• • • • Department of State • LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 237 PAGE 01 BERN 04064 221746Z 49 ACTION EUR 20 INFO IO 131CCO 001NSCE 00,sso 001USIE 001CIAE 001DODE 001GPM ~41H 02, P 221515Z AUG 68 FM AMEMBASSY BERN TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1616 LIMITED OFFICIAL USE BERN 4064 lo OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL REACT10N IN SWITZERLAND TO SOVIET INVASION OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA WAS ONE OF SHOCK AND DISMAYQ~SHOCK THAT IN THESE DAYS THE OCCUPATION COULD HAPPEN AT ALL AND DISMAY THAT MOVEMENT TOWARD EAST•WEST ACCOMMODATION IN EUROPE SUDDENLY ' AND SERIOUSLY REVERSED• AGGRESSIVE SOVIET MOVE STRUCK HOME WITH SWISS OWING TO PHYSICAL PROXIMITY OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND SWISS TRADITIONAL CONCERN WITH FATE OF SMALL NATIONS SINCE THIS AFFECTS THEIR OWN FUTURE• DEMONSTRATIONS ERUPTED OVER MUCH OF SWITZERLAND YESTERDAY1 WITH MORE PLANNED FOR TODAY• THREE SEPARATE DEMONSTRATIONS INVOLVING SEVERAL HUNDRED YOUNG PEOPLE TOOK PLACE IN BERN AT VARIOUS TIMES DURING THE DAY1 WITH THE SOVIET1 POLISH1 HUNGARIAN AND CZECH (SYMPATHETIC IN THIS INSTANCE) EMBASSIES AS THEIR TARGETS• A MASS DEMONSTRATrON IS PLANNED FOR TONIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING• SEVERAL THOUSAND YOUNG DEMONSTRATORS MARCHED THROUGH THE STREETS OF ZURICH IN AN ORDERLY AND WELLPORGANIZED PROTEST• A TORCH-LIGHT PARADE IS SCHEDULED THERE TONIG~T• AN ESTIMATED 81000 PEOPLE GATHERED IN BASEL'S CATHEDRAL SQUARE TO PROTEST THE SOVIET ACTION. IN GENEVA DEMON• STRATlONS TOOK PLACE BEFORE THE SOVIET MISSION• EDITORIAL COMMENT IS BEING REPORTED BY us1s. 2• THE FEDERAL COUNCIL MET YESTERDAY IN ITS REGULAR WEEKL~ MEETING AND SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED STATEMENT IUNUSUAL FOR NEUTRAL SWISS) ON DEVELOPMENTS IN LIMITED OFFICIAL : USE • Department of State TELEGRAM LIM ITED 1 OFFICIAL USE · PAGE 02 BERN 04064 2217,6Z • CZECHOSLOVAKIA• REFERRING TO SYMPATHY OF SWISS PEOPLE FOR MANIFESTATIONS IN PAST MONTHS OF CZECH PEOPLE•S DESIRE FOR GREATER LIBERTY AND PERSONAL ! RIGHTS1 STATEMENT SAID THAT QTE THE SWISS PEOPLE TODAY ASK THEMSELVES ANXIOUSLY IF THE INDEPENDENCE OF SMALL COUNTRIES AND THEIR RlGHt T0 EX .I ST ARE Sn LL 1 RE SPEC TED I N T0 DA Y ' S W0 RL D EN 0 QT E: o PRIVATE VIEWS WERE STRONGER• REACTION OF SENIOR OFFICIAL FOREIGNOFFICE CONCERNED WITH REL~TlONS WITH EASTERN EUROPE (MIESCH) WAS ONE OF GREAT ' DISCOURAGEMENT~ HE EXPRESSED PERSONAL OPINION TH~T ~ECENT EFFORTS AT ~AST•WESyACCOMMODATION HAD BEEN SET BACK AT ' LEAST TEN YEARS• IN CONVERSATl ON HE REFERRED SOMEWHAT SADLY TO PUBL1C STATEMENT ISSUED ­AUGUST 16 BY FOREIGN OFFICE FOLLOWING MEETING WITH FORElGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT IN WHICH REFERENCE WAS MADE TO SWISS INTEREST IN QTE EXPANSION OF RELATIONS AND CONTACTS WITH COUNTRIES OF EASTERN EUROPE• ENO QTE~ HE MENTIONED INCIDENTALLY THAT SOVIET CHARGE BERN HAO LODGED PROTEST RESPECTING DEMONSTRATION EARLIER IN DAY AGAINST SOVIET EMBASSY• • 3• SWISS COMMUNIST PARTY, IN ITS OFFICIAL ORGAN QTE VOIX OUVRIERE END QTE1 ANNOUNCED ITS SUPPORT OF THE CZECHS AS FOLLOWS• QTE WE REFUSED UP TO LAST MOMENT TO CONSIDER THIS EVENTUALlTY AS POSSIBLE• IT IS NOW REA~ITY1 SAD REALITY••••WHO IS GOING TO GOVERN CZECHOSLOVAKIA NOW? IF IT HAPPENS BY MISFORTUNE (BY A NEW MJSFORTUNE) THAT A GANG.1 DI SCREO !TED BY ITS . ERRORS AND CR I MES•••,IS BROUGHT BACK~ THE S1TUATION W1LL BE STILL WORSE•••~ IT WILL BECOME DIFFICULT.1 IF' NOT . IMPOSSIBLE1 TO SPEAK OF TME RIGHT OF EACH PARTY TO DETERMINE · ITS WILL FREELY AND TO CHOOSE TME WAY WHICH WILL' LEAD IT TO SOCIALISM~••• WE ARE ON THEIR (THE ciEcH•S ENO) SIDE IN THIS TERRIBLE ORDEAL END QTE• 4 MEANWHILE, CZECH EMBASSY IN BERN ISSUED STATEMENT THAT PERSONNEL OF THE MISSION HAD UNANIMOUSLY DECIDED TO MAINTAIN UPPORT FOR DUBCEK• STATEMENT SAID THAT EHBA SY CON 1DERS SOVIET OCCUPATlON QTE CON~RARV TO UNITED NATION CHARTER, TO WARSAW PACT1 AND TO FUNDAMENTAL ULE OF I TERN~TION~L LAW END QTE• CZECH AMBASSADOR, MO H~D BEEN IN CZECHO LO~AKIA FOR PAST TWO MONTHS ON CK LEAVE WA E~PECTEO TO RETURN TO SWITZER~AND LAST L MIT 0 O''lCIAL USE ) ~ . ll . . ..,. . - • • ..• Department of State TELEGRAM LIMITED OFFICIAL USE PAGE 03 BERN 04064 221746Z EVENING• REPO RTEDLY HE1 WITH CZECH AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE1 HAO . SIGNED RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT . FOR DUBCEK• LITT LE L~MITEO OF~ICIAL USE