The Cannon of Andorra.

Otago Witness, Issue 2087, 22 February 1894, Page 49

The Cannon of Andorra.

The ambition of small Republics, more particularly in matters relating to armaments, is apt to be somewhat out of proportion to the real importance of the State and to its actual requirements.

A correspondent, wrjting recently to the Globe, tells a story of which it may well be said, te non-e vero, c ben trovato A short time ago, he would have us believe, the authorities of Andorra, the little Republic in the Pyrenees, conceived the idea that there was something lacking in the dignity of their State, and that something was cannon. Cannon they determined they must have, and accordingly inquiries were instituted, and they found that Krupp, of Essen, was a good man for such articles. Bub when Krupp, of Essen, sent them his price list they found that cannon were more expensive things than they had imagined, and that the sum that had been destined to procure three or four guns would only buy one.

This was disappointing ; but after consideration they decided that one cannon was, after all, perhaps enough to give an air of importance to their little valley, and, anyhow, was certainly better than none. So one they determined to have, and Krupp was entrusted with the order. At last the cannon arrived in Andorra, and was duly put into position on the highest point of ground in the Republic, where all comers might see how well the valley was protected.

Evidently the next thing to do was to try how it acted. So they carefully studied the directions that came with it, and loaded it accordingly.

Then it suddenly struck one peculiarly bright spirit that before they fired they ought to know where they were going to fire to. The ball carried, he represented, about three times the distance of the whole length of Andorra. If they aimed to the north they would fire right into France ; if they fired to the south into Spain. A European war might be tbe result in either case. Here some one suggested that the cannon should be pointed upwards and fired into the air. But it fortunately occurred to another intelligent native that the ball would be sure to fall to the ground again, and whether it fell in Andorra, in Spain, or in France, the damage it would do would probably be immense. So that would not do either.

And then, though everyone began to talk at once, and everyone had a different opinion to advance, the authorities at last were convinced that there was no safe way of firing, and, nearly crying with disappointment, the whole Republic gave in and returned to the valley. The cannon has not been fired yet.