The British Interned in Switzerland

by Henry Philip Picot

At Leysin the French had secured an unfinished hotel, and as there were no windows the men had the advantage of working almost in the open air. Excellent work was done in small cabinet work and French polishing. A modeller with four or five assistants made models of the Kaiser and Crown Prince in plaster, which were painted by a specialist. The demand was so great I could not purchase one. Another man with four or five assistants was making paper-knives from wire nails about 20 c.m. long and 1 c.m. in diameter. This industry was learned, I understand, from Russian prisoners in Germany. At Meiringen the French had a workshop for light leather work and another for rope slippers.

There was little about the work in general that could be regarded as systematically educational, though the assistants had the opportunity of learning as apprentices. With few exceptions, the educational element was entirely lacking.

Attention was also directed by our Allies to other fields of employment. On the initiative of the French Embassy and the Belgian Legation at Berne, an orchestra was formed at Montreux, and was assimilated from the point of view of administration and finance to the system of national workshops. This orchestra was composed of Interned professional musicians, and was placed under the leadership of Monsieur Marc de Ranse, a well-known French musician, who drifted into Switzerland as a P. of W. after a long period of captivity in Germany. British musicians were asked to join this orchestra, though few availed themselves of the privilege, as most of our bandsmen preferred service in the camp orchestras at Château d'Oex, Mürren, and Leysin. Monsieur de Ranse made many tours in the Cantons of Vaud, Geneva, and the Bernese Oberland, where his orchestra met with a well-merited success.

Arrangements were also made for the employment of category 4 (full-day workers) in the workshops, factories, and farms of the country, and for this purpose Labour Commissions were set up at Berne, Lausanne, Lucerne, and Zürich. These regional Commissions, on receipt of a demand by an employer for the services of an Interned, were called upon to satisfy themselves that—(1) The employer was in a position to carry out his engagements, and (2) The employment proposed was not detrimental to the interests of the Swiss workmen. If the investigation proved satisfactory, the demand was referred to a Central Labour Commission at Berne, where it was again examined, and, if approved, was transmitted through the "Médecin d'Armée" at Berne to the camp authorities, by whom it was dealt with. The system gave rise to vexatious delay, but in the end the employers' demand was, as a rule, satisfied. Men so employed were paid the same rates as Swiss labourers or artisans of the same class, and were obliged to provide their own board and lodging. During the period of their contract they ceased to receive the frs. 4-5 per diem allocated by the Swiss Government for the entertainment of Ps. of W. in Switzerland, an exception, however, being made for men working in the open air, such as labourers, masons, or wood-cutters, for whom such daily grant continued to be paid on Sundays and other non-working days.

It is of interest, in connection with the French, to record the fact that the Swiss Federal Department of the Interior was much pre-occupied with the question of the preservation of walnut-trees. As a means to that end, grafting (greffage) as practised in France, but the method of which was unknown to the Swiss, was considered of great importance. Instructors were accordingly recruited from amongst the French Interned, and in January, 1917, as many as twenty men were engaged in imparting their knowledge to Swiss gardeners in different parts of the country.

By December 31, 1916, out of a total of 28,081 Ps. of W., consisting of 1,879 British, 15,574 French, 1,893 Belgians, 8,504 Germans, and 231 Austrians, only 818 men of category 4 had found employment through the intermediary of the Labour Commissions, and even this limited number was distributed amongst as many as 741 different Swiss masters.

As regards general and technical education, schools ("écoles nationales") were formed under the auspices of the officers in charge of the Interned. I am writing now only of the French, Belgians, and Germans. With the French and Belgians, attention was directed to general education in elementary subjects, languages, literature, commerce and accounts, and to technical instruction in agriculture, aviculture, designing, and telegraphy.

The Germans appear to have interested themselves in languages, English and Spanish being specially favoured. Other subjects were shorthand, accounts, geography, and commerce, whilst technical instruction was also given in fruit and vegetable culture, forestry, chemistry, and mining. The aforesaid subjects cover a wide field, but only a limited number of students were able to avail themselves of the facilities offered.

Funds for the above purposes were provided, directly by the Governments concerned, and indirectly by private individuals and public societies.

To make provision for the needs of category 6, i.e. of officers and men wishing to continue their studies at the universities or schools of Switzerland, "L'Œuvre Universitaire Suisse" was founded in June, 1915, with a central office at Lausanne. This body assumed responsibility for the intellectual patronage of the Interned. In September, 1915, a decision was taken authorizing the Interned to follow university or college courses in the principal intellectual centres of the country, and local Committees of the "Œuvre" were formed for the purpose of assisting the students at the Universities of Bâle, Berne, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, and Zürich.