Switzerland.— The Swiss republic dates from 1291, when the men of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden entered into a defensive league. Other, cantons were added to the league until, in 1798, under the influence of France, the Helvetic Republic was formed with a regular constitution. In 1815 the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland and the inviolability of her ter ritory was guaranteed by the powers of Europe. The republic is non-centralized, each canton having independent local powers. The federal government consists of a state council of mem bers elected by the separate cantons and a national council elected by the people as a whole. The President and the Vice-President are elected for terms of one year by the federal assembly. Universal suffrage prevails and the compulsory referendum and popular initiative are features of legislative procedure.
Andorra.—Andorra, in a valley of the east ern Pyrenees, between France and Spain, is under the joint-suzerainty of these two coun tries. It was declared a free state by Charle mare and has always retained its independence. It is governed by a council pf 24, elected by the people, and the chief executive is a mem ber of the council, elected for life by his as sociates. It has a population of less than 10,000.
San Marino.— San Marino, in Italy, is the oldest existing republic in the world. It em braces five villages with a population of about 11,000. The general government is entrusted to a council of 60, the chief officer being termed captain-regent.
The United States.-- On the western hemi sphere, with the exception of the Dominion of Canada and the smaller dependencies of Great Britain, France and Holland, every country is under a republican form of government. The United States of America is the oldest of these republics, the most extensive in territory and the largest in population. It stands among the world's greatest powers and in its influence it dominates the Western world. As a nation, the United States originated in the colonies of Great Britain that existed in the eastern, mid dle and southern sections of the New World in the 18th century. The inhabitants of these colonies were mostly of English origin but they rebelled against the rule of the mother country and united in establishing themselves as a free nation, under the Declaration of Independence in 1776. In form of government, the country is a non-centralized republic, and its constitu tion and form of government have been the pattern upon which all republics have been modeled 'since the beginning. The President, who serves for a term of four years, is chosen by an electoral college, the members of which are elected by popular vote in the several States and represent the. State-at-large and its Con
gressional districts. The Senate consists of two members from each State, elected by popular vote. The House of Representatives con sists of members elected by popular vote in the separate Congressional districts in the several States. There is a Federal judiciary and, in foreign relations, interstate commerce, army and navy affairs, navigation and postal service, the Federal government is supreme. Each State is wholly independent in the control of its own affairs, having a form of government like the Federal, a governor, upper and lower houses of legislation and State judiciary. The nation has had a existence. It has been en gaged in wars with England, France, Mexico and Spain and passed through, 1861-65, the greatest Civil War the world has ever known. It has expanded until now it covers the north ern part of the hemisphere from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from Canada on the north to Mexico on the south. At a result of the Span ish-American War, the republic entered upon a colonial policy and extended its operations across the Pacific. It acquired the Philippine Islands by the treaty of 1898 and also the islands of Porto Rico and Guam, and all three have been held as colonial dependencies. Hawaii, whose white citizens had revolted from native monarchial rule and set up an independ ent republic, was annexed to the United States in 1898 as a Territory. For centuries the island of Cuba was under the rule of Spain. Insur rection followed insurrection against the Span ish power, but Cuba was held fast as a Spanish colony until the Spanish-American War, of which it was the cause. In the peace treaty between the United States and Spain, Cuba was relinquished. It was temporarily held by the United States pending the establishment of a stable home government, but in 1901 this was accomplished and in the following year, with Tomas Estrada Palma at its head, free Cuba took its place as the latest republic in the world. Universal suffrage with educational qualifications prevails, and the form of federal government and methods of election follow closely those of the United States of America. In 1917 and 1918 the United States was en gaged in a stupendous war against the central allied powers of Germany, Austria and Turkey. In this she was one of the allies of Eng land, France, Italy, Belgium and other allied nations fighting to sustain the cause of de mocracy. See WAR, EUROPEAN.