THE SMALLEST COUNTRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 23 January 1926, Page 9

THE SMALLEST COUNTRY

to international law, the little Republic of San Marino is still in a state of war with Austria and Germany, although the peace treaties between the Allies and the Central Powers were signed six years ago. The United States was nominally at’ war with Germany for two years after peace hack been signed by the Allies, but- that, was because the American Senate refused to ratify the peace treaty with Germany which President Wilson had signed on behalf of the United States. It was not until two years later that the United States concluded a, separate peace with Germany. But San Marino v r as never asked to sign any of the peace treaties between the Allies and the Central Powers, although she participated in the. war on the side of the Allies. Her citizens fought and fell on the Italian front-, and she equipped a war hospital at ail Italian base. But the Republic; of San Marino is so small that when the peace treaties were drawn up she was not asked to send a> representative to Pa ris.

San Marino takes pride. In the fact that she is the smallest State in the world. The country is situated a few miles inland on the western side of the Adriatic, and is entirely surround ed by Italian territory. It has an area of ‘36 square miles, and a population of 12,000. The city of San Marino, which is the capital, is built on the northern extremity of Mount Titanua, a precipitous rock rising 2500 feet above sea level. The republic is governed by a great council of sixty members, of whom twenty represent the nobility, twenty the land-owners, emit twentv the. citizens. The Grand Council elects two captains regent, who hold office for only six months. One of these captains regent exercises executive powers over the . agricultural population, and the other over the urban population. The country has no national debt, and until after the war

REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO

STILL AT WAR WITH GERMANY.

it had no income tax. Its annual expenditure is- below £50.000 a year. The independence of San Marino is recognised, by tihe; great Powers of the world. Naturally the republic is- more closely associated with Italy than any of the other Powers, blit she lias a Minister to represent her in Paris, and a consul-general to represent her in London. She has entered! into extradition treaties with Great Britain, Belgium, Holland and- the United States. If there: were no extradition treaties San Marino would provide a convenient sanctuary in which absconders could find refuge from the laws of their own countries. San Marino has always prided herself on welcoming refugees from oppression, but she does- not welcome criminals fleeing from the law. She was- embarrassed when in 1922 Italian 'Communists took refuge, in her territory to escape from the Fascist!. Only a couple of hundred Communists crossed into San -Marino territory, but as the republic's police force consisted of seven gendarmes and seven carabineers, she- had to borrow some carabineers from Italy to enable her fo keep order. Tourists seldom visit San Marino because it is out of the beaten track, and: can only be reached by a drive up a, precipitous road. Every male citizen between the ages of 16 and 55 is liable to be called upon to defend his country, but tihe standing army is small, as may be gathered from the fact that £4OO covers the, annual military expenditure. The King of Italy presented the republic with a battery of artillery, but the guns have been placed in * the San Marino museum. The country exports wine, cereals, cheese, oil and cattle, but. a respectable portion of its revenue is derived from the sale of stamps. The demand by philatelists all over the world for San, Marino stamps exceeds the ordinary demands of the. local population most of whom are illiterate.