Monaco Speeds Up The Race For Popularity

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 596, 23 February 1929, Page 19

Monaco Speeds Up The Race For Popularity

SiONACO, the little Priiu-i-. pality nestling: at the foot of the Alps on the j Mediterranean, is feeling the uncomfortable ; stimulus oi modern times, after years of lazy contentment. The revolt of the National Council as a protest against the attitude of Prince Louis, the absolute monarch of ■ eight, square miles

eiguL square mues of territory, reveals a situation that has been shied at for a considerable time. With the up-to-date improvements that have been undertaken in the neighbouring Italian and French resorts, which are yearly attracting more visitors thprp

more visitors, there 1 has been an uncomfortable feeling that perhaps Monaco cannot always live on the fame of the section of the Principality known as Monte Carlo, which flaunts its dazzling architecture above the lowly district of the Condarnine. With its sub-tropical gardens, Casino, and Sporting Club, there lias always been an atmosphere about Monte Carlo which in the past has brought its reward in the form of rich visitors. To-day, however, other resorts have waged an unceasing campaign to attract these same wealthy pleasure-seekers. Since the time when Monaco, as a straggling fishing village, was the prey of Saracen raiders, it has knpwn continued strife. The present monarch traces his ancestry back to Lucien Grimaldi, who, as Lord of Monaco in the 16th century, withstood a siege by the Genoese for 102 days.

I Prince Louis lives in a palace that dates back to those times. It is situated on the precipitous arui almost impregnable rock of Monaco above the i harbour, and is guarded by a little ! baud of soldiers which in these days would seem more in place on the t musical comedy stage, in their oper- \ atie hats with red. white and blue cock’s feathers. The riches of Monaco and of the | ruling princes is traceable to an astute restaurateur. M. Francois Blanc, who came to the Principality in JS67 and ! obtained the sole gambling rights. M. I Blanc founded the Casino company, j which boasts the innocuous title of j Society of the Sea Baths. | M. Blanc began to develop the hillside above the harbour, and Monte Carlo, the gamblers’ resort, is almost j entirely the child of his brain. Monte I Carlo is “run” by the syndicate to-day. | Its income for 11*27-2$ was £1.266,600. | which was £75.000 less than the preJ vious year’s figures. | M. Blanc’s arrangement with the Prince provided for a fixed payment every year to the ruler as well as a percentage of the profits and the support of the Prince’s army and police force. The Casino company developed Monte Carlo in every way possible until it became the premier gambling resort of the world, and the revenue that poured into the Principality was so great that the 20.000 odd inhabitants were relieved almost entirely of taxation. Somehow- since the war there has been a feeling that the Principality has not kept quite abreast of the progress that has been made by its rivals. The genius of the late M. Cornuche, which showed Itself in the development of Deauville and Cannes, perhaps has something to do with this feeling, and the Monegasques are now hoping for some of the constructive genius of a Blanc or a Cornuche.