Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1915-03-26
MAY LOSE HIS ARMY
Pope Will Lack Guards if Itak
Enters the War.
Entire Vatican Force Liable to Call IA
Colors, and Unprecedented sltua.
tion May ArIse--Law Of Guar.
antees Silent.

HSSSS OHGHks
home.-In case Italy goes to war
one of the most serious complications
which will follow in the relations be-
tween the Italian government and tho
Holy See will be in connection with
the papal army
Inere Is no provision in the law Of
guarantees contemplating the eventu.
ailty of war. When this law was be.
fore the Italian parliament in 1871 a
member proposed an amendment to
the effect that all privileges accorded
to the pope should be suspended in
case OF war between Italy and other
nations, as also in the case of war
between foreign nations when Italy
had declared herself neutral, and in
every circumstance when such meas
ure should be necessary for the inter.
nal and external security of the state"
This amendment was accepted, but not
embodied in the law, which, it was
then explained, was concerned with
the rights of peace and not with those
of war.
Article of the law Of guarantees
deals with the pontifical army as fol-
lows:
The sovereign pontiff can retain
the usual number of guards attached
to his person and employed for the
custody of the palaces without preiu-
dice to the obligations and duties In
cumbent on those guards by reason
of the laws in force in the kingdom"
The obligations and duties men
toned in this article are those Of
every italian citizens liability to serve
in the army and thus the law explicit
ly provides that pontifical guards can
not claim exemption from military
service. In fact the pontifical gen.
darmes, who are all Italian citizens
are purposely recruited from men
who have served in the Italian army
The Noble guards and the Palatine
guards, who are nearly all Italian cit
liens, not being on permanent duty
at the Vatican, but only called for
service when occasion requires. get
special leave Of absence when called
for service in the Italian army.
In case general mobilization is or.
dered in Italy practically all the 200
pontifical gendarmes would have to
join the colors and thus the two per
manent corps of the papal army, the
Swiss guards, already reduced from
200 to only about eighty rank and file,
and the gendarmes, will be to all In
tents and purposes disbanded. Nor
can the pope rely on the Noble guards
and the Palatine guards for the pro
lection of his person and the custody
of the apostolic palaces, as the great
majority of these guards will also be
called to arms. And the hundreds OF
men employed in the Vatican, the GUS
todians of the museums and the gal
Ieries, the lay clerks in the depart
ments and offices, the gardeners and
coachmen and caretakers. all these
will have to join the italian army
Such a contingency is unprecedent
ed in history and without a parallel
in international law and it will serve
to prove the anomaly of state with
in a state. Strangely enough while
the next smallest army in the word
after that of the pope, existing IKE
wise in Italy, will not be affected by
Italian mobilization. and not a single
citizen of the diminutive republic OF
| San Marine will be compelled to fght
in the italian army, the army Of the
pope will practically cease to exist
when Italy goes to war.
The reason for this distinction DE-
tween the two armies is that san
Marine is Italy's ally while the Holy
See, although its territory is only
palace and a garden. is considered
Italy's enemy. Officially the pope 70
nores the kingdom of Italy.
1t is a welIknown fact that many
radical changes win follow as re-
suit of this great war. Old nations
will disappear and new ones will oe
formed; boundaries and peoples wiz
change their nationality, while Eu,
rope will be remapped. Great as a,
these changes viii be their hfstorleai
Importance will, however, be less than
that of the great change which InA!
affect the Vatican, the oldest insti'u
/ 49,. xnar1d