SWISS EMERGENCY STEP

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 65, 14 September 1943, Page 5

SWISS EMERGENCY STEP

THE ARMY MOBILISED

Rec. 11 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 13. The Swiss army has been mobilised. The Swiss radio quoted an official statement saying that after the announcement of the conclusion of the armistice between Italy and the Allies the Swiss Federal Council had ordered the immediate calling up of frontier troops as an emergency measure. These troops took up positions last Thursday. The Federal Council on the same day again reviewed Switzerland's position, and, in agreement with the High Command, ordered the call-up of a number of army units, including the fortress garrisons of St. Maurice, St. Gothard, and Sargans. The mobilisation was carried out calmly and in perfect order. Alpine passages and all their approaches have been occupied. Several thousands of British prisoners of war who escaped from Italy to Switzerland will not be interned, says the "Evening News." The legal position is that they can be immediately returned to their country of origin, but because there is no channel of communication with Switzerland whereby they can reach Britain they will have to remain for the time being in Swiss territory.

Altogether Switzerland can mobilise nearly 200,000 combatants, irrespective of the organised Landsturm, which may amount to another 60,000. After the outbreak of war the whole Swiss army was called up and a total force of 650,000 men was mobilised-