The New York herald., 1922-04-30

TT positively is dangerous these days for
any one to walk around in Italy with
chip on his shoulder or his heart
on his sleeve.
Some one is bound to knock the chip off
or consider the heart an advance toward
his own lady fair, and then there's duel
Everybody's fighting duels in Italy now
The extraordinarily large number of them
in Rome and throughout the country in the
last few months is of particular interest
when one considers the cause for the cpl
demic. This is the action of the army
authorities in disbanding the famous
Court Of Honor which governed the duel
ing situation during the war.
There were practically no duels during
the war. The Government established
Court of Honor, which sat throughout the
war; 1t was made up of distinguished
army officers, too old or otherwise inca
pecitated for service
This board was made necessary by the
fact that it seemed for time as if all
the young Italian officers would shoot
each other before they got to the front
They had so many love affairs, these i'm
petuous young officers, and so many Of
them ran into each other bidding good-by
to the same girl that duels were unavoid-
able.
The Court of Honor was organized and
the army authorities \ordered all would
be dueists to take T. " troubles before
the board. The latter t-<ed to patch the
differences up, but If 1t failed it gave each
Of the would-be duelists a clearance of
honor so they could go about their war
duties unembarrassed by their not having
fought each other. But they just bided
their time, all of them-or most of them
and now, the Court of Honor disbanded,
they are up in the mornings and at it.
In the early days of battles young Italian
noblemen ready to go away to the battle
fronts would seek out the fair ladies of
their hearts desires and would plight their
troths-troths which had already been
plighted by other young Italian noblemen
whose affectionate tendencies had swept
in the same direction.
II is fact that all women in all lands
in the times Of stress and war and great
primitive situations are rather weak in af-
fairs Of the heart and like to send admir-
ers away in happiness as great as lies in
their power to bestow. being confident that
in the era of calm which Is to follow all
can be adjusted without great difficulty
SO II was in Italy
Many beautiful young woman of fair
Italy. loved by a score of youths kissed
each of them farewell, knowing in her
heart that IL was deceit to send them away
with the Illusion in each mind that that
one. and only that one, was her choice, but
believing. nevertheless that each deserved
whatever comfort could be given them by
any means.
Many young officer planted proprie-
tary kiss upon the lips Of some radiant
young italian noblewoman-lip upon
which another youth had planted another
plight sealing impression and upon which
still another was to press his lips under
an identical illusion.
And so the seeds were sown for hun
dreds OF peace time duels. Now peace
prevails and It is harvest time on the field
OF honor.
The Court OF Honor, which was so ef
fective in slowing away disagreements be-
tween persons during the war, has lost it's
moral support. The Italian code of ethics
countenances the duel and there is now no
ground for an appeal to patriotism as an
intervention. Therefore, the Court OF
Honor does not function now. Hence the
great number Of contests on the duelng
ground. Hence thJbundreds of affairs Of