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Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 959, 8 March 1917, Page 6

To the average man Switzerland is a region of dizzy heights and impenetrable mountain fastnesses, guarded at the present time by a small but highly efficient army. While no one has ever doubted, after Belgium, that nothing but her own inability to do the thing effectively has kept the Teuton from violating Swiss territory, it has never been clear either that the Germans could get into Switzerland, or once in, that they would gain anything. It appears, however, that the Prussians have a comparatively easy road through one corner of Switzerland, and that the Swiss General Staff is in constant uneasiness lest an attempt should be made by this road to turn the French right wing. In an interesting review of the position the London correspondent of the "New York Herald" throws a flash of new light on the situation. After pointing out the ease with which Germany would find a casus belli as soon as the time arrived for digging one up, the writer turns to the map. The French line ends at Lutzel, in a barbed-wire fence closing the bridge across the Lutzel River, and if, the correspondent suggests, a sufficient force came down the Rhine Vallc-y, avoiding Basle on its left, it could easily break into Swiss territory at this point. Turning west, it could now enter Alsace (here at present in the hands of the French), and getting round the headwaters of the 111, could move rapidly on Altkirch. Of course, their whole hope of success would depend now on their ability to reach Mulhausen before French troops in sufficient numbers forestalled them from Belfort, and in the opinion of the "Herald" correspondent, Prussia has insufficient reserves for such an enterprise. It does not seem likely that anything could be done without a dangerous weakening of the line East or West, all the more dangerous of course as the days proceed. Still, Germany would risk a great deal to turn the French right, and recover lower Alsace, and the Swiss authorities are sufficiently impressed to have concentrated at this point two more divisions.