Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13
MONACO NOW CONSTITUTIONAL

AsA ~ ~ a. ~ ~ ~ -
Monaco, a diminutive principality. the
last Of absolute monarchies. has been
touched by the fire of pop
Parliament ular liberty and has been
49,. accorded. without the burn
0A""' ing OF an ounce OF powder.
q constitution and a parliament. Mon
AGO. because Of her small population
and territory, has been treated by the
press solely from the picturesque side.
and rallied severely by those who insist
upon the ridicule of her uprising against
absolutism. 1t is a duty to present the
Monaco question from a national side
and make apparent that the effervescence
in this little principally is due to the
opposition OF the people to the rumored
intention of Prince Albert to place Mon
AGO under the protection OF Germany.
The question OF Monaco thus Is far
more serious than the reasons ascribed
hippantly by the press and public Mon-
aco conceals real danger to the peace
OF Europe. for il Prince Albert's policy
should prevail Monaco would become a
satellite Of the triple alliance and a
port for Germany and the allied fleets
In the Mediterranean. Monaco. in word.
under such conditions. would signify a
declaration OF war.
1t is happy circumstances. indeed. that
Prince Louis. heir to the throne OF his
father. should be opposed to his father s
policy. And this is manifest in q dis
patch from Monaco to the London Times
October Is. which said
1.-The diminutive principality OF Monaco
has just passed through a constitutional
crisis. The municipal council, presided
over by the octogenarian mayor; NJ. de
10th, yesterday announced that Prince
Albert of Monaco had granted a constitu-
ton in response to the urg- mt appeal OF
the Inhabitants. The agitation first arose
on the question of the civil list. The
grant of a constitution was intimated "a
the mayor through the. agency of the
heir apparent. Prince Louis. and the chief
Of Prince Albert's cabinet. NJ. JaiousDic
who had followed the prince to Paris tO
confer with the absent sovereign"
&
A popular procession was formed afte,
crowd marched through the
Popular streets shouting "vive Ia
a Eberte" and cheering Prince
AccAaM' Louis. The whole capita
was decorated with flags. These people
whom. it should be said. were free (be.
fore the proclamation) and paid no taxes
were quite beside thems Ives witt. JOY
because for the first time it had occurred
to them that they were free.
The Prince Of Monaco. as we have seen
was absent. and it was thus that dele.
cation followed him to Paris. whence II
was found he had gone to Lucerne. The
delegation was invited to meet him IL
Switzerland. but refused. Returning t
Monaco. it added fuel to the popula;
flame by report of Its wild COOS,
chase" and four or five hundred persons
went to the palace. before which they
manifested. crying: Resign! R. sign-'
The prince. when informed of thes
grave incidents in the heretofore seren,
existence of the subjects Of Monaco, sen
word asking ''Of what do you complain
You pay no taxes. What do you want
A parliament? You have no responsible
ity. What do you want with responsi
bility?'
But the people wanted a constitution
and wanted responsibility. So the princ
telegraphed, 'An right, they shall hav'
q constitution and parliament" and tn
Monacoans were consequently happy.
There has been but one restriction upol
the privileges Of the native residents o
Monaco under absolutism, and this re
fleets credit upon the paternalism of tn
monarchy. No native-born resident o
Monaco is permitted to play the "banque
at Monte Carlo. Among the privilese
and benefits enjoyed by the native resi-
dents and landholders is that their prop
erty is non-taxable. property. It shou''
be added, which has increased in valu
over a thousand per cent during the las
twenty years.
There are not more than 5000 nativ
subjects of the prince In the principally
although there are other residents mum
bring about taxation. and perhaps afte
all it Is contemplated to get a taxab'
share of the 6,COOOOO francs which tn
prince receives from roulette at Mont
Carlo. This. in part. may flow through
the hands of the municipal agents. Their
are many offices to create. educational in
stitutions to be endowed, insurance an
old age pensions. At any rate Monaco
is now fairly launched upon the poll:
sea and is face to face with some of tn
problems of parliamentarianism whicl
have been causing trouble among olde
and bigger states than Monaco.
writer in La Grande Revue treats tn
question of Monaco most seriously ant
attributes to a distinguished diplomat tn
remark that Monaco would one day b
little Morocco
The tendencies of Prince Albert are
made clear by certain facts which con
stitute a historical study
Monac0an. for this little principally
surrounded, save by the
AIstVIy' sea, by the French de-
partment Of Alpes maritimes, has his
tory. It dates from the year 96S, wher
1t was constituted state under the IL
lustrious family Grimaldi. In Ills thu
house Of Goyon-Matignon was substi
tuted, whence sprang the princes of Mon
AGO. These were disp0ssessed by the
French revolution in 1872 and annexed tt
France. In 1914 the principality was re
established, but placed under the protec
ton OF the kingdom of Sardinia by th'
treaty of Vienna in 1915. BY supple
mentary treaty executed in 1917 with thu
court of Turin Monaco was given al
italian garrison of 500 men. In 1913 TIT
towns Of Mentone and Roauebrune re
yolted and declared themselves free; Il
1881 Charles Ill coded His rights L
France. the Sandman garrison was with
drawn, and the Italian protcctorate wa
ended, France resuming her protectorate
Charles Ill was ambitious and exalted