5 JUNE 1915, Page 13

SWITZERLAND AND BRITAIN.

[To pm Eons. or Too easmersvos."1 you kindly allow me by means of your paper to correct certain false rumours that have been spread about concerning Switzerland ? We have been told that the sympathies of the Swiss—and particularly those living in the German-speaking cantons—are inclined to be pro-German, that English visitors will get but a cheerless welcome, and that the English traveller who creams the frontier will meet with difficulties and even annoyances. All this sounded so incredible that we have set ourselves to find out the truth about the matter. We know Switzerland fairly well, and have a good many Swiss friends in different parts of the country. From their letters it seems that these rumours are quite without foundation. In no part of Switzerland will anti-Englieh senti- ment be found. The Swiss people are "landauf, landab," mono of our correspondents put it, entirely with the Allies. At the beginning of the war there were undoubtedly small cliques who were favourable to Germany, probably influenced by the German Press, but since certain incidents in German warfare these have so diminished as to be almost non-existent, and at no time were they likely to come in contact with English visitors. The stories, too, about the drastic personal searchings at the frontier are gross exaggerations. We have heard to-day from the head office of the Swim Federal Railway denying this charge altogether, and telling SIB that the bond-fde British traveller, with a passport, will find no difficulty at all in crossing into Swim territory, and that the English visitor will be just as popular as ever. It is important that the truth of this matter should be known, for there are, and will be, many invalids and convalescents among us who badly need the Swiss mountain air, whose curative effects are so miraculous and well known. It would be a thousand pities that any mistaken ideas of non-existing difficulties should warn them off Switzerland. We must not forget that, as well as being a playground—for which, alas I we have no use in these grim days—it is as well a healing-ground, and there are all kinds of arrangements for invalids ; also it has doctors of European fame. The poor Swiss are naturally hard hit by the war, bat we who have enjoyed such good times among them, and admire them for their spirit and independence, are anxious that they should not suffer unnecessarily through rumours so obviously untrue.—We are, Sir, Ac., °Lams CADET'.