The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-02-22
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Farm Lands Of Liechtenstsin.

Farm Lands {
repaired. by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. d: c.
1t is contented people indeed, who,
hen their monarch would abdicate
nd make them free, insist that he
till remain their ruler. Such an at
empted abdication and the refusal to
iccept 1t occurred recently in Liecht-
'nstein, one Of Europe's tiniest indie
,endent states.
Liechtenstein is 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 neighbor. The
little domain had a customs and pos
al agreement with the larger state
md In very limited sense therefore
'unctioned as part Of 1t. But it had
IS own hereditary ruler, Prince
Tohan II, 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 it was only acct
lental. Priace Johan owned extensive
estates In Austria and BY virtue Of
heir ownership sat In the Austrian
apper house. But Johan also owned
large estates in Germany. In fact
the aggregate acreage Of his estates
N various countries amounted to fifty
times the area Of land Of which he
was monarch with its AZ square miles.
it, greatest length of Is miles and its
greatest width Of 3.
Cynics or even mere economists
may ind 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"
Liechtenstein from his private purse
20 that only the most nominal taxa
ton ID known In the little land.
Three-Quarters Of q century ago the
Inhabitants petitioned for an enter.
tainment fund and the prince granted
. subsidy. perhaps with a smile. 1t
was used thereafter to decorate aud
illuminate Vaduz, the Paris Of Liecht-
enstein. when he visited there.
Overlooked by Bismarck.
In the Austro-Prussian war back In
the sishteen-sixties Lechtenstein 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 on to battle. But they ar.
rived after the war was over.
When It came to making peace
terms Bismarck nodded, for once, and
little Liechtenstein was completely
forgotten. It 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. tue bugler's trumpe,
and the captains sword in the ancient
castle Of Vadux. where they remain
today. The citixenry 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 1885.
Not only are there virtually no
taxes in Liechtensteln, but the coun.
try has no public debt. A small levy
IL made for keeping up the bikes lest
the Rhine overflows her fields in
springtime. Customs and the ready
generosity Of her monarch keep her
treasury filled.
This quaint. but electric-lighted ma.
ton with It's roadside shrines and
modern typewi'ters. IL somewha,
smaller than the District Of Columbia
1t is elongated, as II by pressure Of
its neighbor nations, Austria and
Switzerland, suggesting Mark Twain's
complaint about another land where
he said. people had to sleep with
their knees puIled up because they
couldn't stretch out without a pass
port"
:. Travellers Pass II BY.
Two fiefs Of the Roman empire
Schellenberg md vaduz. make up the
latter day Liechtenstein. Both came
Into possession Of the Liechte nstein
fsrily while their previous over
lords were financially embarrassed
Many travellers passed through the
little state. within = sight Of the
Vaduz castle mounted on its white
cliff pedestal, for the route to Dayo,
lies that way. But hardly any Of the
travellers stopped. When Rober,
ghacklctoc ytAasd thsre not many