The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-03-27

This winter there are still games played in
Monaco but the greatest athletes with the
colors. This winter there still plays in the
theaters, but the actors are fighting and the
actresses nurses. Visitors still come. but
they are few. Some American tourists there
hoping for the war to end and afraid to go home
or stay away. With conditions they No
naco declared for war. The people few to arms
in the hopes Germany would be beaten, the
business at Monte Carlo could thrive again.
Now that Monaco, the smallest principality in
the world, has declared war on Germany, San
Marine is shaking its fist at the kaiser San
Marino is dot of So square miles in eastern
Italy. It's quarrel with Germany is the result of
the kaiser's protest that the San Marine wire
less station was intercepting his messages.
San Marine, literally, is a mountain and three
little villages. Its total population is 1900.
Jefferson City or Moberly would make more
populous nation 1t has no railroad, the visitor
having to ride four hours in a diligence from
Rimini, AdTiatic resort city.
The founding of San Marine is somewhat of
myth The local tradition is that Marinus,
Dalmatian stonecutter, fathered the nation in the
fourth century He working a gateway
at Rfmini The nearest rock quarry was Mount
Titanus. AS a reward for faithful work Marinus
given the mountain. where he established
refuge for Christians. Since that time San Ma
rino has maintained its independence
In the seventh eighth century its monastery
was turned into fort Many invaders marched
by without attacking the republic. For
SON. it difficult to attack, and for another, it
had no wealth to attract the conqueror.
Once a pope attempted to collect taxes in the
state. San Marine appealed to a judge in Rimini,
who held that it was independent nation and
therefore taxes could be collected. Italy has
tried to incorporate the republic in its realm
True, today, Italy maintains the San Marinan
gendarmerie and medical staff but the republic
turns in enough revenue to the Kingdoms treas
ury to recompense it.
San Marine is proud of its claim the Oldest
republic. All around its SO miles of frontier
monuments marked Italy side
and THE Republic of San Marino' on the other.
But while it claims to be republic, it is oil
garchy ! fact The, government is a grand
Gil of so elected for life in equal numbers from
the landed proprietors and the bourgeois The
council elects its members when vacancies
occur. An inner council Of II chosen from the so
forms kind OF senate. It has two presidents
or captains regent, they call them. They are
elected every six months at grand public gath
erfng. The main reason for the frequency of
those elections is that they the principal
amusement the citizens have.
There is only level spot in San Marine.
That is plaza in front Of the national palace.
1t is used parade ground for San Marines
citizen army of $50 men and SO officers San Ma
rino's army is not professional It's sol
diers ali make their living at some other oecupa-
ton Thus the commanding officer OF the army
is also librarian of the national library and a
professor in Belluzi college.
The people generally work in the quarries and
do some hillside farming AS the expense of
maintaining the government is small taxes prac-
tically amount to nothing. San Marine has
diplomatic force of II consuls. Three in
Italy one in England, in France and the
others in neighboring countries. Their only pay
is fees. San Marine once thought it would send
consul to the United States. Not that it needed
one here but it a happy thought that the
Oldest republic should be represented in the
largest republic The captains regent Of that
date investigated the matter. They way to