The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-14

TN my next incarnation if see signs
 that point to the fact that I'm to be -4 newspaper person then straightway shall learn French, Italian, Spanish and Russion; bat I dare say that I'd no sooner master these languages thah along would come a Senagambian' maybe. who spoke something else-so what's the use? A
 But, as was about to say-when dropped in few days ago to talk to Lieutenant Guido Mai of the Italian mission who is visiting this city for few weeks in behalf of his government, I faneied it would be very nice to use some high sounding 1taliap words and phrases and things to this handsome young officer, who has made tre- inenGous circle of friends during his visit here by his charming manner, his graciousness and his cordiality.
 I recall when l met the Duke Abruz-- zi few years ago when he was in America that for days ahead of the party I was invited to a little coterie of us up in Norfolk, Virginia, rehears- ed the few little Italian words and phrases which we'd picked up here and there so that we might say some thing in Italian to the duke to make him feel at home.
 Here's what my vocabulary sounded like when it was put together, which was every single word l ever knew in Italian in all my life:
 "Cuarda che blanca luna Ill tempo passato; Lascia ch io pianga Dolce far niente (this was a favorite phrase); de capo; Andante; Adagio; spaghetti; macaroni; polente; Non yer Ooh, how I adore thisD; Bravo; Lento; Presto; Scherzo, Spirito gentil; Vol che sapete; Tintoretto; Boccacio; Garabaldi: Cor digiani; Santa Lucia; II mic tesoro: Uberto Puccini Botticell; Tutti fruit ii; Una furtiva legrima!'
 Now, if you can guess what I got for an answer to these unrelated words and sentence I'll give you pretty
 But I'll say this-that in both cases-i that of the duke and of Lieutenant Mai, I found that their English was quite as good eff not better) than mine and so we let the Italian conversation wait for another day.
 In his stunning uniform of the Ital- ian army. Lieutenant Mai has been familiar figure in Birmingham during the past few weeks; everywhere he is accorded the most cordial homage and when he returns to his native Italy he can certainly number Birmingham as one of the cities in America which eX- tended him the right hand of fellow ship, graciously and sincerely.
 There's one thing I may tell you at the very beginning, Lieutenant Mai positively will not talk about the war, so there's no use to ask him; a nero lad when the great world-war started back in 1914 (for he had just graduated from the University of Pisa his nativs city, by the way). he enlisted and hay ing trained for the profession of chem ical engineer. his services were very soon demanded for war measures, since such tremendous conditions had open ed ir this particular line.
 But there are many things that Lieutenant Mai will talk about, for like all Italians, his beloved country is very near and dear to his heart and the names which have emblazoned themselves upon the worlds history while We are sure of such an inflow each year of possibly as much as $50O- oO00oc, certainly $500, ,000,00o. which will . represent the payment of interest upon the obligations fo each nation which are now held in the United States.