Evening star., 1953-10-07

IN EngllSn Cnan In either
French or Italian.
The casual observer is under
the impression that there is
not much love lost between the
three SwitZerlands." They
are ethnically as different as
the people of France are from
those in the German Reich.
The Eastern Swiss are heavy,
ponderous, sturdy. The French
Swiss in the west are more
imaginative, quick and emo
tional. The Italian Swiss in
the south are happy-go-lucky
and more superficial. There is
on the surface far more diff
ference between the three
Switzerlands than between
New England Yankees and
people from Georgia or Ala
bama.
In a continent like Europe,
where racial hatredS and jeal-
ouSieS are at the bottom of
present and past misfortunes
and where long wars have been
waged because of clinical and
religious differences, Switzer-
land would seem to have no
chance to survive. The Ger
man Swiss would have been
expected to join those in the
Reich; the French-speaking
Swiss who have so many things
in common with their neigh
Dor in the west would have
been expected to join France
and those in the Italian can
tons to become a part of Italy.
No such thing ever hap
pened or is likely to happen.
At a time when feudal lords
and later empercrs and kings
ruled their people on the basis
of divine right" and expanded
their empires outside their
natural borders, the Swiss
gathered themselves into q
federated republic determined
to resist all encroachmentS -
from outside.
In August, 1891, two CEN
turies before Columbus sailed
the ocean blue" the leaders Of
the tribes speaking different
languages but living in this
area incloSed by mountains
met on the Ruttli meadow and
decided to unite for their mu-
tual protection.
1t is on this pact, more than
$50 years old, that the present
Swiss confederation was estab-
lished and built. Then, as now,
each partner pledged himself
to provide assistance and pro-
lection in case of external ag-
greSsion; to settle disputes be-
tween themselves by arbitra-
ton; to combine against those
partners which refuse to accept
the arbitration judgment: and
to admit no jurisdiction from
outside.
The. pact ended with the
stipulation that "for the COM
mon good and welfare it shall,
by Gods will, endure forever"
That covenant concluded after
Charlemagne's death has sur
vived all the miSerieS, vicissi-
tudeS and tempeStS Europe and
the world have gone through
during nearly seven centuries.
1t should be held today as an
example to political leaders
the world over who have at
tempted to emulate it in
various international organi-
cations from the Holy Alliance
after the Napoleonic wars to
the League of Nations, the
present United Nations and
the NATO.
1t may be that it is its ma
tionalistic character, endeavor-
ing to safeguard only the free
dom and the rights of peoples
living in the same inclosed
area, in opposition to the
present lone world-ism" which
has made this pact so lasting.
Whatever it may be, it has
stood the test of time and to-
day, as in the past, all Swiss,
be they Catholic or Protestant;
German, French or Italian
speaking, are unflinchingly de-
termined to resist aggression
or interference with their
freedom.
From the fall of the Roman
empire up to this day there
have been at the confines of
Switzerland long and short
wars; political and religious
wars, But they only rarely
affect this country. Over CEN
turies Switzerland provided
places of safety where life
could be lived and industry
developed undisturbed by the
strife around her. And the
Swiss are determined that this
shall not change even in this
atomic GOO