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Show SWISS REFUSE. Accepting as authentic the Paris report re-port that delegates from German-Austria have mado overtures to the Swiss government proposing the annexation to" Switzerland not only of the VorRrlberg province on her eastern frontier, but all of German-Austria, including Vienna, Vien-na, it would appear that the hopes of the Arienna government for political union with Germany have been given up. It is known that tho entente powers pow-ers have not taken the suggestion of German-Austria's addition to Germany with any degree of approval. The south German states, Bavaria in particular, also have taken .the proposal coldly, scenting a possible future realignment of German subdivisions which would restore Prussia to her old position " of dominanco in the affairs of the confederation, confed-eration, -Austrian Germans "falling in line with tho purposes of Berlin. Switzerland, so reports- say, has -refused to entertain the German-Austrian proposal for annexation, on the ground that it .would destroy the character of the Helvetian federation. Which is probably another way of saying that the Swiss government does not wish to add to the discordant elements already-noisy already-noisy enough to distract the Berne cabinet. cabi-net. Switzerland has had an unusually trying j"fsition during the world war, with her FTench-speaking provinces and her German-tongue cantons. The French element would resent the inclusion of a larger German population in the republic, repub-lic, and such inclusion would almost certainly lay the foundation for future differences. Again, such an extension of boundaries would carry the Swiss frontier far beyond the natural barriers of the republic and weaken rather than buttress Switzerland's defensive capabilities. capa-bilities. Some time ago it was reported that the government of Luxemburg was willing' will-ing' to become a part of the Swiss republic, re-public, but this proposal w-as given scant favor in Berne, and now it is said that the Luxemhurgcrs are urging a political politi-cal correction with either France or Belgium, with local self-government. Switzerland has expressed a willingness to annex Liechtenstein, the tiny principality, princi-pality, tho people of which have taken steps in this direvtion. Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in Europe, and, while nominally independent, has been administered by Austria and is vir-tuallv vir-tuallv a dependency of the dual mon-archv. mon-archv. Its annexation to Switzerland j would have no political significance and 'woifil create no embarrassments. |