Evening star., 1944-04-03
Geography Question
Arises in Bombinu
OF Swiss City
BY PAUL GHALI.

ChicAgo Daily News.
BERN, April 9.--As each new
announcement of names of the
victims identified comes over the
radio, the indignation of Swiss cit
izens over Saturdays bombing Of
the ancient Swiss city of Schaff-
hausen on the German-Swiss bor-
der rises. The latest total listed
is IS dead, but many more are
feared to be trapped under debris.
Except for newspapermen, Schaff-
hausen was cut on from the rest
of the country Saturday and yes
terday and the ban, which was to-
have been lifted this morning. has
now been extended until Wednesday
night.
A few French Swiss newspapers
yesterday carried pictures Of the|
devastation and eyewitness accounts
of the disaster. Today every Swiss
paper adds its cries Of indignation
to the chorus under such headlines
as "Gravest Violation of Swiss Neu-
trality Yet" and Switzerland
Touched by War" with eyewitnessesl
accounts of the catastrophe relegat-
ing the world news to the second
and third pages. All editorials are|
devoted to what Switzerland will
do about this tragic error.
Regrettable Mistake.
In spite Of the anguish felt here,
no one doubts for q minute that It'll
was mistake-a very regrettable
one, but nevertheless mistake.
An American communique statingI
the bombing of Schaffhausen was
due to bad visibility is given little
credence by the Swiss who protest
that the bombing was carried out
under cloudless blue sky. The press
generally rejects the American ex-
PLANTATION, pointing out the Amer
lean pilots obviously did not realize
that they were over Swiss territory
and bombed Schaffhausen as If it
were a German town.
For instance, the railroad sta
ton was hit. It is pointed out
that railroad stations are the first
targets for Allied planes over Ger
many. The destruction Of Schaff-
hausen's 'old town." and the mu-
scum which housed the famous
Lucas Cranach painting of Martin
Luther was due to the proximity of
the main station to the oldest part
of the town. The number OF VIC
timsi is explained by the fact that
the Swiss are not used to raids and
treat alarms as minor disturbances.
Question of Geography.
The outstandingly pro-Ally Bas-
Ter National Zeitung writes bluntly:
"The attack on Schaffhausen was
a sign of great thoughtlessness and
one of the questions asked is wheth-
er American pilots are sufficiently
instructed in the geography of their
target areas"
The same paper adds that COM
ing from an Allied nation which
has always proclaimed the rights Of
small nations, the outrage is even
more serious. It continues:
"Our neutrality recognized no
enemy or friend among the bellig-
erents. We demand respect of our
neutrality from both sides and the
gravity Of the outrage cannot be
measured by bombers' insignia"
Insist on Assurances.
The press clamors for more than
promises given by London and
Washington, which have so far been
disappointing. It insists that the
Swiss authorities should obtain def
mite assurances from the Allied gov
ernments that Swiss aerial space will
henceforth be inviolate. It also
urges Swiss military authorities to
take more adequate measures to de-
fend Swiss skies against further
mistakes of the Schaffhausen kind"
The visit of Leland johnson,
United States Minister to Bern, on
Saturday to Pilet Golaz, federal
councillor of foreign affairs, to ex-
press his deepest regrets is given a
good position in all Swiss papers
this morning. Similarly large play
Is given to dispatch from London
expressing sorrow of the officer COM
manding one bomber squadron when
he learned that Schaffhausen had
been bombed instead of a German
town.
(Copyright. 1914, Chicago Daily News Inc ,