The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-05-08
VATICAN GUARD
LOSES LEADER
Repond Resigns; Leaves
pope in Dilemma Over
Vacancy
IS REAL MILITARY MAN
Transformed Ornamental Sol
diers Into Formidable
Safeguard
10. EDWARD =. sTRurr.

ROME. May 7.--Colonel Repond,
,or,riandcr of the popo's Swiss
-.,ri has resigned and tho an
,oyr,emont has caused quite stir
d., vatican circles, as II Is most un
y..aE indeed. believe, unprece-
d.1ird. for commander OF inc
soas guard TO abandon his post
.yb..b is considered lifelong ap-
po.ntmpnt. Up till the Pontiilcatc
.f pms y. Two Swiss families the
u,~,ns Meyer Won Schauensee and
pyffer Won Altishofon, used TO al
,.ruafc I'm the command, and this
D. for several centuries.
Tui when Baron Leopold Never
[o7 ,S9oa hlnk "s'S at "Ga loss to ' appoin,
bi. successor. In fact, Baron IiNl-
,cr Won Arishofon. on whom hv an
ancient right his choice should have
fallen. had long since abandoned the
Vatican world for the world Of busi-
moss in which he has proved cmi-
uonfIy successful being closely con-
reet,i with The Ritz hotel in Lon
don and with the Hotel Excelsior
u Rome The late Baron Meyer
Won Schauonsc's eldest son, known
I'm Roman and cosmopolitan society
"a. Baron FRITZ was equally in
eligible. being a vcll-kuown man
about town., who. by the way, has
married an American wife.
Retire, Swiss Appointed.
Plus y thtn decided to confer the
command Of his Swiss guards OF
retired officer of the Swiss army
Colonel Rcpond, who at once start
ed 10 reorganize the corps In a truly
military spirit Discipline was very
lax among the gaudily uniformed
guards Athcy still wear Varicolortd
uniforr3 K in which yellow, black and
red pr, ,Sominate--sIpposed to have
been designed by Michclangelo)
they were very seldom drilled, and
when not on duty at the Bronze
Gate or in the Papal apartments al
ways picturesque with their long
halberds. their time was spent with
in the Vatican walls and around the
Swiss fsyf wSi, Industry VII he It's advent SnSg
Of CoionCr thcs.ru,, a &ange came
over the spirit of their work. The
now commander was determined to
transform this purely ornamental
corps into thoroughly efficient
military unit and in a certain meas
urc he succeeded.
Colonel Repond began his work
Of reform by dlscarding the useless
old rifles with which tho Swiss
guards were armed, replacing them
with the most modern weapons.
There are spacious lawns and fields
within the Vatican enclosure, and
fields within the Vatican enclosure.
and here Colonel Repond established
rifle range, where his men had an
opportunity of confirming their ira
ditional skill in shooting. Plus y vas
rather annoyed at the racket when
1t first started, although only a
faint echo pierced the massive walls
of the apostolic palaces, but he soon
got accustomed to il and used to
poke mildly about the new comnhan-
der's military zeal. 4 regular mar
tinet for discipline, Colonel Repond
almost drilled his easy-gOing subor-
dinates off their feet, and at one
time something like mutiny
threaten I. Many of the men left in
disgust, and fresh recruits had to be
summoned from Switzerland TO take
their places.
Fortress of the Vatican.
Colonel Rcpond's fiNCd idea, was
that the Vatican must b. placed, so
iar as possible, in an efficient state
OF defense, and in view OF tho pres
tHl stormy llulcS ana communist
otubursts, he is 'rhaps not far
wrong. In spite # the Italian gov.
ernment's vigilance, nothing would
he easier than a surprise attack by
a handful OF desperadoes. and most
tragic consequences might cnsuc be-
fore help arrived, IL the Vatican
were not able to defend itself
against q first rush. 1t is extremely
unlikely that such thing should
happen, but Colonel Repond, not
wishing TO take any chances, has
drawn up a carefully devised defen-
Nvc plan by which the Swiss guard,
together with the Palatinc guard
and Papal gendarmes, armed with
modern rifles and machine guns,
could hold the Vatican without dit
Icullv at least for some time. ,
Pope Benedict XIV, who entertains
lhe greatest esteem and affection
Tor Colonel Repond. has vainly tried
10 induce him to reconsider his de-
gs'on, but the mander. pleading
WI health and fatigue, remains firm