Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-14
VATICAN GUARD
BEING REFORMED
Less Than 800 Men Constitute
Armed Force of Holy See,
in Five Corps.
CHANGES ARE RESULT
OF RECENT INCIDENTS
History of the Little Army Dates
Back to Hundreds of
Years.
ROME, September 1, 1913

ROME, September 1, 1913.
In consequence of a series of incidents,
the most recent of which was the mutiny
of the Swiss Guards, the Vatican au-
thorities are today taking steps to
form the tiny but historic army under
their control Although consisting of
less than 300 men. the armed forces of
the holy see comprise five different
corps. They are the Noble Guards. Swiss
Guards, Palatine Guards, Gensdarmes
and Firemen, or. as they are called,
Guards of the Fire"
The most important of these is the
Noble Guards. Constituted as it is to-
day, this organiza ton dates back to
little over 100 years. The predecessors
of the Noble Guard, however, first
came into existence in 1854, having been
organized as a papal guard in the time
of Innocent VIII. They were. however,
disbanded in 1913, when Plus VI was car
ried off to France whence he never
returned. In 1901 an agitation was start
ed in Rome among the aristocracy again
TO form bOdyguard for the pontiff,
and an address was sent to Plus VII,
oHerlng their services gratuitously. To
this Plus replied by message from his
secretary of state, dated May II, 1901,
which may be called their act of fOunda-
ton. and which provided that the corps
consist of sixty individuals, men and
officers. Now they are reduced to about
I.fty. and their command which was
hereditary in the Barberini and Alt.eri
families, has lately passed to the Ros-
pigliosi. the present commander being
Prince Camille The American connec-
tions of this family are notable, Prince
Camille having two sons both of whom
married American girls. The wife of
one was Miss Ethel Julia Bronson of
New York, while the other made Miss
Mildred Haseltine his wife.
Proud of Commandership.
The Rospigliosi are very proud of hav-
ing had the commandership of the No
BILE Guard conferred upon them. as
thereby they take rank with the five
other houses which hold hereditary po-
sitions at the papal court. These are
the two princes-assistants of the papal
throne, namely, the heads Of the Orsini
and Colonna families. deadly rivals in
the middle ages; the master Of the sa-
Ruspoli family; the standard bearer of
the holy church. the head of the Pat
rizi- Montoro, and the marshal of the
conclave, the head of the Chigi
To that warrior Pope of the Della Ro-
we're house. Julius H. who threw the
keys of st. Peter into the Tiber. saying
that he had more need of the sword Of
ST Paul; who built the castle of Ostia
and fortified the monastery Of Grottafer-
rata, and who was hoisted up in a bas-
ket to inspect the siege works of Bolog-
ma. the formation Of the famous Corps
of the Swiss Guard was ue.
The bellicose pontif in October, 1905
enlisted two thousand men, who were
officially described as .Praetorian
Guards of the Popes person and palace"
but only two hundred came to Rome
under the command of Gaspar de Sill
enen, a nobleman of Lucerne, who re-
manned at the papal court till his death
The Swiss Guard was destroyed almost
to a man in the famous sack of Rome
by the constable Of Bourbon in 1927
1t was reorganized in 154S and since
then has never ceased to exist. with
the two notable but temporary excep-
tons of the French occupation of 179S
and 1909 The Swiss Guard now num-
bers only about seventy and is recruit
ed equally from the Catholic German
and French cantons Of Switzerland.
The Palatine Guard formerly was COM
posed of members Of the upper middle
class, but it is now recruited from among
shopkeepers and small tradesmen belong