Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-01-26
POPES ARMY IS UNIQUE

boIv az trained soldiers serving un-
den any rotentate is that which garri-
sons the Pope's palace in Rome. From
,ra -ilyer-casqued noble guards. the
SWISS Uallcreiers In doublct ana
ruffs. down TO the PalatiEe Guards ia
shake and the pontifical rendarmea
In hc,rskin. they form distinctive
feature at the papal court aud a be-
f.,In. setting 10 a medieval picture
Their .8r"eols or quaint uniforms
.I,r..re helms. flashing arms, gilt
fo-,r- hr,astplates like the black.
..l.,, tortlc's. rufus and rapiers of
Oh, .riIem,u-in-w waiting are In PER-
fc.t artist harmony with their sur
rorrl.ucs from which rhey receive
md On which they hes,ov thai CORE
afl,e fitness az the vatican. although
IA, .rrs,u,a OF these troopers ana
FOREIGN merrcuarios morally speak.
nr is ar anomaly and an anachron-
ISM
This singular little army Of a
spiritual ppteniate consists OF noble
Roman volunteers, hurgher civ'c
guard. and ltglian or forern mercen-
,i..s ard comprises four companies.
differently armed, Uniformed and o.
I,arad and each POSSESSING dis
Hr., history OF it- own ana a separate
rtaamtaticn
First In dignity and antiquity come
the noble guards In their scarlet tu-
mics golden epallets and silver hel.
NETS Raised In lAN5 under the
name of IipLt IIorsemcn they were
formed into two squadrons and many
years later in 1858, their scrtneth
increased by the addition Of 10
free lances, chosen exclusively from
the srions OF noble houses who could
show a sufficient number of quarter
incs The two corps were reorganiZed
ara united into one by Pope Plus the
seventh In 1901. when, after the
stress and storm VI tho great French
rcyolstion be had rightcd the ship
of s. Peter These noble guards
men mount guard IN the antecham-
her OF his holiness private apart
mont. surround the seria gcstatoria
solemn fetes and escort the pope
when he drives out. They row NUM-
bcr siNty-nine all told, under the
ccmamnd Of a acknowledgement.
The Swiss guards. who rank next
'recedence, were first enrolled by
the fighting Pope H.. and suhsc-
Qucntlv. during the seventeenth and
eighteen centuries, three companies
were added to the original one, Alter
many yicisslludes. they were finally
reduced 10 one company, which NUS
ters l22 men Of all ranks. command
ed hy captain ranking as colonl. O.,
these, 100 are priyates or hallerdicrs.
/ The Officers and men on state o.
casions don their morions, breast
plates and caldrouns. the Officers
armed with partisans. tho men vVitli
pole axes. but when on guard and IN
undress the men are armed with ord
mary modern rifles, though they sill
vegr their medieval garb The dat
les Of these Swit1crs. who now play
~ soldering, consist IN standing 1r
-rard az the Grand portal OF the val
IHn and esc,rtiue the pontiff when
hc is borne like some eastern poten
tate hi sedia estatoria TO celtaoineta
tate In hi sedia gestatoria 10 cele-
brate hleh mass. on which occasion.
surrounded by his body guard. ne
rs proceeded by six halbcrdiers toll
''f for this special service, and armc
with the formidable two-handet
sword Of their predecessors mention
cd In SCOTS Anne OF Geirstoin.'
The other two corps of household
troops namely. the Palatinc or Pal,
ace Guards and Pontifical gondarm.-
are far more modern. and do moi
possess the same stirring tradition.
The first is merely an offshoot and a
survival OF the old Urban militia or
civ guard They received their pres.
eut formation and appellatior in 'lN.u
ana are, as heretofore, recruited
mainly from the burgher class Of
Rome. They are clad in a very De-
coming blue uniform. and according
ITO Lieutenant General Tyrrel is very
similar TO that Of the French Ropub.
lican guard The duties Of the Palace
Guards are very light. They are
chiefly employed in church ccremon.
les. conformity with tho gendarmes.
TO maintain order among the crowds
who throng ST. Peters on such a.
sions and they are called ont about
once a month 10 drill or 10 noun,
Guard. They number l70 men OF all
ranks and are all volunteers. provil.
ing their own uniform and receiving
a small allowance for incidental ey
penses.
The pontifical gendarme though
last IN precedence, by no means the
least In appearance of the four pou
ufical corps We're raised In 1916 10
replace the French military police in.
stituted by Napoleon l., and, like the
Irish military constabulary, were
charged with the protection Of per
sons and property throughout the
whole papal states Reduced in num-
bers and duties, they now muster hut