THE LITTLE STATES OF EUROPE

Cue (NZERS), Issue 22, 30 April 1945, Page 7

THE LITTLE STATES OF EUROPE

111. LIECHTENSTEIN

This principality is rather bigger than the first two dealt with. It is the proud possessor of no less than sixtyfive square miles, almost exactly one-tenth the size of Stewart Island. Lying on the right bank of the Rhine, with Switzerland on one side and Austria on the other Liechtenstein has been independent since 1866, and has over 10,000 inhabitants and a parliament (the Landtag) of no less than fifteen members, elected by direct popular vote.

At one time this Germanic state in dined to Austria, but the AustroGerman combination has had so many set-backs in the past thirty years that it now rather cultivates (Switzerland, as a safer bet in every way. With bwiss currency and with its membership of the (Swiss Customs Union it almost counts as a part of that State hich has pursued the path of neutrality with more skill and more luck than any other in Europe. But . echtenstein retains its political and very useful it has f P( n- bas n ° standing army, mg very truly that all the army

it could provide would hardly do more than annoy anyone who really meditated invasion. But no one does, least of all the Germans. For the Nazi Leaders find Liechtenstein very useful. They have not for a long time been quite as confident of winning the war as their statements might have led one to suppose. So they have all been busy turning themselves into limited liability companies, and most of these companies are incorporated in Liechtenstein, even though the assets are in Germany and Austria. The shares, arc often held by nominees who are natives of this little state. It is the fond hope of the Gauleiters, Deputy Fuehrers and so on that after the war the Allies will respect the property of so impeccably neutral a state. This frenzied activity has brought the state great prosperity. Half the offices in the main street are devoted to company lawyers’ places of business, while the taxes are a most useful extra for the exchequer, and have more than replaced the profits once made out of State Lotteries, tickets for which even reached far-away New Zealand in the piping days of peace.