The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-10-16

with the same core and pre-
cision ds q fine Swiss wotch.
The analogy is, / think, an
excellent one, for this is a land
of many jewels of natural seem
ery.s For the NEST part it is
mountainous, with many magni-
ficent views, and numerous
sbeautiful lakes. A tourist para
disc, 1t offers transportation of
every kind to take you close to
every view worth seeing. You
can travel up and down the hair
pin curves of the moutains in
very comfortable buses, you can
ride from peak to peak on aeri-
al cable cars, and you can move
from one place to another by
train or steamer.
The precision is evident in the
way the entire country is kept
up." Most of the farms are small,
and the larger portion of the
HARVESTING is done by hand scy-
the. Every available inch of till
able land is used, and not infre-
quentN YOU see whole families
cutting the hay on steep hillsides
which in America we would
consider uneconomic or impossi-
BILE 70 NOW. They live in aura
of extreme beauty. with tall
mosntains in the background,
their own chalets and farm
buildings nestled among the
smaller hills. And once the hay
ing is done, from a passing train
the fields look as green and
carefully moved as golf course
in the States.
You see few farm buildings
which look run down. In the citi-
es the ancient monuments, in
stead of being allowed to fall in
to- decay as they often are In
other European countries, are
kept in. a perfect state of repair,
the maintenance being done in
the same way, and by the same
methods as the original. The ci-
ties are clean and neat. and
there is a fragrance of cleanli-
ness in the air. Automobile traf-
fic--and this includes every
known European and American
car, in fact some of our newest
nakes-moves with reasonable
speed and at much slower pace
than in the other cities l have
visited. There is here-and it
seems a bit unusual after Italy
some real regard for the pedes-
trian. You have the feeling that
this is disciplined people, but
free people, who have found 4
satisfactory answer to the ques-
ton of government.
An ancient country-they cele-
brate their Independence Day"
with a genuine festival on Au-
gust LIST, complete with fireworks
and fieStas there is similarity
to America, in that Switzerland
is made up of many different
Peoples, some of whom are ma
tive to the country, and others
who have come here for refuge.
An interesting feature ! of their
government is the four officiel
languages - German, which is
predominant: French, principally
in the West near France; Italian
in the area adjacent to Italy, and
Romansche, which is a kind of
Germanic tongue, and the only
native Swiss language. All four
are spoken in the Parliament,
which has house comparable to
our senate, and another similar
to. the House of Representatives
Interpreters are assigned speci-
al places in these assemblies, to
translate as REQUIRED.
The Parliament House in Ber-
ne is a handsome domed build
ing, and typica1ly Swiss in that
much of its decoration has been
done in deliberately carved wood,
most of it oak.
The people of the East and
West differ, for in the eastern
sections of the country, you do
not find the same atmosphere of
friendly cordially that exists in
say Geneva. The people are a
bit more stiff in Lucerne, and
the service in the hotels and rest
aurants is not as courteous or as
efficient. In Geneva, the French
Influence provides the best in
French cooking, AND the best
in. hotel and restaurant service.
Although most foodstuffs are
still rationed, there is plenty of
food, all of it well prepared. AS
YOU enter the country, the immi-
grafton authorities supply you
with ration coupons when your
visa is checked. You can get more
when you run out. As a matter
OF fact, clearing customs and inn
migration in Switzerland-for
an American at least--is very