The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-15

weapon which was known before the
invention of gurpowder. 1t was a
combination of spear, ak. and spike,
designed to play havoc with armored
knights on horseback. BY their vic
tories over Charles the Bold of Bur-
gundy and the German emperors, the
Swiss established their martial repu-
tation, so that they We're eagerly
sought as mercenaries by all the great
powers of Europe. The famous Swiss
guard. massacred while defending the
Tuileries in 1892. was an example of
such troop of mercenaries. The only
body of Swiss mercenaries now in ex-
istence is the Papal Guard at the Vati-
can in Rome which is composed of
Swiss clad in a uniform said to have
been designed by Michael Angelo
Until 1S4S, when Switzerland adopt
ed a revised constitution, the fndi-
vidual Cantons. corresponding to our
states, had exercised practically COM
piete control over military matters,
but at that time the federal govern
ment assumed certain powers which it
has been steadily extending ever since
At the present time the division of re-
sponsibility between the federal and
cantonal governments is not a very
satisfactory one, so that the complete
transfer of military matters to federal
control will doubtless follow in due
course of time. But the voters at large
are not yet ready for this transfer. as
they declared recently when the pro-
position was submitted to them
through the referendum There are
centralizing and de-centralizing forces
at work in the republic; the theory of
states rights is deeply imbedded in the
political consciousness of the Swiss
people.
1t is probably the same aversion to
Capitalization which causes the Swiss
to do without a commander-in-chief in
times of peace. In case of war, how
ever, a general would Immediately be
elected by the federal assembly, cor
responding to our congress. to assume
supreme command.
In spite of these elaborate nrensra-
lions made by the Swiss for repelIing
a possible attack upon their territory,
there seems to be little probability that
they VIII ever be noleSted. The eyreat
powers have solemnly guaranteed the
perpetual neutrality of Switzerland ae
the safeguard Of Europe Public oninion
- HFe9coinlihg more and more sensitive to
puoiic preach Of faith; the tenets of in
ternatonai morality are slowly approach
ing ihose of personal ethics. Moreover
me httle republic is now the center Of
Illany International unions, the neutral
ginning with the formal ton of the Pod
, cross society in 1864 at Geneva. Switzer-
lana mas attracted to herself the inter
LialIohal postal and telegraph unions and
numerous others for the protection of in
dqst1ai, literary. and artistic property.
II may be of interest to recall in this
connection that the very symbol Of the
Red Cross society is of Swiss origin. For
when the subject of an appropriate SYM
Dol was discussed. it was finally apTaa5
to adopt the Swiss flag. l. e., instead of a
white cross on red ground. red cross
ton of the Swiss flag in turn is from tie
coat-of-arms of the little canton Of
Schwiz, which was the most active in
the war Of independence against Hans
burS-Austria. This name Schwiz was pro-
nounced Schweiz by the Germans,
suisse by the French, Svizzera by the
Italians and Switzerland by the ENGLISH
In 1855 the Swiss adooted a so-caiied
Covenant of Sempach, which has been de-
scribed as 1.-THE first attempt made BY any
people to restrain somewhat the fury Of
war w. D. M'CRACKEN.