The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-06-18
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS
Not macaroni. but MArcon,.

other Is wholesome tonic.
 We need something to eat and we also need some one who can put heart In us and invigorate us, and speed us up.
 
 And there Is no one better able to do it, than is the modest young Italian in- ventor, who was Birminghams recent guest.
 l was getting just the least bit blase on big men, for they came too thick and fast, in the past few weeks for me> to get up much enthusiasm over any new arrivals.
 So when news came that Italy was sending to us some of her greatest and most distinguished sons, I feared that we uldn't be as spontaneously happy over their arrival as I had been when the other celebrities honored us with their presence.
 It was with tired feeling that l went down to the Terminal station to help welcome the visiting commission. didn't keep my bored air very long for the local Italian societies were so jubi- lantly happy that their enthusiasm was catching
 When found my seat in the auto with Senator Marconi, the famous inventor; the Hon. Francesca Nitti, former min- ister of agriculture, and present mem- Der of parliament; His Excellency the Marquis Borsarelli under secretary of State; and Colonel Crenshaw, I began to sit up and take notice. It was about time, for I was travelling out of my company.
 Iyfound that all could speak littlo English, and that they were as tickled at the joy of their Italian compatriots who lined the streets. and who shouted themselves hoarse, as if they had never before had any such honors thrust upon them.
 When told them that we had only twelve hours in which to arrange the re- ception they were absolutely amazed ana aHOIlS IH6InSGlNtS COIIlLlCulcQ Oi ~ all during the parade and the reception. It was all so unstudied and natural that 1t pleased them more than if it had been more elaborate and formal.
 
 I greatly enjoyed their genuine ap- preciation of what Birmingham had done for them, and the city itself was for +haxy hod that it was so big and so attractive and they freely expressed their wonder when they got down in the sky-scraper dis trict, Why it looks like New York;" they exclaimed.
 As we passed the Empire building I told them that I had seen the human fly climb it and they were as much in- terested in 1t as bunch of country kids over the recital of circus parade that they none of them had been permitted to see It seemed to greatly interest Signor Marconi, who explained it in Italian to the others.
 I couldn't help throwing the bulp' 1 County Bank building as the home of the Civic Association and of the revived Birmingham Newspaper Club. It hit the great inventor all in heap and he and his companions were astonished that the newspaper men were so prosperous as to be able to be housed in such magnificent quarters. I was told to try and impress them and so I wasn't going to lay down on the job.
 The career of Marconi had always filled me with wonder. Why. he has made the Arabian Nights tales seem tame The things he has done put fairy tales into the worlds magic workers. Truly, he is a wizard.
 I was with him almost continuously from the time he arrived until he left He was as chatty and companionable as if he had been old college chum. He never for one moment intruded his specialties or made the slightest preten- sion that he was a celebrity. I kept waiting for the lion to roar but I con- cluded he didn't even know how to growl.
 :.
 I asked him if he was married. Yes" he said, T married an Irish lassie and I have three bairns" He talked about them as simply and unaffectedy as any loving husband and father. When he did this knew I was up against real man.
 When he made his speech from the bal cony of the Tutwiler to the crowd, first in English then in Italian, noted that he spoke with an English accent. I was surprised when he told me that he much preferred to make an address in English to using his native tongue. All the attention seemed to bore him. At Washington" said he, they kept impressng it upon me that someone might attempt to kill me-" and then using the good old English word in the good old English way, he said Rot" It seemed absolutely impossible for him to conceive that anyone would care to do him bodily harm.
 He told me how he had given the se- cret service men the slip in Washing ton and had jumped into friends au- tomobile and gone out and had good | time without feeling that his every move | ment was watched. He seemed to enjoy l it as much as boy does who plays hockey. "I am not used to any such at tention and it gets on my nerves said he.