Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-26

est treasures of San Marine and runs AZ
follows:
Roman Republic. Command of the First
Italian Legion.
SAN MARINO. 31st July. 1919.
Citizen Representatives of the Republic:
me conditions imposed upon you by the
Austrians are not acceptable. and we will
therefore quit the territory.
- GARIBALDI."
Handsome Revenue From Post Office.
In the middle of Big square Is a giant
statue of Liberty. which figures conspicu-
ously upon the postcards of San Marine.
At one end is the post office with the
standard measures of the republic on the
stone let into the wall. The post office is
one of the institutions of which the citi-
zens are most proud, and they derive quite
a respectable portion of their revenue from
the sale of their various issues to collect
ors In 1924 there special commcm-
oratlve stamp issue, by which they made
handsome profit. The republic has also is
sued number of pennies and half-pennies,
winch are accepted as currency in Italy,
put these are rarely to be met with in San
-harino itself. where the ordinary Italian
paper is the regular currency
At the other end of the square il the gov
eminent palace. a gaunt gray brick build
ing, with two of its walls standing sheer
from the side of the precipice To look out
OF us WINDOWS Is one of the giddiest of eX-
Vere ecclesiastical aspect On one wall is
an elaborate fresco of no particular artistic
pretension. In the background it has a
view or the three-turreted peaks of San
Marlno; In the foreground a variety of
mediaeval personages are doing homage to
the saint himself. who is being waited upon
a cloud, attended by a couple of angels In
1font or the fresco is the throne of the cap
tains-regent. which. with an array of stan
da I'd candleSticks a dais a long desk and
the fresco. might easily be mistaken for
Simpie form Of altar, while the rows of
arm chairs along the walls suggest cathc-
orai stalls OF primitive pattern
The library, museum which was
council chamber before the erection of the
present palace, is perhaps most remarkable
FOR Its confusion. There are some IL 900
volumes, the greater part modern works of
no Importance. all in the utmost disorder
ana destitute of catalogue. A Madonna
by Giuiio Romano 1ostles a portrait OF
George Washington; ugly medallion of
victor Emmanuel chaperons modern al
iesorlcal picture of the sanity founder con-
lerrlng liberty upon buxom maiden in
tended to represented the republic. The
people of San Marine seem to have no
sense of proportion, for as much store
seems to be set by trumpery coins, ribbons
ara various documents relating to Victor
emmanuel or Louis Napoleon Benaparte
as by an old charter of the year $50 and a
document signed by Caesar Borgia
An Army Mostly "ColoneIs"
me cathedral is a large, bare building
containing life-size statue of the saint
and gilt bust. said to contain some OF his
remains and elevated on the occasion of
his feast day for the alteration of The, popu-
lace.
Two of the castles are little more than
ruins and the third is now used as gaol
The whole army consists of 12I soldiers.
who. like the people of another republic.
appear to be mostly colonels." Some of
the uniforms with their cooked hats and
plumes are distinctly magnificent, and every
man struts about with as ferocious and
seif-satisfed an expression any Prussan
veteran Honorary rank In this army con-
ferring the right to wear uniform is as
EASILY obtained as the titles of nobility.
me laws and constitution are not the
leaSt remarkable points about this extraor-
binary little state The captains-regent are
erected in April and October by the coun-
c'l one of them must always be a nobleman
ana the other a commoner
The council of sixty comprises twenty
mobiles. twenty citizens and twenty country
men, ana. whenever a vacancy is created by
death. the remaining councillors elect sue
cessor. All legislative and executive powers
belong to the sixty. who govern the state in
true p9ternal style. There are regulations
prohibiting locksmiths from selling latch
Keys TO young men, determining the OPEN
ing OF drinking shops and billiard saloons
ana forbidding games of chance either in
pubic or In private. In this connection
may be mentioned the fact that the renuh
lie Is very proud of having refused a con-
cesslon for the establishment of gambling
tables. although this would, no doubt have
greatly assisted the budget
Samples of Penalties Inflicted.
There are fines for doctors, chemists or
blood letters revealing professional Sc
ciets; for people disturbing Roman Cath
ole services. but not those of heretics and
Tor 'usufpation Of public esteem" by TAX
lfg unauthorized titles. There is imprfs
eminent Of one to three months for s.curs
ifS The most holy name of God or the HOLY
virgin or the founder of the republic" and
Tor breaking out into invectiyeS on the
P"piicdulh OF law, while to write or
speak IN favor of a dissolution of the conn
Gil exposes a culprit to ten wears, DcnaI
SefNitude- Special licenses are required for
growing tobacco. keeping she goats going
up IN balloons or climbing the town walls
IL would be rather amusing to present n
humble petition to a council Of sixtv ror
leave To climb the town walls of a sovar
elgn republic
How long will the quaintest state In
Christendom be spared by its big ncfebbora
lhe beginning of the end will come whom
some enterprisine tourist agency perSuades
Inc council OF sixty to sanction a railway
and provide cheap tickets to the repuIlic
Already mary travellers in italy must have
regretted their omission to explore thc
StrahS2st group of villages in the whole
peninsula. If not in Europe and for a
time. no doubt. San Marine would derive a
handsome profit for their advent. But
one" this had led to its natural consequence
and the little, Old. wizened republic had
been swallowed UP in the great paryeuu
kingdom, the whole attraction wnuIl be
gone. and San Marine. bereft of her spe-
cial privileges, would once more be forgot
ten by the world Already politicians at
Rome speak Of her as an anomaly and a
blot uron the unity OF the country and ir
ls.3 the Italian government denounced the
treaty of protective friendship which il
concluded in 1872.
A Rainy Day.
From the Ludgate.
II is not until we take the rainfall in the
bulk that can realize what a stupendouS