Andorra Tiny Repuadlic, Becomes 'Hot and Bothered'

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 312, 24 March 1928, Page 24

Andorra Tiny Repuadlic, Becomes 'Hot and Bothered'

SHE Republic of Andorra, in the Pyrenees, is the smallest in the world. The taxes are so small in this free republic that they amount to practically nothing. Andorra has no navy, no army, and not even a police force. Its population could be hidden away on Manhattan Island in the United States and not even be noticed. Yet Andorra is not too small to have its troubles in matters international. Andorra in the past has been free and integral because it was considered that it was not worth fighting for. But the Andorrans feel differently about it. They are proud of their tiny land, which goes back in history to the time of Charlemagne, who, when he vanquished the Moors with the help of the Andorrans, gave them the privilege of independent government. The feudal prince of Andorra happens to be M. Doumerque, the President of France. Andorra recently appealed to him because Spain had taken over its mail service. When a nation has neither army, navy nor constabulary, it hates to give up its mail service. And further, Andorra, being close to Spain, fears its large cousin. The taking over of the mails, the people of Andorra fear, is but a preliminary to eventual conquest of their diminutive realm. This means the loss of their freedom, which is very precious to them indeed. 'They regard it as highly as do the Swiss, the Czechs, and the nearby free republic of San Marino.

To Paris, then, went a deputy of Andorrans to plead their the French President, who, •>? *] of being a successor of He °” . itt head of the French State, shares the Bishop of Urgel, in •P* fef titular sovereignty over —ji Pvrenean republic, which enjoys complete independence. Formerly the postal served w iiet aorra was assured by fra L . k , itactfully appointed home’ 0 s postmen. When the distribaW* the mails was taken over gjrSpaniards were appointed* jb men, and Andorra trembled freedom. To the world might be a small enough ,jjEto Andorra it was a m ° ve ficant. It may mean the pooW the deputation told Presl ffvl »c* erque, that there is going ou tgoinf sorship of their incoming a ce asof mail, for in Spain the P°ship is always most severe pots When a State has not force, and has two big e( j-iig? its diplomats must be . CPl npla- :: diplomatic. In making th ret at Paris, the Andorran 3 g-i 1 tactful and discreet. 1 n ,„ nl] totico [ 1 ; that the visit of tb ® ■ jf-Jand spaJ Paris caused smiles. t ff isi ' both disavow the slight title invade the sovereignty o aly \ • valley republic, compr ls bi^' 1 square miles and occeP n(| fert^ I men. Its heights comman E o ■ cations and it would b® i in war.

San Marino, on the contrary, perched on its rock and overlooking Rimini, is considered to have military value. As a matter of fact, this little republic still considers itself in a state of war with Austria for things that happened in the time of Garibaldi. It was in San Marino after his retreat following the fall of Rome in 1549 that the liberator disbanded his redshirts. Since mediaeval times, San Marino has felt the tread of the horses of the Malatestas. the Alberoni, the Borgias and the Dukes of Urbino. Napoleon, as a sporting gesture, refused to disturb its autonomy. Even Mussolini has done nothing to wound ths feelings of the hillmen of San Marino, who are all Italian in face and sentiment, anyhow. So San Marino issues its pretty stamps and makes revenue out of the philatelists, proceeding happily without such incidents as those which fret the Andorrans to-day. Andorra resented the fact that her delegates were not invited to the great Peace Conference following the World War. Honduras and Panama were invited, her people pointed out—therefore why not Andorra? Its 5,000 inhabitants (who could all be comfortably housed in half a dozen New York hotels) considered it an affront to their dignity. But the present situation is much graver. It approaches a crisis, even if the rest of the world refuses to see it in that light. The deputation to Paris, discreet and restrained though their petition was, want it to be understood that Andorra is, now and always, for Andorrans.