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1996-10-10
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Foreign Correspondent
Inside Track On World News
By International Syndicated Columnist & Broadcaster
Eric Margolis <emargolis@lglobal.com>
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SITTING ON A MOUNTAIN OF GOLD
by Eric Margolis
October 10, 1996
ZURICH, Switzerland -- Pity the rich Swiss. The harder they
toil, the more the Swiss franc, Europe's strongest currency,
rises. As a result, Switzerland is now in its worst
recession - and national mental depression - since 1930.
Many North Americans believe the Swiss make only watches,
chocolates and cuckoo clocks. In fact, Switzerland is a
leading world producer of drugs, chemicals, precision
machinery, textiles, and anti-aircraft guns.
Now, the high franc is making all of Switzerland's exports
prohibitively expensive, and badly hurting its tourist
industry. Even the Japanese and petro-Arabs complain about
outrageous Swiss prices that turn every meal and hotel stay
into a flirtation with economic ruin.
None of this, however, has dampened Switzerland's other big
business, safeguarding foreigner's money. Dictators who
sleep with revolvers under their pillows, and businessmen
who don't even trust their wives or children, nonchalantly
hand suitcases of cash over to discreet Swiss bankers.
Take "German Day," which I observed last week. An endless
stream of cars poured across the Rhine on a German national
holiday. The well-heeled Teutonic day-trippers were not
coming to yodel or buy watches. They came to deposit cash
in numbered accounts to avoid rapacious German tax
collectors and their nation's punishing personal tax rates.
High taxes drive out investment capitol.
The Swiss are literally sitting on a mountain of gold and
money. Foreigners stash their savings in Switzerland
because they have absolute trust in the Swiss. The inflow
of flight capitol to Switzerland is expected to increase as
it becomes increasingly apparent that the EU's plans to
implement a single European currency are going to flop.
This may drive the Swiss franc even higher.
A well-proven tradition of absolute trust, and a 400,000-man
citizen army equipped with the most modern weapons, ensure
foreigner's deposits. However, last month Switzerland's
reputation was badly shaken. Jewish groups unearthed US and
British intelligence documents from World War II, alleging
Swiss banks had accepted gold and other assets stolen by the
Nazis. The Swiss were also accused of refusing to divulge
to next of kin numbered accounts held by Jews murdered in
the Holocaust.
These are grave charges. I don't know if they are true -
and I hope they are not, for my school days here left me
with a deep affection for Switzerland. But it's easy to
think the worst of the flinty-eyed Swiss bankers. One
recalls the old tale of how God gives the Swiss their
beautiful country, then asks for a glass of milk.....and the
Swiss cry out, "five francs!"
But it's worth recalling that from 1936 onwards, Nazi
Germany made increasingly threatening demands that Swiss
banks hand over funds secreted there by German Jews. The
Swiss staunchly refused, mobilized, and came close to war
with Germany and Italy in 1940-41. To the Swiss, all
deposits were non-political.
In 1945-46, the victorious Allies demanded Switzerland hand
over accounts of Nazis and Fascists. Once again the Swiss
refused. But after threat of invasion by US and British
forces, the Swiss grudgingly produced most, but probably not
all, the Axis accounts.
Swiss banks now make a point of tracking next of kin, and
refusing deposits whose sources are suspected to be criminal
activity, such as drugs, money laundering and prostitution,
and the arms trade. "Clean" money from tax avoidance is
just fine.
As a result, the latest wave of unsavory money - mainly
funds from Russia's mafiosi and robber barons - no longer
flows to Switzerland, but is now channelled into the
Caribbean, Panama, and Cyprus.
Still, the Swiss fret their vaunted banking secrecy is
relentlessly being eroded by the gradual politicizing of
deposits. For example, will the Zairian rulers that replace
Gen. Mobutu - who has some US $3 billion stashed in
Switzerland - demand it back? To the edgy Swiss, nothing
seems sacred any more.
Copywrite Eric Margolis, October 1996
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For Syndication Information please contact:
Email: emargolis@lglobal.com
FAX: (416) 960-4803
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Eric Margolis
c/o Editorial Department
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Toronto Ontario Canada
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