The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1922-02-16

FafNU GaU0b
Prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington, 10. q
II Ii n contented people Indeed. who.
hen their monarch would abdlcate
md make them free. insist that he
tlll remain their ruler. Such an Mt
empted abdlcatlon and the refusal to
,ccept Il occurred recently In Liecht-
mstein, one OF Europe's tinlest inde-
PENDENT states.
Ilechtenstein Ia tucked away In
he eastern Alps south OF Lake Con-
tance along the upper Rhine, where
hat stream runs In deep valley be-
ween Switzerland and Austria. BE-
ore the World war. Austria was
something more than a nelghbor. The
little domain had n customs and pos
al agreement with the larger state
md In u very limited sense therefore
nnctloned rs a part Of II. But II had
ts own hereditary ruler. Prince
TOhan IL, Its own little duly elected
parliament OF IS members. and Its
,wn high courts and lesser govern
mental machinery.
There was another tie with Austria,
though In a way II was only acct
lental. Prlace Johan owned extensive
ESTATES In Austria and by virtue OF
heir ownership sat In the Austrian
ipper house. But Johan also owned
large estates In Germany. In fact
the aggregate acreage OF his estates
m various countries amounted to fifty
lines the area Of land OF which he
was monarch with It's AZ square miles
It's greatest length Of Is miles and lis
greatest width Of Q.
Cynics or even mere economists
may hnd In Johan's extensive land
holdings a 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'
Liechtensteln from his private purse
so that only the most nominal taxa
ton IL known In the little land.
Three-quarters OF n century ago the
Inhabitants petItioned for an enter,
talnment fund and the prince granted
a subsidy, perhaps with a smile. II
was used thereafter 60 decorate and
illuminate Vaduz. the Paris OF Liecht.
enstein. when he visited there.
Overlooked by Bismarck.
In the Austro-Prusslan war back in
the elghteen.slxtles Liechtensteln cast
her lot with her ally. Austria. Her
entire population brayely said good-by
10 her soldier boys. and the entire
standing army OF four score men
marched or TO battle. But they ar
rived after the war was over.
When II came to making peace
terms Bismarck nodded. for once, and
little Liechtensteln was completely
forgotten. II was just MS 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 in 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 Liechtensteln, though.
technically, the country has been at
war with Prussia since 1860.
Not only are there virtually no
taxes In Liechtensteln, hut the cOin-
try has no public debt A small levy
Is made for keeping up the bikes lest
the Rhine oyernows her fields in
springtlme. Customs and the ready
generosity OF her monarch keep her
treasury filled.
This quaint, but archaeological ma.
ton, with lis roadside shrlnes and
molern typewi'ters, II somewhat
than the District OF Columbia.
II Is elongated. as n by pressure OF
In neighbor nations. Austria and
Switzerland, suggesting Mark Twain's
about another land where.
he said. people had 10 sleep with
their knees pulled up because they
stretch out without pass
port"
Travellers Pass II BY.
Two fiefs OF the Roman empIre.
Schellenberg end vaduz, make up the
after day Llechtensteln. Both came
INTO Possession Of the I.lechtensieIn
'Wrily while their previous over
ords were financially embarrassed
Many travellers passed through te
little state, within sight OF the
Vndua castle mounted on It's white
,liff pedestal, for the route to Davos
les that way. But hardly any OF the
stopped. When Robert
visited thare not many /