THE " LANDSGEMEINDE" AT BERNE.
[To TEE EDITOR OF THE "SPECT.ITOE."]
Sfa,—Many of your readers sympathize, I know, with the efforts the Swiss are making to preserve their country from the invasion by the foreigner and the consequent vulgarization and materialization of their national life. Every Englishman will wish the Swiss people success in the popular movement against the ratification of the new Gotthard Railway Conven- tion, which would extend the most-favoured-nation clause in a one-sided manner to Germany and Italy over all the Federal railways, and that in perpetuity. I wish many English men and women could have been present at the great "Landsgemeinde " held at, Berne this afternoon to protest against the Convention, and could have listened to the excellent speeches and the singing of the national songs. Bat there was something better than the speeches and the singing. Some ten thousand people must have been there, representatives of every part of this most truly democratic of all countries. There were men from the German, French, Italian, and Romance cantons. There were students and peasants, members of every class and every party, and throughout there was perfect order and quiet dignity, both at the meeting itself, during the procession through the streets, and afterwards in the square before the Palais Federal. I saw one policeman, and he had nothing to do. I have lived eleven years in Switzerland now, and every year I have become more convinced of the good effects of the few weeks' com- pulsory military service the Swiss have to undergo. This great meeting only confirmed me in my opinion. But, after all, the deepest impression with which one came away was that of which Monsieur A. de Meuron's words were the typical expression, "We would rather be poor and free than rich and dependent."—I am, Sir, Are., G. A. BIENENANbT,
British Chaplain, Neuchatel and Yverdon. Chateau de Beauregard, Neuchd tel.
March 2ith, 1913.
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