1
Swiss Rely On Alpine Passes To Keep Invaders Away
WHEN DR. JOSEPH GOEBBELS, Germany's Propaganda Minister, announced in a recent inter- view that Germany had no intention of attacking Switzerland, many Swiss believed him.
a mountain. Dive bombers would be Ineffectua! In the gorges and harrow valleys of the Alps. Switzerland has not enough
is, however, strong enough to hold in the plains along the Rhine. It the passes.
At the outbreak of war the troops would gradually retreat from the border fortifica- tions leaving the large cities in the plain to the enemy and retir- ing to the mountains.
They believed him not because they had forgot-military power to hold out long ten the lessons of Czechoslovakia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway, but because Switzerland presents military obstacles which many Swiss military experts believe would render an inva- sion attempt impractical even for Germany's Panzer Divisions.
The fact that the tiny democ-, Swiss had the habit of suddenly racy is now entirely surrounded, appearing when by the united military power of expected.
they were least the Axis, has not weakened the Swiss determination to defend; their country.
But even with these assurances, tiny Switzerland is prepared for any emergency, The Swiss citizen army is mobilised all the time with shifts constantly returning from civil life to relieve others for work on the farms and in the factories.
In present times, tanks and aeroplanes, which were successful in the thickly populated plains It has weakened Switzerland's along the sen
The army, like the people, is would lose their trained in the heritage of success- ability to defend the plain be- decisive importance as soon as ful detence against would-be tu- tween the Alps and the Rhine, they came into nction in the vaders but does not
who essentially change Alps.
throughout history its military position as a whole,
have found Switzerland an un- ¡pregnable Switzerland's strength lies in
rock. Finland and would be of Greece have the Alps and in its historica!
shown that small almost modern "Blitzkriegs" can still be mission
guardian of the
and machine. bogged under favourable condi-
passes.
Tunnels Are Traffic
Arteries
The importance of this mission can be judged by anyone who stands at the entrange Gotthard or the Simplon tunnels to the and watches the long lines of freight cars being drawn through these most modern of tunnels with the most modern of electric locomotives.
The
Three of the world's longest tunnels
the Lotschberg, Simplon and the Gotthard-are Switzerland's guarantee against aggressors. Freight for most of Europe north of Switzerland passes through these main arteries from Italy and Mediterranean ports.
And at the present time these passage-ways are vital links be, tween German-controlled Europe, and the Mediterranean.
German, Netherlands. Belgian. French, Czech, and Polish cars- passing daily and even hourly all under German control are along these routes. They curry coal and iron to Italy, and bring back bauxite, fruits, and vege- tables.
Without these railway linea, Germany would be virtually cut off from the south. The Brenner Pass railway line is a single track and freight would soon choke up its limited capacity. Other routes which pass through Franco or the Balkans are possible, but are SQ roundabout that much valuable time would be lost in shipping over these routes
alone.
Important To Axis
Thus Germany and Italy are only too well aware of the value of maintaining intact these valu- able rail links. And they are. in the opinion of many Swiss, more inclined to leave to Swit- zerland the task of guarding the tunnels, than to attempt an in- vasion with the likely result that the tunnels-already well mined by the Swiss-would be blown to ruins which would take years to repair.
But these measures would only be put into operation as a last resort. The Swiss are confident that the narrow, tortuous valley from Altdorf to Goeschenert would hinder sufficiently any invading force which might seek to use the road through the valley as an approach to the Gotthard tunnel;
It would be much easier to render useless this road, which at some places is merely a narrow shelf carved into the side of the rocky wall high above the valley floor. The approach to the Sim- ́plon tunnel passes through equally difficult terrain.
Alps
Austrians Found Out
mechanised army in the ould meet with the same,
thất the eavily Austrian knights [when they tried
subject the
thirteenth
Frò high Alplae Froc vere rolled down
an invisible
darrow.
on (the
An aeroplano little use againɛt invisible bunkers
both
gun nests built into the side of tions by a brave people.
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