Omaha daily bee., 1916-07-23
PRINCE VISITS FRONT
Only Son of King Emmanuel
Most Envied Boy in All
Italy.
PROUD OF HIS DARING

Correspondence OF Tne Associated Press.)
Headquarters OF the Italian Army,
July 23.-The most envied boy in all
Italy is Humbert Nicholas Thomas
Jean Marie-envied not because he
is heir apparent to the Italian throne,
but. because he is the youngest boy
who has been officially permitted to
see the Italian front.
This only son OF King Victor En-
manuel, who is known as the Prince
OF Piedmont, is but IL years old, and
has had some remarkable adventures
He is head Of the Young Explorers
of Italy, body that corresponds to
the Boy Scouts IN America, and he
has done a lot of things that any
boy would like to do. He has gone
up in aeroplanes, down in submarines,
steered warships, sailed boats, shot
wild boars, and ridden cavalry horses.
But the things he is proudest of
are his visits to the front, for he.
has been here not once, but many
times. His first was a matter OF con-
siderable family discussion. In the
royal family Of Italy all such mat
ters are :alked over in the same fash
ion that they would be in any large
American family. Humbert has three
sisters, two Older and one younger
than ne, all OF whom love him very
much, and it is related that they did
not agree about the safety of a visit
to the front. His father, who has
been at the front since the war be-
gan, as matter of duty, felt it was
rather risky business letting his only
son vet within reach of Austrian
shells and bullets, aside from the
usual hazards Of rough army life.
But Humbert pleaded so hard that
the family decided to let him come.
The deciding vote was cast by his
tutor, Commander Bonald of the
navy, who is much easier master
than the one who brough Up the pres
ent king In fact, it is stated that
the present king, remembering his
own Spartan training, chose Com
mander Bonald as his boys tutor
because Of his gentler qualities.
Fearless Like Father.
Once at the front, young Humbert
displyed the same fearlessness that
has characterized his father during
his stay there. He went practically
everywhere, fell in love. with the
soldiers, was petted by them in re-
turn, and all in all had a fine time.
Indeed, he liked the front so much
that he has since got permission to
visit it again and again, until now his
happy smile and his sailor uniform
Of blue serge have become knewn to
the soldiers all along the front.
1t is related that during his last
visit, when the weather was warm
on the lower hills of the Isonzo river
front, seeing some soldiers going
barefooted he insisted on taking OFT
his own shoes IF the soldiers can
go barefootcd, why can't a sailors"
he demanded. =
While the first prince Of his line
destined to naval career, young
Humbert likes the army as well as
the navy. His fondness for soldiers
comes from his associations with his
aged grandfather, King Nicholas of
Montenegro, who has been a soldier
all of his life and involved in wars
with both Austria and Turkey. Hum
bert loves his grandfather very much
and has always insisted on hearing
tales OF the latter's exploits in war.
Strong and Robust.
His physical training has made Of
him an unusually strong boy for his
age. A year previous to the war,
young Humbert was nominally un-
der the direction of Miss Brown, the
English governess in charge of the
girls of the family. Nevertheless he
has found many hours for sport, par
ticularly at Castle Porziano, an estate
overlooking the Tyrrenian Sea, pur-
chased by his father and converted
into hunting forest. There in the
summers before the war he tramped
in the forests with his father or play
ed with his sisters along the seashore,
took swims in the sea, or sailed boats,
as he chose. 1t was not an uncom-
mon sight to see him there all but
naked somewhere about the beach,
after the fashion of the boys the
world over. As his father also rents
the island of Monte Cristo, made IA
nous in the novel of Alexander Du-
mas, the little prince has also made
many yacht trips with the family to
this island.
Brought up in the tolerant manner
Of his father, Humbert is all boy,
through and through, and is not
averse to some of the mischief that
characterizes the American boy. 1t is
related that when Lloyd Griscom was
American ambassador at Rome and
was received at the palace of the
quirinal in an informal way by the
king, young Humbert on one occas-