The Anarchists of France, Spain, and Germany are taking refuge
in Switzerland, and the Republican Government feels it necessary to strengthen the laws. With this view, the Federal Council of Berne propose a law providing that every one who incites to crime shall be punished with hard labour ; that any one who manufactures, carries, or keeps explosives for a criminal purpose shall be sentenced to a minimum term of fifteen years' penal servitude ; that any one who uses such explosives shall have hard labour for life; and that the printers or sellers of incendiary publications shall be punished by a fine of 2400 or imprisonment, or both. That is a severe law, except as regards the actual use of explosives, which is punished elsewhere with death, but it does not add, like the French laws, to the power of detection or surveil- lance. Its main use will be to prevent the circulation of Anarchist literature intended to be sold in the countries sur- rounding Switzerland,—a practice of which the Governments of those countries have repeatedly complained. It is not expected that the Bills will be resisted, as the Swiss are not Anarchists, and the right of asylum is not called in question, The refugees are only compelled to abstain from using their refuge as a camping-ground from which to wage their warfare against humanity.
