Guide to the corridors of Geneva

Guide to the corridors of Geneva, page 1.



Guide to the corridors of Geneva, page 2.

Day-diary written on the 12th July 1937 by a Visitor’s Guide at the League of Nations building in Geneva.

“I live in a modern block of flats in the up-town residential quarter on the opposite side of the city from where I work. Geneva is actually a haven for retired ‘rentiers’ of all countries and the intellectual atmosphere is unbelievably ‘bourgeois’ Of course there is an important international set of people working at the League and the International Labour Office who lead a more wide awake mental life but even they tend to fall into a rut. Besides there is really very little intercourse- and then only superficial at that- between the Genevese and the ‘internationals’ and foreigners are mistrustful among themselves, so most groups live in astonishingly ‘water-tight- compartments. If there is a link at all it is ‘Culbertson’ bridge.

Geneva has practically only one industry- watchmaking- and that is highly skilled. There is a perfume factory which can afford to pay decent wages and there is a certain amount of cabinet- i.e. furniture-making occupying some workers, but there is absolutely no proletariat even though politically speaking, the socialist party is the strongest and governed by the city from 1933 to 1936.”

"At 9.15 I set off to work by electric tram and motor-bus; arrived at office at 9.40. Go up to the Information Section to read English papers. Find the Sunday ones have not arrived yet. Am repreatedly amazed at the backward methods of the London press. The Times is sold in Paris at 8 a.m. but is not sent on by aeroplane as the Franch papers from paris which can be bought here at noon."