Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-25
ITALIAN KING AT FRONT 3
WITH SOLD|ERSAYEAR

Correspondence Of the Associated Press.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE ITALIAN
ARMY. June king Victor Emmanuel
has now been at the front with his SOL
diers for a whole year. He left the
quirinal a few hours after midnight.
May -. year ago, when war was de-
clared, and he has returned to Rome
but two or three times since that date
and then only on important state or
military business. On the front the
king is the most familiar 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 a small part of the immense
royal palace. Before the war he lived
more like mddle-class Frenchman of
family. playing with his children for
many hours at a time, loathing pomp-
and show, using his n-political hours
for reading and study, or for his hobby
of collecting old coins. When he re-
ceived either politicians or ordinary
friends it was in the easy manner of
the man who likes men and their COM
pany. In such intercourse it was his
custom to refer to his four children by
their first names. and not infrequently
using the phrase My wife was telling
me the other day.
new side of 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 ofi-
GERS and in particular of his faithful aid,
Gen. Ugo Brusati. who has been the
companion of the king since the latter,
was Prince of Naples. Should 1t ever
so happen that the king disappeared from
his quarters without telling anybody
where he was going. it is pretty certain
the first place should look would b
up near the front lines" said an officer. y
Fearlessness of King Noted.
The fearlessness of the king was noted
by group of Italian journalists one day in
the following manner. as related by DR..
Giovanni Miceli a newspaper man. who
has himself engaged as volunteer officer
in several of Italy's wars: AN action waa
going at certain part of the 'front.'
which several of US wanted to see. When
we got within rifle range of the action, We
We're forbidden to go farther. AS we were
halted by the roadside, protesting heated
ly 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."
At mess time ii is the kings invarfable
rule to invite whatever group Of soldiers
or officers he meets to eat with him, ard
during the meal he does not stand on hiA
rank but speaks with them of matters
that interest them, asks news of their
families. of their homes. On the other
hand. he is apt to speak of his own fam
lily and personal matters in the same easy
fashion. If his personal affairs were
public property. 1t is hundreds of SUCH
meetings that go to make the soldiers
feel that their king is one of them. Be-
cause of his custom of always carrying
numerous boxes of cigars and cigarettes
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 irts
sists that they smoke it, they keep II as.
a souvenir and send ii home to he framed
and hung up as u IamlIy treasure.