Gilpin observer., 1915-03-25
|MAY LOSE HIS ARMY
Pope Will Lack Guards If Italy
Enters the War.
Entire Vatican Force Liable to Call to
CoIors, and Unprecedented situa-
tion May Arise-Law Of Guar
antees Silent

home-ln case Italy goes to war
one OF the most serious complications
which will follow in the relations be-
tween the Italian government and the
Holy See will be in connection with
the papal army.
There Is no provision in the law Of
guarantees contemplating the eventu-
ality 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 preju--
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
izens. 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 zoe
pontifical gendarmes would have t.
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
mo nf I'd MIL al ~
| called to arms. And the hundreds Of
men employed in the Vatican. the Gus
todians Of the museums and the gar
leries, the lay clerks in the deparr
| ments and Offices. the gardeners aaS
| coachmen and caretakers. all these
will have to join the Italian army
Such a contingency is unprecederr-
| ed in history and without q paralr'
in international law and 1t will serve
to prove the anomaly Of state with
In a state. Strangely enough white
the next smallest army in the wo-Id
after that Of the pope. existing H.
wise in Italy. will not be affected nv
Italian mobilization. and not single
citizen Of the diminutive republic c'
San Marino will be compelled to fif.bt
| IN the ltal1an army. the army OF rbe
pope will practically cease to exist
when Italy goes to war.
The reason for this distinction be-
tween the two armies is that San
Marino is Italy's ally while the Holy
See. although It's territory is only q
palace and garden, is considered
Italy's enemy. Officially the pope fs-
nores the kingdom Of Italy
1t is well-known fact that many
radical changes will follow as re-
suit OF this great war. Old nations
will disappear and new ones will be
formed; boundaries and peoples VIII
change their nationality, while Eu-
rope will be remapped. Great as all
these changes will be their historical
Importance will, however. be less than
that Of the great change which may
affect the Vatican, the Oldest institu-