The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-02-16
Farm Lands of Liechtenstein.


Prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. ID: c.
III is contented people indeed, VINO,
when their monarch would abdcate
and make them free, insist that he
still remain their ruler. Such an at
tempted abdication and the refusal TO
accept it occurred recently in Liecht-
enstein, one of Europe's tiniest indie
pendent states.
Liechtenstein is tucked away In
the eastern Alps south Of Lake Con-
stance along the upper Rhine, where
that stream runs in a deep valley be-
tween Switzerland and Austria. Be
fore the World war, Austria was
something more than a neighbor. The
little domain had customs and pos
tai agreement with the larger state
and in a very limited sense therefore
functioned as part Of 1t. But it had
its own hereditary ruler, Prince
Johan III, It's own little duly elected
parliament of 10 members, and its
own high courts and lesser govern
mental machinery.
|
though in way 1t was only acct
dental. Prince Johan owned extensive
estates In Austria and by virtue Of
their ownership sat in the Austrian
upper house. But Johan also owned
large estates in Germany. In fact
the aggregate acreage of his estates
I'm various countries amounted TO fifty
times the area of land of which he
was monarch with it's ~ square miles,
its greatest length of 10 miles and it's
greatest width of 6.
| Cynics or even mere economists
may find in JOhan's extensive land
holdings reason for his high place
in the affections of his people. With
out seriously feeling the drain on his
large income he has virtually run"
Liechtenstein from his private purse
so that only the most nominal taxa
tion is known in the little land.
Three-quarters of a century ago tie
inhabitants petitoned for an enter
tainment fund and the prince granted
subsidy, perhaps with smile. II
was used thereafter to decorate and
| illuminate Vaduz. the Paris of Liecht-
enstein, when he visited there.
Overlooked by Bismarck
In the AustrO-Prussian war back in
the eighteen-sixties Liechtenstein cast
her lot with her ally, Austria. Her
entire population bravely said good-by
to her soldier boys, and the entire
standing army of four score men
marched off to battle. But they ar
rived after the war was over.
When il came to making peace
| terms Bismarck nodded, for once, and
| little Liechtenstein was completely
forgotten. 1t was just as well. or she
might not have retained her freedom
But, apparently, she is determined not
to be ignored again.
Her army marched home again,
stacked their muskets and hung their
leather helmets, the bugler's trumpet
and the captains sword i'm the ancient
castle of Vaduz, where they remain
today. The citizenry informed the
| prince they wanted no more OF war.
He abolished military service, and
since then disarmament" has been
complete in Liechtenstein, though.
technically, the country has been at
war with Prussia since 1866.
Not only are there virtually no
taxes in Liechtensteln. but the coun-
try has no public debt. A small levy
is made for keeping M the bikes lest
the Rhine overflows her fields i'm
springtime. Customs and the ready
generosity Of her monarch keep her
treasury filed
This quaint, but archaeological ma
ton, with its roadside shrines and
modern typewriters, Is somewhat
smaller than the District Of Columbia
II is elongated as IL by pressure of
it's neighbor nations, Austria and
Switzerland, suggesting Mark Twain's
complaint about another land where.
he said. people had to sleep with
their knees pulled up because they
couldn't stretch out without a pass
port"
Travellers Pass II BY.
Two fiefs of the Roman empire,
Schellenberg and Vaduz, make up the
latter day Diechtenstein. Both came
into possession of the Liechtenstein
family while their previous over
lords were financially embarrassed.
Many travellers passed through the
little state, within a sight of the
Vaduz castle mounted on its white
cliff pedestal, for the route to Davos
lies that way. But hardly any of the
tu.oyafelru ofoppod Whan pohorf
shacklst2p visited Their ; NOT man