Cheyenne Wells record., 1921-07-28
Code of Honor as It Is Enforced
in Sardinia, Corsica and
Elsewhere
DIFFICULT TO STAMP OUT
Most Persistent Disciples Are Among
the Most Mild. d.Mannered and Most
Hospitabie People In the World
Ceremony Of Reconcile
alton.

New York.-Vendetta still fiOurishes
II many parts Of the old world. but
n no place Is 1t more firmly estab-
llshed than In the Island Of Sardinia.
Why it flourishes there Is mys-
terry still unsolved, for the ShIdini-
ans themselves are probably among
the mildest hammered men In the
world. Travel all over their island
and you will be received with the
greatest hospitality.
There are few inns. except In the
two or three chief towns. but inns are
not needed. for every door Is open
to the stranger, the hest Of fare Is Of.
fered-nay. lavished with open hands
the fatted calf Is instantly slain. the
cellars are ransacked for the Oldest
wine. Indeed. you might almost start
a vendetta by refusing hospitality or
wanting to hurry away too soon!
So long as you do not smile at the
women folk you are nm hOnOred guest
for much longer time than you wish
to remain. But the etiquette about
women is us strict Us In any harem
land In the East, and no intercourse
Is allowed with strangers.
Next to Sardinia In the vendetta
business comes Corsica, where the peo-
pie. after all. are not very different.
There is plenty Of bloodshed in Sicily,
but it is organized by secret so
ciety and has nothing to do with ven-
delta.
Albania runs the blood-feud on very
similar lines and Albania's hereditary
enemy, Montenegro, oddly enough,
cherishes almost the same traditions.
whereas the Serblans. the cousins Of
the Montenegrins, are bloOdthlrsty In
quite different way. 1t Is probably
not an accident that feuds and feudal-
Ism have the same derivation. and
clannish traditions must have some
thing to do with the custom, writes
Herbert Vivian.
Part Of Their Code Of Honor.
The great difficulty that govern
ments find In suppressing vendetta is
that Its disciples regard 1t rs part Of
their code Of honor. Men who go to
church regularly and observe nll the
religious feasts-black-cOated gentle
IUcIl VI "hO
could be trusted anywhere with un-
told gold and frivolous females-nev-
ertheless consider it their sacred duty
to slay the second cousin twice re-
moved of some one who has killed a
member of their family In legitimate
self-defense. Indeed, there Is n stigma
on their whole clan II blood has not
been wiped out with blood. If many
molars have not repaid single tooth.
a personal affair. 1t Is just primitive,
savage justice.
In Sardinia church and state have
been frantically mt work for genera
tions trying to suppress the vendetta,
but It is very slow work.
From time to time. however. rec
oncillations do take place. Sixty-five
years ago there was solemn ceie-
mony of forgiveness between two fam.
lilies that had been at war for two cen
turtles, killing one another and de-
strOying one another's cattle and
farmsteads. 1t made an enormous
sensation, and marked IN epoch In the
history of the island. Only the other
day there was similar event. for
which the parish priest and the mayor
of Tempo, amid the savage rockland
of Angina. are Jointly responsible.
Almost endless negotiations preced.
ed the formal kiss of peace. No one
wished to forego his vengeance; the
honor of five hostile families was at
stake. Again and again. for whole
generation. men and boys have been
stabbed, and though everybody knew
the culprits and all the reasons for