2215 44%; 3 mths del sellers gray 15 Reuter.
What, of late, has preoccupied the Swiss authorities to the greatest extent, has been the measures it has been deemed necessary to take in order to assure the covering of mobilization expenses. If, in fact, foreign powers have recognized Helvetic neutrality, Switzerland, for her part, has taken measures to assure the respect of this neutrality, and the Swiss people share the conviction that it is only by having a strong army that they can safeguard their independence. This explains why the Swiss authorities have devoted so much attention, for many years past, ío national defence. Important sums have been consecrated for the construction of fortifications and for the manufacture of new. armaments. Even today, the mobilization of the army is costing the coüflry several million franes daily, to which must be added the heavy outlay which continues to be made for the work of fortification and for the purchase of war material In order to obtain the necessary resources the government, first of all, turned its attention to savings, in offering for subscription, in the month of March, a loan amounting to 200 million Swiss francs which was more than covered in several days.
In'the latter part of April, the Swiss government, in virtue of the full powers invested in it, decreed a series of measures enabling it to obtain the necessary funds to cover the expenses of mobilization. These measures included a tax on revenue, deducted at the source, a tax on fortunes, a levy on the exchange equalization fund, a war-profit tax and a tax on total turnover. With these new resources the government will be able to balance its budget and meet the military expenses. The sacrifices imposed on Swiss tax-payers are indeed heavy, but they are rendered necessary by the present situation and the Swiss people always accept, without complaint, every sacrifice that is demanded of them for the guaranteeing of the military defence of their country and its independence. The will of the Swiss people is unanimous and resolute in this respect. The country will oppose the aggressor, whoever he may be, to the very end and by every means in its power.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.