SWITZERLAND

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26123, 27 May 1950, Page 3

SWITZERLAND

[Reviewed by H.S.K.K.] Switzerland. A Democratic Way of Life. By Andre Siegfried. Translated by Edward Fitzgerald. Jonathan Cape. 223 pp. Wide knoxvledge and ease in imparting it have made Andre Siegfried one of the foremost French writers to whose numerous contemporary histories has now been added a penetrating account of Switzerland. Andre Siegfried recognises more clearly than most historians that the history of a people is largely determined by the geographic configuration of the region in which they live. He consequently discusses in detail the geography of Sxvitzerland which goes far towards explaining the Swiss political contradiction of isolationism and of in-

terest in international causes. Guarded by the natural frontiers of her mountains. Switzerland found it easy to guard her independence and remain aloof from European affairs whenever she chose to do so. Yet, at the same time. Switzerland’s alpine redoubt lies in the heart of Europe, and is broached by passes through which run the shortest trade routes fi’om north to south, and east to west. Physical isolation and economic accessibility have thus to be considered when trying to understand the history of Switzerland.

Geography is, however, only one of the factors making for contradictions in Swiss history. While other States have founded their unity on a homogeneous people speaking a single language. Switzerland found unity in diversity. The German-speaking element in Switzerland, descended from the Allemanic tribesmen who invaded her at the decline of the Roman Empire, is the most numerous. The French-speaking Swiss are next in numerical importance, and still inhabit the regions to which their Gallic forbears were driven by the invading AHemamc tribes. Apart from French and German-speaking Swiss. an Italian component speaks the language and follows the customs of the North Italian Lombards to which they are akin, and Rpmansch, a language independently derived from Latin, has recently been established as the fourth official language of Switzerland. To make confusion worse confounded. Roman Catholicism and Protestantism in its Calvinistic, and Lutheran forms nave existed in Switzerland since the ReJi Ration.« Only a people imbued xyflh democratic: precepts, with a faith “ lat other man may live his own lii2 alter his own fashion, could have agreed to tolerate such diversity. The sensibility derived from the stress brought about in reconciling all these diverse elements has led to an ideal balance which has made Switzerland me most stable State in contemporary Europe.

Henry outlined the determining factors of Swiss history. Andre Siegfried discusses in detail the contemporary scene. Much of the discussion is centred on the problems which indusJnalisatmn has brought to Switzerland. Sxyiss industry had to adapt itself to the absence of raw materials and concentrated therefore largely on manufacturing. The special aptitudes of the Swiss had also to be taken acFi Oun k °A and * be independence of u Swiss vvhich has become their characteristic trait through long political experience, found an economic xalue in precision industry the human element cannot be wholly replaced by the machine. The carefully fostered tourist industry merits a special chapter, and Andre Siegfried with his urbane irony points out that e tourist makes a rich contribution which he deposits over the countries he visits in very much the same way ? traditional inundations of the Nile fertilise Delta.” Tourists, in short, are gold-bearing dirt. In his final chapters. Andre Siegfried outlines the Swiss political system cased on the widest decentralisation that derives from communal selfgovernment. This system has been able to stand un to every attack from the outside, and while Andre Siegfried is too good a historian to claim that a like political system would be suitable to other countries, it may serve at least as an example of an entirely successful attempt in government and administration. In showing how and whv this ideal State was achieved. Andre Siegfried allows his reader to draw inferences from Swiss experience into the problems of his own country. Such teaching j s O f value m preparing a wide public to live up to the BismarCkian maxim that only a fool makes his own mistakes—■ a wise man learns from the experience of others.

FIFTY YEARS IN THE CHAIR A Fourth Leader in “The Times” i T^ a a cchtury in one job is rare, half a centurv in one editorial chair is far rarer. This is the record which Captain Eruce Ingram, editor of the Illustrated London News." is celebrating this year on his seventvthird birthday. It is tru? that there was a certain interruption during the First World -when his activities were transferred to an artillery observation post, but he did not abandon the title of editor and he is surely well justified in counting those years into his 50. The “Illustrated London News” | has a place of its own among period- ; tea s. In the British Commonwealth I it. is almost an institution, and it is widely read by both Americans and Europeans. Its reputation has never stood higher than it stands to-day. Captain Ingram has always been a cautious and never a sensational innovator. but he has kept up to date, and a glance at back numbers over various phases of his long career shows hoxx' ■ reatlv the “Illustrated London New~.” has changed under his guidance. He has contrived to represent a broad lex’el of culture in its pages: among the illustrations first place eaeh we°k oronerly goes to wor*d news: next, painting, drawing, and sculpture are admirablv treated. (Captain Ingram has himself been a collector for as lone as he has be p n an editor: he has presented or lent nictures. sculpture, stained' glass and embroideries to many of the leadin’ l museums and galleries and he oossesses what is possibly the finest collection of drawings now in private hands.) Archaeologv , comes next. Al] discoveries of I the “diggers,” admirably reproduced, find their way into the I

“Illustrated London News.” ’V'ine furniture and objets d'art are’ illustrated and discussed. Natural and physical sciences have their olace. Of late the grimmer inventions of modern warfare have appeared, freauently with drawings and diagrams. There is comment, too. on affairs, on literature and other features. No section of this urbane weeklv newspaper is addressed directly to the expert, but there is none which the expert cannot greet I I xvith pleasure and respect. I