Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 March 1915 — MAY LOSE HIS ARMY [ARTICLE]

MAY LOSE HIS ARMY

Pope Will Lack Guards if Italy Enters the War. Entire Vatican Force Liable to Call to Colors, and Unprecedented Situation May Arise —Law of Guarantees Silent. Rome. —In case Italy goes to war one of the most serious complications which will follow in the relations between 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 eventuality of war. When this law was before 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 a measure should be necessary for the Internal 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 3 of the law of guarantees deals with the pontifical army as follows: “The sovereign pontiff can retain the usual number of guard's attached to his person and employed for the custody of the palaces without prejudice to the obligations and duties incumbent on those guards by reason of the laws in ~force in the kingdom." The obligations and duties mentioned in this article are those of every Italian citizen’s liability to serve in the army, and thus the law explicitly provides that pontifical guards cannot claim exemption from military service. In fact the pontifical gendarmes, who. are all Italian citizens, are purposely recruited fiom men who have served in the Italian army. The Noble guards and the Palatine guards, who are nearly all Italian citizens, 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 ordered in Italy practically all the 200 pontifical gendarmes would have to join the colors and thus the two permanent 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 intents Snd purposes disbanded. Nor ram the pope rely on the Noble guards and the Palatine guards for the protection 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 custodians of the museums and the galleries, the lay clerks in the departments 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 serv* to prove the anomaly of a state within a state. Strangely enough while the next smallest army in the world after that of the pope, existing likewise in Italy, will not be affected by Italian mobilization, and not a single citizen of the diminutive republic of San Marino will be compelled to fight in the Italian army, the army of the pope will practically ceaae to exist when Italy goes to war.

The reason for this distinction between the two armies Is that San Marino is Italy’s ally while the Holy See, although its territory Is only a palace and a garden, is considered Italy’s enemy. . Officially the pope ignores the kingdom of Italy. It is a well-known fact that many radical changes will follow as a result of this great war. OFd nations wili-dteappear and new ones win be formed; boundaries and peoples will change their nationality, while Europe.wUl be remapped. Great as an these changes will be their historical importance will, however, be less than that of the great change which may affect the Vatican, the oldest institution in the world.