A LABOR OF LOVE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 274, 11 May 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

A LABOR OF LOVE.

SWITZERLAND'S GREAT TASK.

UNIVERSAL GO BETWEEN.

Perhaps never before in tho history of the world has so little a country been called upon to shoulder such a gigantic liurdc not' responsi bility 'as has conic to Switzerland since the severance of diplomatic relations between the United States and Germany. In the United States, in England, and in France, especially,the interests of Germany aro so enormous that even a great country is overburdened in attempting to cope with tho difficulties involved. Since the beginning! of the war the tinted States Governmental offices abroad have all they can do to discharge successfully their obligations to the belligerent countries wluch the United States lias been representing. Not only are the demands made upon the representatives of a country which has charge of Germany 9 interests in belligerent territory great in volume, but often they are most delicate in character. The ma«scf detailed work is huge, and, in addition to enormous diligence, inflexible determination, coupled with endless tact, has been required to bring about successful wsiflts. In •straightening out tho complicated business affairs of German citizens in foreign countries there lurks always the possibilities of international explosions the avoidance of such a misfortune depending on the diplomacy of'the individual attaches who aro assigned to separate tasks.

NOW little Switzerland lias been summoned to take over this gigantic task of looking after Germaaiy'6 inter-j ests in the place of the United States.' Manfully and with her well-known efficiency, she. is preparing to discharge these duties to the full. IN GERMAN EMBASSY. The day Count von Bernst-orff was ( notified of his dismissal from America, Dr. Paul Ritter, Switzerland's diplo- j imnliic representative m {Washington, : took full charge of Germany's affairs.Ho enlarged his staff, established clerks in the German Embassy building, and prepared to assume the bin-dens of representing in this uountry the Berlin! Government and the whole of the Ger-J man people. '■ Ever since the beginning of the war, I although sorely tried herself because of war conditions, Switzerland has car-, ried on an entirely impartial humanitarian work for war sufferers. ' As soon n9 hostilities began, Mr., Gustavo Ador, president of the Inter- j national Committee of the Bed Cross at Geneva, aranged for the foundation ; an agency for the prisoners of war, in; undertaking which was modestly start- . Ed with s'x assistants, and which within a few weeks assumed such gigantb ( proportions that the city of Geneva permitted it to establish itself in the spaci- , ous, newly renovaed Musee Hath, where somo 1200 voluntary workers over since have been daily nesting in sorting and forwarding the mail of prisoners of war of all nationalities and in answering the multitude of inquiries as to their where-' abouts. The agency receives lists of eas- j ualtios and of prisoners taken from all the combatant countries, and these lists aro indexed and the information made available for future inquiries. j At a time when, by reason of tho mobilisation, the State was obliged to mako largo and unusual expenditures, when the receipts of its railroads had dropped considerably, and when the, people stood faco to face with sorioufl problems of their own, Switzerland act- , ed as a good Samaritan to the thou-! sands ofi ijefugees seeking shelter passing within her borders, to those unfortunate Belgian and French peasants who had to evacuate their homesteads,! and to the interned civilians, when an exchange had finally been arranged between the respective belligerents. EXCHANGING WAR HOSTAGES, j Early in 1915, at the instance of the Swiss Government, France and Ger-, many agreed to an exchange of those prisoners of war who had lxvn too badly maimed for future military service.j At intervals ever since the splendidly-, equipped Swiss hospital trains have travelled between Constance and Lyons, loaded with hopelessly ill, permanently crippled, or insane prisoners., Swiss physicians and lied Cross nurses superintend the loading and unloading of tho patients and accompany the trains, and the generous populace never tires of cheering these unfortunate travellers with flowers and useful little gifts. Suitable refreshments also are

provided on trains. Relief bureaus for the prisoners or war also wore established soon after the groat conflict began, and, while separate funds were set as'do for each country, tho committees in charge are guided by charity onlv. Food and articled of clothing aro forwarded to different ramps for prisoners and interned civil lans, and the individual requirements aro dulv investigated and reported by a confidential representative nominated liv each camp. Another huge charitable work is performed bv tho Swiss postal authorities. Through the medium of tho Swi-s Federal Post-offieo at Heme nearly two hundred million letters and ten million small parcels have been taken over and forwarded to the countries at war. In the same, period 39.473.7'>7 pare!*, somo weighing up to 11 lbs., were forwarded to tho prisoners of war of all countries. Up to the end of November 3,377.710 packages of broad were cent by post from Switzerland manv,' weighing a total of 6,475.350 kilos' and other huge consignments ot bread were forwarded bv rail. From September. 1914, to Novombe--, 1916. 5 744.778 monev orders for prisoners of war were received and reforwarded by

the Swiss post, amounting to a total of 80,118, 522.82f. (over £3,000,000). Another benevolent organisation is tho Swiss Academic Relief Association, whoso purpose it is to furnish students who are now prisoners of war with scientific books and periodicals to enable them to continue their studies during captivity. LOCATING WAR HOSTAGES. A Swiss relief commission for war hostages also was founded in tho city of Baslo us early as October, PJI4. This commission undertakes to locate tho hostages and to put them into communication with their families and friends. It also makes constant efforts to alleviate their sufferings. But among all the numerous charitablo undertakings which Switzerland maintains on behalf of tho war sufferers none has claimed the world's attention as much as tho maintenance of invalid prisoners of war in the many health resorts of that country. While it seemed improbable at first that tho belligerent countries would permit any of their prisoners to stay in a foreign health resort during the wr.r, tho continued and combined efforts of the Swiss Federal Council and tho Pope on behalf of tho ill and disabled prisoners of war resulted in an agreement to tho effect that ill German prisoners held in Franco and ill French prisoners held in Germany could bo transferred to Switzerland for a euro. A most successful start wois then made in tho Spring of 1916, and since then the arrangement has !>oen extended to British invalid prisoners held in Germany and ill German prisoners held in England. The Teuton prisoners of war have l>een distributed among certain health resort-; in Eastern and Central Switzerland, the Bernese Obcrland and in the distr'ct of the Brunig route, and the British are ovgned to Chateau d'Oex and environs. Tho throe States hold themselpes responsible for the expenses', .and specially reduced and uniform terms have been agreed upon by all the Swiss hotel establishments concerned. Tho rate is six francs (os) a day for officers and four franco (3s 4d) for private*. Manv wholesome distractions arc constantly offered to these convalescent, prisoners, and, realising tliat they all must ho longing for somo occupation ■is soon as their state of health is somewhat improved, the Swiss Political Department has issued regulat : ons relat'vo to the providing of suitable employment for them, if such is available without detriment to the native work-

ore. A further humane act us to lie credited to some three hundred Swis-s hotel keepers, who. in spite of bad business, wero generous enough to offer a gratuitous sojourn of three weeks to more than two thousand war nurses. The enthusiastic reception* which the Swiss population throughout the eountry is continually giving to the transports of invalid prisoners of war show that the Swiss nation, formed by i» German, French, Italian and Romansch speaking population, are all united and neutral in their magnanimous r-haritahie ministrations. Tho same spirit has also been manifested on the occasion of the yearly Presidential elections which have taken place since the war began. At that time in 1914. it was Dr. Arthur Hoffmann, of St. Gall, a German Swiss, woo was tho nation'-' chief executive. Dr. Guisonpe Xlotta, a representative of the Italian speaking Canto of Ticino. succeeded him in 1915; a French Swi«s. Mr Camille Decoppet. has been holding the President's office for 1916. and Mr. Edmund Schulthev,. a Herman Sw.ss. n tho country's Chief Magistrate for the current vear. \ heavy massing of German troops „lon" the north-western frr.ntier of Switzerland near Brsle has recently given cause to rumours about a threatened Teuton'o invasion. While the Swi«-i General Staff took immediate procatuionarv measures against such an attempt the Swiss themselves can hardly conceive the possibility of a violation of their integrity by the Kaiser, mas- ' much as the recent rupture of diplomatic relations between tho United States pw\ Germany has resulted in Switzerland being a.sked to assume the burden i.™.,., I.« tlm former country.