Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1919-09-18
AN INCIDENT IN A
"Y" MANS LIFE
How A. p. Freeman MeF
the President in
Italy

When the Casa del Soldato -
Vancimuglio was opened, Cavaliers
Colonnello Vicolo Guerritore de-
livered a speech in which he express
ed Italy's appreciation of Americ&
for coming into the war and eulogix-
ed President Wilson. General Bald.
assari and his staff attended the
ceremony and several Y men attack
ed to the Fourth army were also
present.
In December when Col. Guerritore
learned President Wilson had finally
decided to make his expected visit In
Italy, he, like thousands of other
Italians wished to express to the
President, not only the friendly feel
ing of Italy for America but also kiw
personal regard for Mr.. Wilson. He
asked me, in a very matter of fact
sort of way, if | would not be good
enough to present to Mr.. Wilson n
copy of the speech he had deliverea
at Vancimuglio.
was of course stumped by such =
request and explained to him that q
would be just as difficult for me In
meet the President as it would DO
for him to meet the King of Italy
The Colonnello's reply was typicaISy
Italian and was to the effect that &m
American could find a way to do
anything. AS the Colonnello had beem
very kind to me and given me every
opportunity to put over the Y WORK
with his soldiers, i felt it was up tn
me to at least make an effort to coma
ply with his very unusual request 4
Immediately wrote to DR.. Nollen en-
planning the predicament / was am
and advised him / would 90 to Rome
or anywhere else in order to put Sk
over. DR.. Nollen wrote that the
Presidents time would be so takem
up with large affairs that it would nc
impossible for me to meet him in per-
son and suggested that the copy CT
the speech be mailed to the Press
dent. This did not at all meet witt
the Colonnello's approval.
It was decided / should go to Mi-
Ian with the speech and attempt TO
present it to Mr.. Wilson in person
In the meanwhile the ColonneIlo hxA
copy of his speech artisticaily en-
crossed by an artist attached to tho
Command and enclosed in a beauts-
fully decorated cover; the whole
making very interesting brochure.
The Colonnello had arranged ..
send the Cappellano, a Catholic
Priest attached to the Command-
with me as an escort Before IVA
left we learned the President had
been to Milan and had left for Tur-
in. At six o'clock on the evening of
January 9Th the Colonel ordered ux
to take the seven o'clock train fur
Turin. We were over two milrm
from. the railroad station and as no
transportation was available we had
to walk. 1t had been raining all day
long and just as the Cappellano an
| started it stopped raining and be-
gan to pour. We arrived at the sta
ton wet through and some of the
things | said on the way might b
interesting but would not look very
we'll in a Y. M. c. A. report. | felt.
tried to do this was the biggest and
was perfectly willing to quit right
there. The Priest kept repeating.
over and over, something, which
thought was home sort of mild cusm
word but which / afterwards learned
was tire Italian equivalent for fool
iah business" The train. rs usual.
was ut only late but iammed fun.
n&::y - whom we're probably OH the
way to do almost as foolish a stunt
as the one started out to do. We
squeezed into the train and ] man
aged to worm my way into the picco-
10 compartment of one car and sat
down on the floor on my roll-up, wet
overcoat, with an American Ambu-
lance boy on one side and an Italian
Colonnello on the other. dreamed
that | was in an airship chasing after
the President, who was in another.
and just as / nearly caught up to the
airship it started to drop and
awakened to find myself in the dirty.
stuffy compartment and the hum Of
the motor turned out to be the snore
of the Colonnello next to me.
At Verona we had to change trains
anu Wdl6 AbOah 1bdi HbhINs bGAnfU
that time | had an impression of its
being a place of love and romance.
gotten from Romeo and Juliet, but
shall ever remember Verona rs n
place where it never rains, but pourS.
and where | had a few momentsF
sleep on the concrete floor of the sta
ton. My stock which had begun to
drop at Loreno, had now run down
to about 2 7-8.
Even the most unpleasant things
come to an end and finally, about
1880, we arrived at Turin, sleepv.
wet and dirty. Because of the GratE
Feste everything was closed up AMI
could neither shine or shave. We
went at once to a restaurant fer
something to eat and happened tn
elf raor pnuroaya x..h, - Is4&lm