SWITZERLAND UNDER ARMS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 24, 26 March 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

SWITZERLAND UNDER ARMS.

'elaborate measures eor DE FENDING NE DTRALITY.

450,000 TROOPS

MILES OF TRENCHES AND MANY

GUNS ON FRONTIER

BALE, Feb. 1, 1915

No country in Europe, says a correspondent of the London "Graphic," except the countries of the actual belligerents, lias suffered so much from the war as Switzerland. No country is so jealous of its independence and more resolved to maintain it. In consequence, as the passage through Switzerland undoubtedly offers great temptations both to France and Germany, the Federal Government, from the moment war was declared, adopted most elaborate measures for the defence of the frontiers. I have been following the operations in France since the beginning of September, but during all that time I have never seen so many soldiers concentrated at one point as I have just seen in Switzerland. But the French and German armies are now concealed in trenches and are practically invisible. At the beginning of the war 450,000 Swiss soldiers were mobilised. All the frontier towns are full to overflowing with cavalry, infantry, and artillery. Outside nearly every hotel one finds notices posted up that it is the headquarters either of a regiment, a brigade, or a division. In every railway station are guards with fixed bayonets, while cavalry fc trotting, infantry marching, and artillery rolling through the streets in every direction. The frontier lines of railway are being run by uniformed soldiers, and in many instances are entirely reserved for mi'.itary transport.

NIGHT AND DAY WORK. Tens of thousands of men are working night and day with picks and spades at endless miles of trenches, and guns are being everywhere placed in position. The cost of all this is enormous, running to hundreds of millions of francs. But at the same time the pride and the military .enthusiasm .of the population at the admirable fashion in which the country has responded to the call is unbounded. Switzerland is as patriotically determined to defend her independence as in the days of William Tell. Thousands of soldiers are bivouacking in the snow in the mountain passes, building redoubts, and placing guns in battery. They work cheerfully, and never utter a word of complaint. In all the shops one sees rings, scarfpins, brooches, watch-charms, etc., bearing the words, "Grenze Besetzung, 1914," or "Occupation ties frontieres, 191 i," according to the language of the district. These have been made to commemorate the greatest military effort ever put forth by Switzerland . All along the frontier for over 150 miles, hundreds of red flags have been placed "very 200 yards to carefully mark the exact line, and prevent any possible error on the part of either belligerent. Even the sky is lx'ing jealously guarded, as was proved by the recent protest by Switzerland against the alleged flight of British aeroplanes over Swiss territory on the occasion of the recent attack on the Zeppelin manufactory at Friedrichsharen. But military burdens are not all tint the war entails. The commercial and economic life of Switzerland has suffered enormously. The regulations concerning contraband of war hamper trade relations with France and Germany, while the winter sports season, brought in millions to the hotel industry, has been practically ruined.

SWITZER LAND'S LOSSES. One of the best proofs of the extent to which the economic life of the country has suffered is proved by the report of the Association of Swiss Newspaper Proprietors, which has just been issued.

In reply to n question as to how advertisement revenue had been affected by the war, ten newspapers only replied tliat they were not affected by it. But these were either papers run by technical professional organisations or papers which had farmed out their advertisements to publicity agencies for a fixed annual sum. Of the other .journals seven reported a of 5 to 10 per cent, of their advertisement revenue, twelve 10 to !2 nor cent., ten 20 to 30 per cent... thirty-two 30 to -10 per cent., fifty-four 40 to 50 per cent., sixty-eight 50 to 60 per cent., fortyfnnr 60 to 70 per cent., thirtv-seven 70 to 80 per cent., eleven 80 to 90 per cent., and two 00 to 100 per cent.

Fifteen nnners had cither reduced the size on which they appeared or had suspended publication altogether. Anions i lie latter is the well-known Liberal journal the "Voix du Pcuple," of Lausnnnc.