een declared between Germany and the United
States the correspondents of German newspapers waylaid me. Some
seemed to think that in spite of the insulting blow given us by
Germany, we nevertheless, scared to whiteness by the U-boat
ultimatum, would lend all our energies to bring about a German
peace.

I received a letter from one of the editors of a Swiss newspaper
published in Berne, probably inspired by the German Legation
there, asking me if President Wilson, in spite of the break in
relations, would not continue his work for peace.

We all know that Switzerland is a republic but even those of us
who have travelled there, probably because we were on a holiday,
gave little thought to the Swiss political system. Indeed before
this war we cared little about the government of any country
except our own.

The present constitution of Switzerland was adopted in 1848 and
in many particulars is modelled after that of the United States.

There are the same three great Federal powers, the Federal
Assembly, representing the legislative branch, the Federal
Council, representing the executive branch, and the Federal
Court, representing the judicial branch.

The lower Chamber is made up of representatives elected directly
by the people, and the other Chamber of members elected, as in
our Senate, two by each canton or state. The Bundesrat or Federal
Council which has all the executive powers, is elected by the
Federal Assembly and it is the Chairman of this body who is known
as the President of Switzerland. In reality he does not possess
the powers of our President, but it is the Bundesrat as a whole
which exercises the powers. Each member of this Council is
minister or head of some separate department, such as Military,
Justice and Police, Foreign Affairs, Posts and Railways, etc. The
Swiss Cantons have much power, and there is a distinct jealousy
by each canton of states' rights.

It is in Switzerland that we encounter two little friends,
sponsored by William Jennings Bryan--the Initiative and
Referendum--means by which the Swiss people are given a direct
voice in their government. By the Initiative a certain number of
voters may propose new legislation and when the requisite number
sign a petition the proposed law must then be submitted to
popular vote. This rule applies both in the separate cantons and
in the Republic as a whole.

The Referendum, more often used, provides that if the requisite
number of signers be ob