SWISS FRONTIER CLOSED.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14285, 30 April 1917, Page 3

SWISS FRONTIER CLOSED.

NO NEWS FROM GERMANY. • (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received April 30. 9.5 a.m.) j ZURICH; April 29. I The Germano-Swiss frontier lias been closed to travellers and mails. No German newspapers, have been received since Thursday. The position of Switzerland (writes a correspondent from Berne) is exceedingly difficult, and I found that all alassets viewed the future witih. real anxiety. No one eeemed to believe that the neutrality of the country would be violated. A high official told me it was j impossible to traoe the rumors on this point, and he instanced a report m a ! Zurich newspaper -which said that Italy j was preparing to march through Swiss territory. Generally, however, the rum- ' ore were directed against France and emanated from German-Swiss sources. I For some time past there has been a,- , steady transfer of French money Vf rom Swiss banks and also from the north of j Switzerland to banks m the south. On I the other hand, rich Germans are transferring deposits from Germany to Switzerland m spite of the difficulties to be overcome. Further, wealthy Germans are looking out for flats and villas m Switzerland. Letters were shown to mo by people -who had houses to dispose of, but they did not appear inclined 1 to accept the would-be tenants. The main point, however, is whether the Swiss could defend their neutrality. All the evidences support the belief that they are fully resolved to do so. • i