Evening star., 1949-07-01
Alpine Eden Knows Wuy
To Keep Out UndesirobIes
Neither Money Nor Influence of Aid
In Obtaining Citizenship
By Thomas X. Henry


VADUz, Liechtenstein (By MaiD Why
doesn't half the world flock to Liechtenstein.
swear allegiance to genial Prince Franz Josef
the Second, escape most Of the nuisance Of
paying taxes. and spend the rest of their
lives in one OF the most charming spots on
earth?
Why have more than 1000 Liechtenstein-
ers emigrated to the United States in the
past 40 years and the majority of them be-
come American citizens?
The answers to these questions explain
why states like this Alpine Eden are not a
very satisfactory answer to the worlds
problems.
In the first place. becoming a Liechten-
stein citizen is an extremely difficult PROPOSE
ton regardless of money or influence. First
1t Is necessary to find q home here not just
hotel room, and there are very few homes
10 De had in a naturally overcrowded coun-
try. II successful, you apply to the village
council. after about three months Pre-
sumably by this time the villagers have come
to know you and they decide whether you are
an acceptable neighbor.
Takes Parliament Bill.
Then the council recommends you to the
governments naturalization department II
it approves the decision of the villagers a
carried, it goes to the prince for veto or ap-
proval. Parliament might re-carry it over
his veto but, Of course, never would.
So it Prince Franz Josef finally approves,
you are in-after trial period of three
years. And the total number of naturaliza-
tions allowed is from four to five year It
all adds up that one must be very desir-
able citizen indeed to be accepted.
Otherwise residence is limited to period.
OF three months. which may under special
circumstances be extended The govern.
ment keeps list of undesrables which
might seek refuge here. They include, of
course, all war criminals and black market
operators Liechtenstein very specifically
doesn't want to become a refuge for tax
evaders. 1t might be profitable for few
years but in the end, as both the prince
and his subjects see it, terribly disastrous.
One very prominent war criminal who tried
to make it was Pierre Laval. They never
let him get over the border.
Reasons for Emigration. p.
Why Lechtensteiners emigrate also is
clear enough. Here is a prolific population
OF small farmers in a small land. If every-
body stayed, both individual and community
holdings would soon become too small to
aford livelihood and the government
would be faced with much the same problem
as the United States Government faces on
some OF its Indian reservations. The stand
ard OF living of such q state depends on q
relatively stable population.
Also LiechtenStein is not looking for tour.
lsts-that is any great influx of them,
individuals are welcomed. Nearby Switzer-
land. with which Liechtenstein is bound in
customs union. regards the tourist trade
as major industry. 1t is the second indus
try OF Luxembourg, the closest parallel to
liechStnnStnin cfo+n
little investment this country could become
tourist resort Of unparalleled popularity.
But, as the Liechtensteiners explain, a
great influx OF Americans and Western
Europeans would change the whole char
acter OF the country's life. The prosperous
small farmers would cease being farmers and
become caterers to the tourist trade. The
quaint local customs soon would lose their
sincerity and become mere play acting for
the benefit Of curious visitors.
Vicious Tax Circle Unwanted.
Even more important is the fact that the
influx OF tourists would make necessary pub
lie improvements of which there now is no
need and which would be extremely costly.
Broad modern highways for example, would
be necessary in place of the narrow but
well maintained road system which exists at
present
This would require higher taxes, and IL
oSoAAo AlcoSopdUIc lOI tIle QoQern SCaCe That
higher taxes breed still higher taxes in a
vicious circle.
Visitors. of course. would bring in enorm-
GUS amounts of money and, from the purely
financial point Of view, high taxes might be
q good investment for a few years. But
why take a chance? There is no poverty
here-nor any great wealth. The end results
Of far-reaching change are unpredictable.
The country is proceeding very slowly to
A{rrAx, a~~kAs fks... =,
prince himself is major stockholder in a
new adding machine factory. Vaduz has a
new textile mill. This gives an outlet for
farm boys and girls for whom there is not
enough land and who do not want to
emigrate.