Evening star., 1917-05-24
ITALIANS ARE RECEIVED
BY PRESIDENT WILSON
Mission, Headed by Prince Udine,
Presented by Secretary Lansing.
Plans for Actual Work.

Y
| headed by Prince Udine. today were
presented to President Wilson by Sec
retary of State LanBing. The cere-
mony took place in the blue room OF
the White House. Secretary Lansing
was the only member of the cabinet
present. White House naval and mill
tary aids were there in dress uniform.
Prince Udine made brief speech.
and handed to the President a personal
letter addressed to him by King En-
manuel III of Italy.
Hts royal highness. Ferdinando di
Savoja, Prince of Udine. wore the uni
form of a captain in the royal navy.
lar of annunziata, highest recognition
an Italian may obtain, and usually
conferred only upon members of the
royal family. President Wilson replied
to Prince Udine's address. expressing
his pleasure at the coming of the mis-
sion.
Before calling at the White House
the Italian mission went to the state,
War and Navy building. AS it entered
it was cheered by crowds, and as 1t
passed through the corridors man and
woman clerks gathered to applaud.
Secretary Lansing received the COM
mission in the diplomatic room. From
there the mission members went to call
on Secretary of the Navy Daniels, and
then proceeded to the White House.
Conference at italian Embassy.
This afternoon the commission got
down to actual work, at conference
at the italian embassy. 1873 X street,
where Ambassador di Cellere and mem
ber of the embassy staff discussed with
the mission members the arrangements
for conferences with officials OF this
government on subjects of mutual in
tereSt
This evening the entire mission. the
Italian ambassador and others OF the
embassy staff will be entertained at a
formal dinner in the missions honor at
the White House.
At headquarters of the mission en-
phasis is laid on the fact that the ms
sion members desire to get down to the
possible. With the mission are eight
cen technical experts. principally en-
gineers and agricultural authorities.
Italy does not need soldiers, it was
less pressing than that of other allied
powers. will be considered, and she
hopes especially to devise means OF
transporting raw materials needed Tor
munitions. other fighting equipment
and clothing from this country to Italy.
Italy is buyer of large quantities
of lumber in this country. and thou
sands of tons of bricks are now being
shipped to her. 1t was stated that
these bricks are needed for military
operations in the Alps. where dugouts
must be built to protect soldiers from
the extreme cold.
Military Conferences Important.
Military conferences are expected to
develop that the Italian military pro-
gram is more comprehensive than has
been set forth in this country. and re-
cent movements of the Austrians are
said to indicate this fact. Military
members of the party are expected to
give ~vafudbfe information to this gov
ernment about the peculiar problems
on the Italian front. involving Alpine
fighting and the highest development
of aeroplane warfare.
Greatest interest in what the Italians
have to tell centers in the devices
worked out by their naval experts, in
conjunction with Guglielmo Marconi,
inventor of wireless telegraphy, which
1t is believed mark a step in coping
with submarines. Emphasis was laid on
the fact that thirteen U-boats succumbed
to these devices in the first three weeks of
their operations. Members of the mis-
sion also state that recent North sea
efforts against submarines have been
more successful.
Issues Statement to Press.
The Prince of Udine has issued the
following statement to the American
press:
THE chief object of our mission is to
convey the greetings of the king and
the people of Italy to President Wilson.
and we shall therefore make no official
declaration before having seen the
President Meanwhile as a prince of
the house of Savoy, as a cousin of the
King of Italy and as the head of the
Italian mission, l cannot help saying to
YOU that l am happy and proud to find
myself in the United States, in the
great American democracy, at the very
moment in which it is bringing the in
valuable contribution of. its will and
of it's resources to the defense of hu-
man rights and of the liberty of ma
tions.
ITALY, which for many centuries has
been divided and harassed by the op-
preston of foreign rulers and which
has furnished long list 'of illustrious
defenders of human rights and of the
laws which should regulate warfare:
Italy, which in the middle of the past
century succeeded at last in freeing
herself and becoming united nation
which drew it's power from the prin-
cipie of nationality and independence,
has acclaimed with great enthusfas SIN
the generous intervention of the Ameri-
can people. who have Joined the allies
to bring about the triumph of the prin-
ciples upon which alone can be found
ed steadfastly peace and human prog
ress.
Made Italy Independent.
Without stopping to talk-about our
distant past, the independence and
! unity OF Italy were made by the mag
unanimous King Victor Emmanuel II,
who, following the advice of the great
cavour. with the cooperation of a
thinker and apostle such as Mazzini
who spent all his life in advocating the
| ideals of liberty and justice, and with
| the help of warrior like Garibaldi.
! who was justly called the, Knight of
Humanity, for having always lent his
staked his own throne to redeem Italy.
Modern Italy, which was born out
of these ideals. can only be in full
agreement with the American democ-
| racy. which was founded by such pure
and exalted personages rs Washington
and Lincoln and which is now guided