks of farm animals.
Geneva has drawn many of its
supplies from this region for CEN
turtles, long before the territory near
by was either French or Swiss The
city was virtually independent dur
ing the middle ages, being ruled as
the temporal realm of q bishop ap-
pointed by the Pope. For fifteen years
after the first French republic was
established Geneva was annexed to
France. and no question of bound
aries arose.
Century Old Privilege Withdrawn.
when the canton's independence
was restored in 1915, the custom of
for supplies was recognized, and por-
tions of Savoy and Ain were set apart
as regions of free trade, the French
economic frontier being maintained
some miles back from the real bound
ary. When the recent treaty of Yer
saiIes was written France inserted
clause moving the customs frontier
up to the territorial boundary line
The Swiss citizens voted against their
governments accepting the change
and 1t is the resulting dispute thar
may go to the league of nations.
ITO see Savoy's frontiers creep
closer is no innovation for Genev2ns.
For six hundred years the city had 10
withstand the intrigues of the counts,
and later the dukes OF Savoy, 10 get
possession of its territory. One duke,
in 1444 even went so far as to have
Himself elected Pope, in that capacity
appointed himself bishop OF Geneva
and then resigned the papacy. retaln-
ing the bishopric- After the oeatn
of this resourcefuI bishop success
sion of his relatives held the office OF
bishop of Geneva, but they were
finally ousted.
Uxed Economic Pressure.~
"Arother Sayoyard duke used eco
nomic pressure that has an unpieas-
antly modern tone in his efforts 10
ruin the city he could not gain pos
session of. He induced his son-ln iaWs
the King of France, to pronipio
French merchants from visiting the
famous old Geneva fair and to set
dates for the Lyon fair that wouio
conflict with those of the Geneva
meeting.
most dramatic of Savoy's efforts to
gain possession OF Geneva was the
friendly toward the city. the Duke OF
Savoy sent his soldiers at night with
ladders to scale Geneva's walls. The
intruders were discovered, many kill
ed, and the rest driven out: When
Geneva became the stronghold OF the
reformation, the Protestant Rome,
it's relations with Catholic Savoy
were even more strained. Alliance
with cities of the Swiss confedera-
tion afforded protection, however, and
the city held its own.
Modern Geneva, besides being the
seat of the league of nations, draws
to its confines thousands of visitors
and even permanent residents from
many lands, and SO is in more senses
than one, an international city.
Astride the Rhine, where 1t dasheS
from Lake Geneva, the city is most
picturesquely situated. At it's door
the lake furnishes a delightful path
way to some of the most beautiful
scenery and some of the most delight
full resorts in Switzerland"