The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-10-13

ed group which included Chief Jus tice Wheeler, Professor William Lyon Phelps of Yale, Professor V. E. Gin quergrana of Brown, Mayor Clifford B. Wilson, Superintendent of Schools Slawson, and Frank Frazza, prest- dent of the General Italian commit tee of Bridgeport. The audience, which completely filled the large hall Italians of the city with good mum Der of native born Americans mixed in. A great many school children were also present, at least two hav- ing been delegated from each school to report back on the exercises.
 A musical program was provided by the orchestra of Professor V. Procaccinni, the remarkable blind musician who is able to play almost any instrument in spite of his physi- cal disability and who has done a great deal of composing also. A piano solo was gwen by Miss Maria Me- notti.
 signor Ruocrolo the New York sculptor who designed that tablet which the generosity of the members of the various local Italian societies ness the presentation of his work to the city. It will be placed in the 5NxSwance hall of the High school SsSEafng.
 Chief Justice Wheeler. in opening the meeting, called Dante the prophet of the moral and political regenera- tion of Italy, above everything else a great, constructive citizen. He em- phasized the Hniversality of Dante's appeal his unWavering vision and la Dor better a suffering world. The Chief Justice introduced Professor Cinquesrana in fiatterng terms as a man pre-eminently qualified to talk on the great author of the "Divana Commedia"
 Professor Cinquegrana addressed the audience in Italian. Some of his auditors, therefore lost what he said, but the great majority understood him and greeted his forceful remarks with frequent bursts of applause. He l sstres-ted what he called the twin | ideals of the great poet, God and Liberty his listeners how closely the ideals of Dante coincided with those of the land of their adop- | tion.
 The opening remarks of Professor Phelps consisted of a eulogy of Italy, which he said was the most beloved | country in the world, everyone who | had ever travelled or visited the<e cherishtng deep love for the land which has produced so much beauty said, was characteristic of the nation, not only a great philosopher, poet. scientist, and statesman, but more important and enduring still, a crea- tor of the beautiful.
 | Dante's inspiration, said Professor
 Phelps. was his deep religious con- viction and faith. He. read to the l audience the lines of tribute whicf | Longfellow had written to the author of the "Cemody.' He likewise quoted | those words which he considered the
 greatest that Dante had written
 words great enough, he said, to have
 made Dante immortal even if he had | never penned another line. the sun
 of all his philosophy, "In His will iE
 our peace.'
 Frank Frassa, in making the pres
 entation of the tablet to the city 1T behalf of the general Italian commit tee and the various societies whicF | had contributed to it's purchase, saiC
 that he hoped that fl might serve tC | inspire those who saw it to deepel
 love for the country of the poet
 ''May every one who sees 1t become
 a greater lover of Italy and a great
 CT citizen of this great Republic" h. | Mayor Clifford 3. Wilson formal,
 accepted the gift on behalf of the
 ovation from the gathering when h.
 arose. He praised the worl-of Dante
 saying that it had always seemed tc
 him that the G-eatest injunction o1
 the poet was to the individual; if the individual standard was raised, thai of the community would of necessity follow.
 Superintendent of Schools Slawsor replied to Mayor Wilson. again thank
 ing the Italians for their generous Il gig and saying that he hoped the
 monument and symbol, of the teach
 ings of one of the w6rId's greatest : thinkers. He said that those thous-