SWISS NEUTRALITY VERSUS LEAGUE OF NATIONS. [To THE EDITOR OP
THE " SPECTATOR."]
have only just react-the Spectator of March 5th, and find on p. 286 your comments on-the refusal of the Swiss Federal Council to let the unarmed constabulary of the League of Nations travel on Swiss railroads on its way to Vilna. This project has since been given up, but.the Swiss refusal remains on record. You observe that Switzerland was thus failing " to fulfil her duty as a member of the League," and that the " Swiss interpretation of neutrality seems inconsistent with the maintenance of the League headquarters in .Swiss territory." Granting, as everybody does, that the neutrality which Switzer- land has reserved for- herself within- 'the League, with the declared consent of the Council of the League, as a condition sine qua non of her acceding, is of-difficult adjustment to full membership of the League, I feel it:all the:more advisable that some explanation should be given of. the negative answer of the Swiss Federal Council to that particular request. Here it is.
The possibility of a conflict with Bolshevik troops put forward by the Swiss Government involved- a pore_ general issue. In the background lay the fact that since 1815 Russia, whatever its Government, is one of the guarantors of, Swiss neutrality, and that,-further, it is not represented .on:the League. it was therefore doubtful whether that guarantor of Swiss neutrality, for one, would not have good reason for resenting a departure from Swiss neutrality to which it was not a consenting party. Now other Powers which are not yet admitted to the League are, since 1815, entitled to the benefit of Swiss neutrality, and have pledged themselves afresh to it in terms of Art., 435 in the Treaty of Versailles. As.long as all the Powers which by
treaty law are interested in..Swiss: neutrality-are not .repre= sented on the League,- it does ,not-seem that the League would have a olear.title. expectingirom Switzerland any departure from its. neutrality s. for the consent: of such-of the guarantors as are not in-theleague cannot be tacitly assumed, and would at least have-to be declared hi...the League.
As I belieVe you know, I am an out-and-out supporter of the League. I 'have-. written the above- simply as an expositors—I
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