The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20
Wea1t1iest Me,, of Germany Sqr1rm Under Taxes

n ERLIN, April 1s-(speeial)-rwo
X and 20 sovereign German princes
are hesitating between the rival
virtues of patriotism and thrift. They
cannot decide whether it is sweeter to
pay the new war tax. or to put their saw
ings into sound brewery stocks. Between
these temptations they resemble the vaei-
lating lover who says. How happy could
I be with either.n The trouble is that
this is the first time the % kings. grand
dukes, dukes and princes have ever been
asked to pay a pretty stiff tax on their
accommodations. So, while patriotic con-
science bids them make the secrifce, their
hon~ft pocket interests whisper Do not
pay.
There would be no such dilemma IL
Europes sovereigns were ordinary men.
So far from being ordinary they enjoy
the privilege of "Steuerfreiheit." "Steuer-
freheit'' is freedom from tax paying; and
sovereigns and their families have it to-
gether with freedom, IL they wish, from
military service. In addition to the SOW
ereigns there are 600 odd members of
mediatized, ex-sovereign, families who are
exempt from local taxation and from mill
tary service. These privileges are stead
fastly opposed by progressive Germans,
who say that in hard up times the aver
age sovereign can as we'll afford to pay
his taxes as can a lawyer with 5000 a
year. All the more so because, II SOW
ereisns go into bankruptcy their subjects
help them out, as Wilhelm II discovered
two years ago when Prussia's diet raised
his salary by three quarters of million.
But SO far the thrifty princes always
stoutly resisted being taxed; and until
recently Wilhelm II resisted most of all.
Now. in a fit of patriotism begotten of
the 1918 centenary. Wilhelm II has for
sworn his resistance; he is ready to be
taxed, and the other one and twenty SOW
ereigns have had to follow him. All that
is now known is that there will be a
''non-recurring contribution" from the
capital of real and personal property; and
that 1t will probably amount to ! per cent.
This the soveeigns must pay. There may
also be a new imperial income tax; and
this the sovereigns may have to pay also.
Naturally the soveregns are facing the
crisis like gentlemen and feeling intense
~ yirtuous. But at heart they are sore,
and they are not blessing Kaiser Will
helm. Rumors of discomfort come from
various august palaces. A Dresden of
ficial newspaper criticises the scheme, and
this means that King Friedrich August
does not like it. OF all German princes
except the young Duke of Saxe-Coburg
Gatha, Friedrich August is the thriftiest.l i
Another sovereign known for the unprince-
lest virtue is the Grand Duke of Hesse,
but this grand duke is relatively hard
up man and his every odd pfenng goes
on an artists colony at Darmstadt. Even
soveregns who are willing to pay are said
to feel uneasy. For it is the initial step
that counts. For the first time In history
the sacred principle that royalties are
tax free is broken.
"lf we may be taxed for an army in
crease" reason the sovereigns. ''why may
we not for navy increase for an adu-
cation increase. or even for old age PEN
sions for hens? II we have TO pay
non-recurring tax, why shall we escape
n recurring one? If we are to pay inn
#perial taxes won't we soon have to pay
Estate and even municipal taxes?" And
Ihaving SO argued, the % sovereigns strike
a patriotic pose, and profess their joy at
suffering for their country's greatness
The sovereigns feel all the more