Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-07-02
ITALY KING AT FRONT
Fond of Being on the Firing Line
and Enjoys Eating in Mess
With the Soldiers.
POCKETS FULL OF CIGARS

Correspondence Of The Associated Press.)
Headquarters OF the Italian Army.
June l5.-King Victor Emmanuel ha,
been at the front with his soldiers a
year. He left the Quirnal May rs,
year ago, when war was declared, and
he has returned to Rome but two or
three times since, and then only on
important state or military business.
On the front the king is the most ia
miliar figure, and the man most loved
by the soldiers, not only because he
is king, but because of his personality.
1t is common information that at
home King Victor is man of family,
living with his children and the queen
in only small part of the immense
royal palace. Before the war he lived
more like middle-class Frenchman
of family, playing with his children
for many hours at a time, loathing
pomp and show, using his nonpolitical
hours for reading and study, or for
his hobby of collecting old coins.
When he received either politicians
or ordinary friends it was in the easy
manner OF the man who likes men
and their company. In such inter-
course 1t was his custom to refer to
his four children by their first names
and not infrequently use the phrase;
my wife was telling me the other
day"
Love for Firing Line.
At the front the king has shown a
new side to his character. Here he
has developed a love for the firing
line that is at once the admiration OF
his soldiers and the torture Of the
commanding officers and In particu-
lar of his faithful aide, General Ugo
Brusati, who has been the companion
Of the king since the latter was prince
Of Naples. Should it ever so happen
that the king disappeared from his
quarters without telling anybody
where he was going, it is pretty GER
tain the first place we should look
would be up near the front lines"
said an officer.
The fearlessness of the king was
noted by a group OF Italian journal
lists one day in the following manner,
as related by DR.. Giovanni Niceli, 4
newspaper man who has himself en-
gagged as a volunteer officer In several
of Itsly's wars: AN action was 60
ing on at certain part of the front
which several of us wanted to see.
When we got within rifle range OF
the action we were forbidden to 60
farther. As we were halted by the
roadside protesting heatedly that it
was our business If we got killed, the
king whizzed by in his car and went
right on into the firing zone that was
considered too dangerous for u.s."
They Eat With the King.
At mess time 1t 10 the kings In
variable rule to invite whatever group
of soldiers or officers he met to eat
with him and during the meal he does
not stand on his rank, but speaks
with them Of matters that interest
them, asks them news of their fam
lilies, of their homes. On the other
hand, he is apt to speak of his own
family and personal matters in the
same easy fashion, as if his personal
affairs were public property. 1t Is
hundreds of such meetings that 60 to
make the soldiers feel that their king
is one of them. Because of his Gus
tom OF always carrying numerous
boxes of cigars and cigarets and pipe
tobacco in his automobile, there is a
lot of unsmoked tobacco scattered
throughout Italy today, tobacco that
will dry to dust before it Is smoked.
While the king makes presents Of
this tobacco to the soldiers and under
officers, and insists that they smoke
it, they keep it as souvenir and send
it home to be framed and hung up
as family treasure.
Although the constitutional head