The Washington herald., 1911-05-05
MINIATURE MONACO.

.AA0 ASpooiiS VI odn udIinos OF tnc NoiASy
OF Andora. the principality Of Monaco
holds record; geographically it is the
smallest state in Europe. Yet 1t is uni
versally famous. and every year 1t Is
visited by thousands of foreigners.
Apart from its special renown. the
principality of Monaco offers to the i'm
partial observer some interesting facts,
and as had occasion to narrate before.
Is worthy of being studied for more than
one reason. The papers continue to write
about a persistent conflict between the
Prince Of Monaco and those whom the
prince Is pleased to consider his subjects.
1t is explained that the new constitution.
formulated by his highness under the
pressure OF public opinion, has not salts
ned the people Of Monaco. and we are
allowed to see certain eventualities in re-
gard to the position occupied by the prin-
cipality on the Mediterranean coast, which
would not be without real concern.
Monaco Is an Independent principality
whose head. Albert !, is a scion Of the
Norman family Of the MatIgnons. grated
In the eighteenth century. on the old Ge-
noese stock of the Grimaldis An extraor-
dinary chapter of events, this history of
race of italian corsairs, bold and cum
ming In the Middle Ages, planting Its
reet on this fortress Of Monaco. built by
the Genoese. claiming its dominion little
by little. and at first uncertainty enough.
on these few rocks hunted, or humiliated
ny the Genoese, the Spaniards, and the
French. raising its head with insolence
when fortune favored or cringing in ad-
verse times and finally becoming great
loros at the Court of France, protected by
hlag and so.ereign princes.
Iher luck was equal to their clever
ness and never abandoned them through
ous all the vicissitudes Of their history
II continued in the nineteenth century,
when Charles III. by diplomatic tenacity.
succeeded IN having his sovereignty
recognized by most Of the great states
or Europe, so we'll. indeed. that his Sue
cessor reigns-or at least reigned until
recent days-with absolute autocracy
over realm of $50 hectares; that is to
say. over smaller territory than the
smallest community in France.
This successor. Albert l. enjoys a GER
tain notoriety. which he owes less to his
studies. his scientific expeditions. and the
foundation Of the Oceanographic Museum
at Monaco and Of the Oceanographic In
stitute in Paris.
But his people are less known. There
are few Of them. The prncipality Of
Monaco. at the census of 1905 comprised
1917 inhabitants. including l7.039 for
eiHners (amOng whom were S.241 Ital-
ians. 1906 French. sic Germans. 39l
Swiss, 3S5 English. and 1.is2 Monacoans).
Note that carefully, The prince gov
l.
jects. And for the most part they are
italian or French by origin. having been
naturalized quite recently. In spite OF
their small number. however. they have
not been hindered from taking their
nationality seriously. and they have
pressed forward their views with such
energy that there is now Monaco
question In Europe.
What Is this administration which so
displeases those who are chiefly con-
cerned in II? Until the present year the
power OF the prince was absolute.
Prince Albert would have been the last
autocrat in Europe His ordinances were
'suprema lex" But the new constitu-
ton, promulgated hardly three months
ago, has modified the old order of things.
minister of state, assisted by a coun-
ci. Of three members, is at the head Of
the government. AS for the legislative
power, 1t is held by the prince and a
national council of twentv-one members.
elected by universal suffrage. That is
the most important innovation, as it
transforms the principality into a con-
stitutional state. AS for the laws OF the
country. they are, with The exception Of
certain details. the French laws.
Monaco practically has neither agri-
culture nor industry. Fifty-one years
ego the country was almost solitude.
A few hundred fishermen lived miser-
ably on the coast. Monte Carlo was a
tangled growth of shrubs and cactus,
with a few pines and olive trees. Who
first gave life and then wealth to the
country, which seemed vowed to poverty?
The Societe ties Bains de Mer, otherwise
called the Casino, which Francois Blanc
bought on March 81. 1853. for the sum Of
/. 700, 900 francs from the Societe Lefebre.
and which he reformed. To Francois
Blanc succeeded. in 1871, his son. Camille
Blanc, under whose direction the busi-
ness has continued to prosper. Does any
one want figures? At the present mo-
ment the Societe des Bains de Mer is
worth the formidable sum Of 375.ooo.OOO
francs.
Grouped around the gambling firm are
hotels of fantastic architecture, fash
ionable shops. and villas. The Grand
Hotel de Paris. which belongs to the
IS. B. M" represents a value of more
than 100000 francs; the Hermitage and
the Metropole, run by an English COM
pany, are estimated at about 100000
francs. The total value of the building
property is 1T,OO0.o00 francs and of other
property 100000 francs. The French
hold the greater part of this wealth
(about 100000 600 francs) against 1900. 900
held by Monacoans and 5000. 900 by Ital-
ians. The rest, perhaps 67,000,00 is di-
vided among other foreigners and lin
ited companies.
The personal fortune Of the prince has
the same increasing progress.
Formerly the princes Of Monaco were so
poor that in order to live they had to
grind down unfortunate subjects by taxes.
The Casino has made them enormously
rich. An annual share Of the gambling
profits (this amounted in 1900. for ex-
ample. to $4,000 francs), special indem
mites, which figure at dozens Of mill
lions Of francs, to obtain q prolongation
Of the concession, contribute to the steady
stream into the princely treasury, so
that the actual fortune of the prince is
valued at nearly 100000 francs.
There is nothing astonishing about this,
II one reflects that the Casino shows a
yearly balance Of 3s,0O0O0O francs and
that everything Is for the good OF the
prince, as the IS. B. NJ. subsidies
nearly all the expenses Of public order.
And this is not strange characteristic
Of an organization which makes the Ca