Evening star., 1926-03-31
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM BILE.

One of Benito Mussolini's men held
watching brief in the United States
Senate this week, while the Italian
debt settlement was under fire. lie
was Signor Leonardo Nitetti, secre-
tary of the Italian embassy, and right
hand man OF Signor de Martino, Mus
solini's Ambassador to the United
States. Vitetti was probably assigned
his place in the diplomatic gallery be-
cause of his perfect knowledge of our
language. 1t is complete even to the
point of permitting him to follow
Jim" Reed, when the senior Senator
from Missouri is spellbinding in his
best police court manner. Nitetti also
brings to the task of reporting a Sen.
ate debate the talent and experience
of professional newspaper man. He
was the editor of a distinguished
Italian international review before en-,
tering diplomacy. Vitetti is one OF
the youngest and keenest foreigners
on duty in Washington.
\ X X
American stock is not likely to rise
at the Palazzo Chigi, the marble pile
| in Rome where Mussoini holds forth,
as the result Of the sings and arrows
hurled in his direction at Washington
any particular affection on us, for
| that matter. This observer is the sur
vivor of an electric half-hOur with
| the "Duce" in the Summer of 1924.
| 1t must have been his day for bawling
| out Uncle Sam and all his works. Sec
retary Hughes had just announced
| his inability to come to Rome, after
| having visited London, Paris, Brus
sells and even Berlin. Mussolini's in
| dignation over that boycott" was al
| most inexpressible. Americas new
! immigration laws also sat heavily on
the Fascist chieftain's brawny chest
| There had been, few weeks pre-
vious, the execution of some Italian
murderers in this country, on whose
behalf Mussolini vainly sought elem
ency. That episode, too, left black
shirt feelings badly ruff1ed. 1t is easy
for the present scribe to Vlsuallze
| Mussolinis emotions when he reads
the weeks proceedings in the Ameri
can Senate.
| When the White House spokesman
a modest gentleman born in Vermont
and whose hair is strawberry blonde
addressed the Washington correspond
ents the other day he said he feared
he didn't always talk loud enough. He
bade anybody who couldn't hear him
to feel at liberty to say Louder!
Emile Berliner, ineXhauStible Wash
| ington inventor, who devised the mi
| crophone and the talking machine
record, is celebrating the diamond jubl
! lee of his birth this Spring by an
other amazing invention. He calls II
acoustic tiles" It's purpose is tC
make it unnecessary in the future Tor
anybody to say Louder" in any kinC
of a room, large or small. Acoustic
tiles fitted into walls and ceilings
will, Berliner has demonstrated, en-
able a spoken word, uttered in a con
versational tone, to be heard the full
length and width of a theater, as
sembly hall, cathedral or auditorium
X X y X
One Of Americas great constructive
citizens, John Hays Hammond, is u
years old today, but not by the grace
of President loom Paul Kruger, who
condemned the famous mining en-
gineer to death 80 years ago in the
Transvaal. Preparations are afoot tC
give Mr.. Hammond a national teSti
monial dinner in New York on his re
turn from Europe early in May. 1t:
organizers are proceeding on the the
ory that the time to pay homage to {
man is while he is still on earth, in
stead of somewhere else. Few Ameri
cans who have not held high public
office can point to so meritorious {
record Of national and internationa
service. Hammond might have been ;
cabinet officer under Taft C"Bill" ha;
long been Jacks" closest friend), o.
a foreign ambassador under other Re
publican Presidents, or any number o
things. But he apparently preferres