SWISS NEUTRALITY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4184, 11 September 1939, Page 3

SWISS NEUTRALITY

QUITE ABLE TO LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES. OBJECTION TO GUARANTEES. The Manchester Guardian’s Geneva correspondent recently forwarded a lengthy review of Switzerland’s national attitude, from which the following is the essence:— During the Anglo-Russian negotiations there has been much discussion in the Swiss press, particularly with regard to the proposed guarantee of Switzerland’s integrity. After a meeting of the Federal Council in Berne, a communique was issued emphasising the necessity for maintaining Swiss neutrality in all eventualities.

Commenting on this declaration, “Tribune de Geneva” states that it shows concisely that Switzerland asks no one for special guarantees and refuses to join one group of Powers against another. “La Suisse” expresses the fear that pressure will be brought on the Swiss Government by the French and British Governments for the purpose of forcing Switzerland into recognising Russia in exchange for a guarantee not solicited by the Swiss. The paper adds: It would be inadmissible if, in order to further the game of the AngloFrench entente, diplomatic pressure were exercised on our country to re-

new depliomatic relations with Russia, even though a guarantee which we did not solicit would be accorded us. Like Holland and the Baltic States, Switzerland is neutral, not because of its egoism, but simply because there is no reason to enter into quarrels where its interests are not at stake.