Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-24
DISCUSSES IMMIGRATION
LECTURE AT ITALIAN EMBASSY
By MISS BERNARDY.
Wonderings Of Ulysses Described
and Other Phases Of Mythology
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Present.

"A Study in Mythical immigration" was
Italian embassy, 400 New Hampshire
avenue. by Miss Amy A. Bernardy, as
sistant professor Of Italian literature Of
Smith College. The lecturer spoke of the
immigration Of the present time through
out the various European countries, and
its alleged abuses and shortcomings. She
then drew a simile Of the present con-
ditions and what an ideal immigration
means. Immigration, as 1t is intended
to be, the lecturer asserted, should
bring about enormous benefit to mankind
the output of his brain and his physical
labors.
Miss Bernardy was listened to by about
a hundred prominent people Of the city
including representatives of the ofctal
set. The lecture was preceded by a re-
ception. Miss Bernardy was introduced to
the guests by Baron Edmondo Mayor des
Planches, the Italian ambassador.
As Told by Dante.
Miss Bernardy described the wanderings
Of Ulysses as. told by Dante, when
Homer's hero, the world-wanderer. who
had seen many men and Cities" left his
home at Ithaca, gathered his former COM
rades about him and sailed west through
the Straits Of Gibraltar-the pillars of
Hercules-beyond which all was mystery,
Mount Of Purgatory, which he, as a
pagan. could never attain. Then Dante
pictures the hero of the Odyssey as a
prisoner in the inferno, punished for his
treachery to the Trotans in devising and
introducing the wooden horse, in which
lay concealed the Greek soldiers who
burned the city Of a hundred gates and
destroyed the power of Priam.
The wreck of Ulysses ship. on his last
and fatal voyage, was taken by the lee
IMPLYING the condemnation dealt out to
the audacity of an inquisitive spirit, which
sought to tear aside the veil Of destiny.
Miss Bernardy pointed out that when
Dante wrote Of the expedition of Ulysses
Into the tabled western ocean, Marco Polo
was already making those voyages Of
which the accounts were not believed
for many years after they were written,
and that he might have been familia.
with the early voyages of the Norsemen.
the mystical passages in the works of
many monks. The probable identity of
the Mount Of Purgatory with the peak
of Teneriffe was demonstrated.
The lecturer closed by reading Ga
brieie d'Annunzio's poem, "Alle Pleiadi
al Fati." in which the poet glorifies
Dante's Ulysses for his courage in ex-
ploring the unknown.
Guests Present.
Among those present at the lecture were
the Italian ambassador and Nine Mayor
des Planches, Cavaliere Montagna, Sgnor
Centaro and Signor Cora. all of the en-
bassy; Nine. Carlo Pf1ster. wife of the
naval attache of the embassy; Mr. and
Miss Worthington. Miss Catherine Reed,
Prof. and Mrs. Fay. Mr.. and Miss Gal
laudet. DR.. and Mrs. Harris and Miss
Harris; Representative Hampton G.
Moore. Representative ]. Adam Bede,
Miss K. Flicker, Miss Jacobson, Mr.. and
Mrs. F. Sewell, Mr.. and Mrs. John AL
bee. Miss Lyons, Miss Ogden. Miss Cath
crime Reed, Mr.. and Mrs. E. Hale, Miss
Cameron. Miss Jennings, DR.. Wiley. Mrs
Benjamin, Mr.. and Mrs. Garziglia, Dr.
and Mrs Carusi, Miss Helen Nicolay. and
Mr.. and Mrs. s. Desio. All the italian So
cieties in the city were represented.
Signor Gialo Cisaure Montagna, the first
secretary Of the embassy, will lecture
under the auspices of the Dante Society at
the Masonic Temple Monday evening
The subject will be THE italian People,
in the Modern Intellectual Progress -
2ipnor n p Giavipa is Secretary of tho