The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-30
GAMBLERS NEW PARADISE.
DRIVEN FROM BELGEG W, THEY
INVADE MORESNET.
Little Corner Of Europe That Owes Al
IeGIance 10 No Sovereign Not Far
From Line OF TRAY eli One clubhouse"
sprcia, Cable Despatch TO THE SUN

Special Cable Despatch 10 THE SUN
LONDON, Aug 90 Moresnet, or Alien
berg, "A half-forgottcn little corner OF Eu-
rope, lying between Belgium and Prussia,
has suddenly been brought into prominence
by gamblers. who have been chased from
Spa, Ostend and the rest of Belgium by
The law passed last year against gambling
and have found refuge in this new paradise.
Moresnet owes allegiance to no sovereign,
but possesses it's own laws under the Code
Napoleon of 1914, has its own government,
its burgomaster and ten councillors, VINO
rule supreme over the territory of thou
sand acres.
When the boundaries of the European
kingdoms were fixed anew, in 1915, both
Prussia and Belgium coveted Moresnet,
which previous to that time had been
French, for its rich mines and strategical
value. Neither would yield its claim and the
dist riot was left neutral under the admins
tration of joint commissioners appointed
by Prussia and Belgium. In lS41 these
commissioners were withdrawn and the
government of it's three thousand inhabi-
tants was left unreservedly to the burgo-
master and his council, the members OF
which he appoints.
Since its freedom came Moresnet had
been contented to call itself commune
and to live moderately as such. without
making any display of sovereign power or
trading thereon Until the gamblers came
its council never dreamed Of enrching
| the state or themselves by the sale OF gilt
tering orders or genuine titles OF nobility,
| as the old Italian republic OF San Marine
does For the administration OF the church
and schools, the municipality, read mend
| ing and other expenses IL 900 francs year
! sufficed This has been raised heretofore
| by a fixed tax of s francs per head on each
| inhabitant. Law courts were unknown,
litgants carrying their cases to the nearest
| Belgian or German courts at will Beyond
reclaiming deserters and fugitives from
! Justice, no foreign power had the right to
| interfere in the internal affairs of the COM
| mune.
Naturally, then, the eyes of the gambling
syndicates turned toward Moresnet when
the Belgian casinos were closed by law
Already gambling club Is in full swing
there. 1t calls itself a private club, but
that is very thin pretense. From fifteen
| to twenty new Belgian, French and German
members Join every day passing trium-
phantly, although they have just applied,
through the ordeal of n ballot. The venture.
which is financed with Belgian money,
promises to be an enormous success. From
the gambling and hotel viewpoints Moresnet
has every attraction. 1t is but little
distance off the direct line from Brussels
to Cologne, and is only twenty minutes by
train from AK la Chapelle. The scenery
and climate are delightful.
The newspapers of Germany are con-
Quoting campaign to stir up public opinion
against the introduction of gambling at
this quiet spot, but Belgium does not seem
to be disturbed. 1t looks as though the
only way of preventing the establishment
of a gambling resort there is by recon-
structing the lgianPrussian court, which
may then try to twist some clause OF the
Code Napoleon into an anti-gambline
law This court still exists nominally
but so far as Belgium is concerned there
is no intention at present Of calling upon
it to exert its somewhat doubt full authority