SWISS DEFENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1934, Page 5

SWISS DEFENCE

fRONTIER FORT CONSTRUCTION. i United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) •BERNE, December 6. The Swiss Federal Council bias adopted a programme for the provision of work in case of continued uneili- ! ployment in 1935. The most important item is the construction of a number of fortifications along the northern frontier. It- has been realised that the extensive and up-to-date fortifications along the : Belgian ( and French frontiers have changed the military position of Switzerland to the worse, and that the greatest danger in the case of. a 'Filanco-'German war would be a surprise invasion to prevent the orderly mobilisation >of the Swiss army_ [ The fortifications to ,be erected have been planned in order to guard [ against the 'possibility of .a sudden invasion. As the northern frontier is ; mostly, formed by the Rhine, the bridges are the most important o - jects to he guarded. Fortunately, they axe all in Swiss hands, with the exception of the one at Constance. - The fortifications ,will block tl|e main lines of communication from the frontier to the interior of the country. They will chiefly consist of machinegun nests, dug-outs,. ammunition stores, etc. At present a number of officers and engineers have charged to fix the main zones of resistence, and for next year a sum of five million francs lias been set aside to begin the constructions. Other measures are also being taken to enable the country to maintain its neutrality. The terms of military service will be prolonged, the training of the infantry, for instance, from ten weeks to twelve weeks. The civil population (will be effectively protected against gas attacks. If during the first onslaught arsenals and centres of mobilisation were to he attacked from the air, a system of decentralised mobilisation would come into operation. All these measure are, of course, purely defensive.