The population of Vorarlberg, an Austrian district adjoining Switzerland on the east, expressed by a large majority its desire for union with Switzerland, but was unable to succeed in having its claim recognized by the Treaty of Saint-Germain.
From the international point of view, the post-war period was one of great activity for Switzerland. On Feb. 13, 1920 the Federal Council succeeded in obtaining from the Council of the League of Nations, which was then meeting in London, recognition of the fact that the maintenance of the perpetual neutrality of Switzer land was not incompatible with the Covenant of the League. As a result of that decision, after a hotly contested electoral campaign, the Swiss nation decided on May 16, by a small majority, to enter the League of Nations. From that time the Swiss delegation, headed by M. Motta, played a useful part in the successive Assemblies of the League.
The Principality of Liechtenstein, a district with 13,000 inhabi tants which had previously maintained a customs union with Austria, adopted the Swiss currency in 1920, and on Nov. so of that year concluded a number of economic agreements with that country. On March 29, 1923 a customs union was concluded. After 1920 the representation of Liechtenstein in foreign countries was undertaken by Switzerland.
The representative of Soviet Russia at the Lausanne Confer ence, which was held for the negotiation of peace with Turkey, was assassinated on May so, 1923, and this led to a diplomatic dispute between Switzerland and the Soviet Government, which remained acute until the conclusion of the Berlin agreement on Apr.
1927. The long contemplated rectifications of the Italo-Swiss frontier were at last effected in 1932.
The zones dispute arose out of the denunciation by France in 1918 of the regime of the free tariff zones created about Geneva by the treaties of 1815. A convention concluded between Switzer land and France on Aug. 7, 1921 was rejected by a large majority by a popular vote on Feb. 18, 1923. France unilaterally abolished the zones regime on Nov. i s, 1923, but an arbitration compromise was concluded by the two Governments on Oct. 30, 1924. The French senate refused to ratify this compromise agreement, con ditioning its acceptance on Switzerland's abandonment of the neutrality of the Haute Savoie (to which France attaches strate gic importance). Switzerland agreed in 1927 to hand over the document of the abandonment in exchange for the French ratifica tion. The French senate acted in March, 1928, and ratifications were exchanged a few days later. The question of the free zones of Haute-Savoie and the Pays de Gex was later referred to the Permanent Court of International Justice, by which, in Dec. 1933, the claim of Switzerland was allowed.
The internal history of Switzerland in the years immediately following the war, as in the corresponding period of the Restora tion, was characterized by a grave economic crisis. There was at first a short period of prosperity, during which the eight hour day was introduced in factories (Jan. 1920). Soon, however, the gen eral European economic crisis spread to Switzerland. In 1922 the number of unemployed was 130,000; these, with their families, amounted to nearly one-fifth of the population. Remedies, in cluding protection, were tried without success. A capital levy was rejected by an enormous majority by a popular vote on Dec. 3, 1922. Since that time there has been a great improvement.
In 1936, the Swiss Chamber voted $75,000,000 for defence. A statement was issued indicating concern over the international situation. The fear was that Germany might treat Switzerland as a second Belgium, using her neutral territory in order to outflank French forces along the Marginot line or Italian forces on the Brenner Pass. (W. MA.)