European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 23, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Holland saves the wooden shoe by Linda White travel editor Ooden shoes the quintessential Symbol of inc Netherlands. Will nol to disappearing for a last Spring a dutch association of wooden shoe makers raised the alarm when the government proposed to Cut Down about 60 percent of the country s Poplar Trees but now the government has agreed to maintain the same acreage of poplars according to shoe makers spokesman Jos Gevers. It looks Asil we re Okay now covers said. The Netherlands produces some three million pairs of wooden shoes a year about iwo thirds of which Are sold As souvenirs. The others Are worn by the dutch themselves especially agricultural workers and Home gardeners. Poplar is the most Papular shoe Iree Willow can be used too but it is scare and presently diseased according to Gevers. Poplar is very lightweight when it s dry he said. Also it does t have resin when you Wear it. Your Wool socks Don t Slick to the resin and it does t  the shoe makers promote i heir product As being healthy the next Best thing to Bare feet. They give your feet plenty of room and your feet Don t sweat Gevers said. Also you have to use your Muscles to keep them on. It s very Good training to Wear wooden shoes even for just an hour every  about 300 crawls Man work in the 45 wooden shoe factories in the Netherlands mostly using mechanical ruling machines hand Chisling is done Only Lor show. A typical wooden shoe Factor and shop is operated by the Van laarhoven family near Best a clog museum do platen on the premises shows How automation made its Way into the factories and visitors can watch cog makers at work. First a log is Cut into round blocks and each Block is divided into clog size slabs one pair of shoes at a time is made on the machine first the outside is shaped according to a Mold then the is de is routed out the shoes must dry Lor several Days before they Are sanded. However the routing must be done while the Wood is still wet so it will not crack. Price of a pair of clogs depends on size Bill a Plain pair for adults with Cost about 16 guilders about $7. Painted and Francily carved clogs Cost More. The factory and museum Are located at Broe Dijk 16. At Best. Tel. 04998-71247. It is open april 1 to oct. 1 from 10 a a to 5  groups must make Advance arrangements but can visit throughout Iho year. Entry fee is 1.50 guilders about 65 cents fora dulls and 1 Guilder about 45 cents for children. The dutch promote wooden shoes As being healthy Tor the feel. Some Swiss want to disband the country s army by John a. Callcott United press International i heading for re term Fluty to Tri Sam army a photo t Borders on heresy for most of the country but a Campaign is underway to disband the Swiss  there in t the faintest Chance of Switzerland declaring unilateral disarmament. Armed neutrality has been the Swiss Way of Ife Ever since the confederation was born nearly 700 years ago. On aug. 1,1291,the citizen s army is the country s oldest institution. Its officer corps amounts to an elite aristocracy major deals Are done when business banking Industry and political leaders meat during annual refresher military Maneu vers obligatory for All Swiss men from the age of 20 to 50. Switzerland does t have an  Machiavelli once said. It is an  behind the army abolition Campaign is a coalition of mostly Young Swiss from Small leftist political groups which would be considered Liberal in countries other than deeply conservative Switzerland. These splinter movements Are the Young socialists progressives and workers parly the last is Switzerland s version of a communist party although As a former Leader. Roger Dafflon once said we Are not soviet communists we Are nol chinese communists we Are Swiss communists and that is a very different  pacifists and environmentalist greens the youngsters have now collected 125.000 signatures supporting their proposal to Amend the Constitution to slate Switzerland does not have an army. The confederation cantons stale communities and individuals Are prohibited from forming or maintaining combat units. Switzerland conducts a global policy of peace which reinforces the free will of the people and favors Solidarity Between  a socialist proposal to dilute banking secrecy was rejected in 1984 by an overwhelming 75 percent of the voters and Swiss Banks come nowhere near the army As a traditional institution. The Swiss this year similarly rejected by the same margin a government proposal that Switzerland join the United nations. The anti army campaigners admit heir idea is an utterly lost cause but they want a pet Biscoe anyway to give Young voters a Chance to express their opinion. Switzerland s system of direct democracy enables any group or individual to Pul Eny proposal to a National vote it in is backed by at least 900,000 people a figure increased from 50,000 in 1977 naturally by plebiscite to reduce the number of such Voles at least five years is needed before a referendum is actually held. First the seven member Federal Council or government Cabinet has two years in which to consider its position and draft a counter proposal if in thinks that is necessary. Parliament then has two More years to do the same. Then the people have one year in which to make up their minds. You can imagine that the government and parliament Are not exactly favourable to the idea of abolishing the army said one government spokesman with considerable understatement. Perhaps we should have the plebiscite in 1991 to coincide with the 700lh anniversary of the Swiss confederation this is one Vole we could really do without wrote Turi Honegger Star columnist of the mass circulation newspaper Blick. Most people find it Only natural thai Neutral Switzerland needs an army and can i imagine a real Swiss Man without his military gun in the clothes closet. If something warlike happened we men would All be standing there naked All Swiss males serve in the modern and very efficient citizen s army and keep their weapons and ammunition at Home. The army has Only a Small Core of Lull Lime professionals but As Many As 1 million men can be mobilized within 72 hours. Tuesday september 23, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 17