A4 - Wednesday, June 27, 1984 - North Shore News

.

Se
es
ny

Cartier reached Quebec.

The key to Switzerland’s
remarkable achievement,
paradoxically, is to be found
in a definitely hawkish na-
tional mentality. It has been
said that Switzerland doesn’t
have an army, it is an army.

The Swiss enjoy peace
because they are prepared to
mobilize 650,000 _ highly-
trained soldiers on 24 hours’
notice. In their experience,
peace comes at the price of
every man having a sword in
his hand. Or, in this day and
age, a Sturmgewehr assault
rifle in every home.

Switzerland’s policy of
armed neutrality goes back to
1515, when the confederated
cantons (which is what the
states or provinces are called)
suffered a a crushing defeat

Strictly personal

by Bob Hunter

Hawkish neutrality

N AN ERA when Canadian politicians score
brownie points running around urging peace,
even though we’d have to throw snowballs to
defend ourselves against an aggressor, there is a
lesson to be learned from Switzerland, which has
been enjoyable peace and freedom, except for a few
brief interludes, since the century before Jacques

at the hands of the French
Army during an adventure in
Italy. The politicians of the
day decided to bring the boys
home and make war no
more.

bristle your quills.

The casual visitor to
Switzerland looks at the
cuckoo clocks and
glockenspiels, samples the
fine Zurich Riesling and
perhaps goes skiing —
unaware that every bridge he
Passes over, every tunnel he
enters, every train track or
highway he rides along is
mined with explosives and
ready to be blown at a mo-
ment’s notice.

Man-made rockslides are
set to be unleashed. Twelve
thousand pieces of concealed

‘“‘We want peace,’’ as one soldier

put it, ‘‘but not under someone
else’s conditions.’’

Except in case of an inva-
sion. ‘‘We want peace,’ as
one soldier put it, ‘‘but not
under someone else’s
conditions.”’

Since then, the country has
defended itself on what it
calls the Porcupine Principle:
You roll up into a ball and

ON REQUEST
N. Van District joins

SPCA committee

TWO REPRESENTATIVES of the District of

North Vancouver will join North Vancouver City
Council, the SPCA and a citizens’ group in look-
ing at the problems currently being reported at the

North Vancouver pound.

Ald. Mary Segal and Joan
Gadsby were appointed as
the District representatives
following correspondence
from Joy Gilmore, a local
resident who last week suc-
cessfully petitioned City
Council for an investigahon
into animal control

Gilmore had originally rce-

can be reached at 987-9015

PET CORNER

A SPECIAL. mid-week pet corner with two of the many
kittens available helping Dorts Or promote her adoption
days at Westlynn Mall this Friday and Saturday

quested to appear as a dele-
gation, but instead) met
privately with Mayor
Marilyn Baker As a
of that meeting, Baker
recommended to Council
that the District work in con
junction with the Cuity,
Culmore’s committee and the
SPCA to resolve
blems at the pound

result

the pro

a

Dorts

artillery are positioned to
prevent repairs from being
made or roads from being
unblocked.

The magnificent Alps — so
much younger than the
Rockies — are riddled with
vast catacombs hiding super-
sonic fighters, laser fire-

controlled tanks, jet-powered
choppers, four-wheel drive
vehicles, munitions, stored
petroleum, hospitals and
redoubts where whole divi-
sions can hide for up to a
year.

In the event of an invasion,
the Swiss Army plans to fall
back from the borders to
buried mountain fortresses,
pinching shut every pass, tun-
nel and divide behind them,
launching Mirages, Tigers,
Venoms, F-5s and Alouette
III helicopter gunships from
subterranean airstrips.

At age 17, every Swiss male
goes for three months army
training. He is given his
assault rifle, which he keeps
for the rest of his life. Every
year, he goes back for a
three-week refresher course,
until he reaches 50 years of
age. (The Israeli civilian ar-
my, incidentally, is a copy of
the Swiss militia.)

The Swiss believe, simply,
that you have to be strong
defensively in order to be
neutral. The basic strategy is
to prevent war by making the
price of forcible entry to the

country too high to pay
militarily. Any army pushing
across Europe, from

whatever direction, would be
well advised to go around
Fortress Switzerland.

Not even Hitler or Stalin
dared to risk the losses that
would be required to crush
the ferociously dug-in,
armed-to-the-teeth Swiss.
Through the Franco-Prussian
War, the First World War
and the Second World War,
the Swiss won by having no
war. Because they were so
ready to fight, they didn’t
have to.

In the nuclear age, the
Swiss have taken a step no
other people, so far as I
know, have taken. They are
prepared to move not just

Do it yourself
and save 35%

a

until July 1st

STaHN

pho!

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Closet Shops

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tend to survive
Armageddon.
To be continued.

AT LAST! NORTH SHORE’S VERY OWN

Qc _ GRAND
ett > OPENING

Fashion Show
june 24, 2 PM

$200 admission ... all proceeds
go to the food bank
2nd Floor 1353 Pemberton Ave., N.V. 984-0244

their army, but their entire
population of six million peo-
ple underground. They in-

even

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The winner!

ce cual
Richard Mercer

In the Display Advertising Deparntmennh compet:
tion toe the month of May Richard tas taken first
prize amang eleven salespeople

The competition is based on several factors in
cluding sales volume, quality of advertising design
abiltty to meet deadlines degree of self motivation
as well as general attitude and level of oO Operation
with co workers and chents

A West Vancouver resident Hic tard us a Gatiiby

man with two young children and enjoys goth
yourmet Cooking and playing otortteg. for thes
News chambionsthip softtall tear

Hoc thard Nas Deen with the North ‘strore News tor
Just months aodiin that short tine tas prcwer te te
8 real asset for our Display Advertising Department
Congraltvianons Richard tor your pertoctnane «@ dat
nq the month of May and
Jone

Mrank yous for a pots wel

Kamel tandhonanddedioen, Lemihahtlctoanteisanteouiel

north shore

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ee s0eanan

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