HITLER'S NEXT MOVE AND SWITZERLAND [To the Editor of THE
SPECTATOR] Sta,—In his article " Hitler's Next Move " Mr. R. C. K. Ensor has raised the question if, in the event of Germany and Italy going to attack France via Switzerland, the latter small country would dare to refuse a passage for German troops into France. His idea is flat Switzerland would not, because " she knows that if she did, she would be carved up between the Dictator- ships ; whereas by yielding she will preserve, though not her independence, her existence."
Being but a simple Swiss citizen I consider it my duty to reject such an opinion with indignation. Our Government has on more than one occasion declared that, if any of our neighbours should one day order troops to cross the Swiss frontier, they would be resisted by our army and treated as enemies. This is the firm will of the whole Swiss people and recent events in another country have not altered it in the least.
More than ever before we Swiss are ready to defend our soil and our freedom to the utmost, even if we shall have to fight alone. We are not spending hundreds of millions of Swiss francs on fortifying our frontiers and increasing the strength of our army, to let one day one of our neighbours invade our territory without firing a shot. I am convinced that there is but an infinitesimal number of Swiss who would not rather perish fighting than preserve their and their country's existence by yielding to force.—Yours very truly,
Hermann Goetz-Strasse 5, Winterthur. H. SCHWARZ.
Previous page
