AMERICAN " INTERVENTION " ON BEHALF OF SWITZERLAND.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR:1 Sir,—In your suggestive article of December 11th upon "American Prosperity," you state that "there is a legend current, which we have never been able to trace fully, that America once intervened in the most decided way to save Switzerland from an invasion." If you will allow, I think I can assist you to fully trace out this bit of history.. You probably refer to the intervention of our Minister, Mr. Theodore S. Fay, in the matter of the dispute between Prussia and Switzerland, in regard to Neuchittel. Mr. Fay did interfere most decidedly in this question, and his entreaties, made personally to the Prussian King, the brother of the present Emperor, probably stopped the German soldiers just as they were about to cross the frontier. Mr. Fay sought and obtained an interview with King Frederick William, which was untrammelled by the presence of any kind of official. The long residence of our Minister at the Prussian Courthad given him great opportunities of knowing the estimable private character of the monarch, and when he was closeted with him, he appealed to him simply as to a Christian man invested with great power, and that appeal was regarded. How far Mr. Fay may have been instructed by President Buchanan's Administration to undertake this mission, I cannot say, but I do know that the kindly-hearted intervention was cordially approved of by our State Department—I am, Sir, &c., New York, December nit, 1880. D. Sr. JOHN ROOSA.
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