Evening star., 1940-06-09
Total Of Nazi Ships
Forced 10 Earth in
Month Now Is Nine
Prospect Of ItoIy's Entry
In War Raises Speeter
Of Hollands Fate
~ the Associated Press.

BERN, June 8-Little Switzer-
land, caught between two powerful
neighbors already fighting and a
third ready to enter the conflict,
downed two German planes violat-
ing her territory today in demon
strating anew firm determination
to preserve her neutrality.
Swiss Army patrol planes brought
to nine the number of German
planes forced to earth in the past
month when Messerschmitt fighter
was shot down in Lucerne Canton,
deep in Switzerland, and a Nazi
bomber was forced to land in Solo
thurn Canton, northwest of Bern
near the French frontier.
The Swiss themselves lost one
fighter which was shot down, killing
its two lieutenant pilots, in a battle
with a flight of Nazi bombers over
the Jura Mountains across the Doubs
River from France. The fate of
crews of the downed German planes
was not Immediately determined.
Forebodings From Italy.
With Switzerland already on the
anxious seat because of the fighting
between neighboring France and
Germany, the prospective entry of
Italy into the war brought forebod-
ings that Switzerland might suffer
the same fate as the German-con.
quered Netherlands. But the Swiss
hope to put up better fight than
the Dutch. who capitulated after
five days of invasion.
There have been many rumors-
but no facts disclosed concerning
diplomatic moves among the tight
Tipped Swiss government and its
three big neighbors.
The Swiss Army, mobilized along
the frontiers to its full strength of
half-million men when the Ger
mans invaded the low countries, now
perhaps is down to 100000 troops.
Those on leave, however, carry guns
and orders on how to crush any
rearguard action or parachutists.
Some sources explained the re-
lease of part of the troops from
frontier duty simply was the high
commands method of reinforcing
interior defenses.
BY order of the army, no civilians
except inhabitants of the region are
allowed to enter the Southern Va
lais Department which covers the
French Savoy and Italian Piedmont
frontier.
Tunnel Full of Dynamite.
There the great Simplon Tunnel
and mountain passes are chock full
of dynamite ready to 60 off at the
push of button. The army COM
mand is silent on the number Of
troops in that region, but it is no
secret that famed Swiss ski troops
and naountaineer forces are in the
Alps-which italy must cross to
join hands with Germany on the
French border.
Few military preparations have
been undertaken in Switzerland S
1talian-speaking Ticino Canton on
the frontier. 1t is ringed by the
Alps on the north, but open on the
south, leaving its famous resort
cities of Locarno and Lugano like
ripe plums for an invaders grab.
On the northern frontier, where
no mountains stand in the way of
invasion, the Swiss for years have
done everything their topheavy war
budget and their citizen army could
do to strengthen defenses.
The Rhine line of forts has been
revised completely and strengthened
from the fortress city of Basel to
Lake KonstanZ. Behind these forti-
fications stand the strongest de-
fenses of all, the "Winkelried line" :"
Zurich Fortified City.
That line is honeycombed with
tank pits, anti-tank asparagus
fields" of rails protruding from the
ground, huge coils of barbed wire
entanglements, trenches and forts
extending from the French frontier
at the northern end of the Jura
Mountains across the entrance of
Middleland to Zurich. From there
to the east the lakes and the Alps
on the Austrian frontier form nat
ural defenses.
In recent months Zurich, like
Basel, has become a fortified city.
Between Switzerland and the Alps
on the south and the fortified lines
of the north the entire country
shows evidence that the Swiss have
been quick to take lessons from this
war of invasion.
Motorized patrols watch all roads.
all sign posts have been removed,
all public telephone boxes are closed,
and airports, powerhouses, telephone
and telegraph centers and public
buildings are heavily guarded.
Furthermore, every soldier on
leave and every non-combatant cap
able Of shouldering a gun keeps one
at home with 40 rounds of ammuni-
tion-and instructions not to wait
for orders to use them at the first
appearance of any parachutists or
fifth columnists.