Evening star., 1939-03-25

lects coins, rath-
er than dominions, having one Of
the best collections in the world.
and, rounding 10, hopes to follow
this peaceful pursuit without being
disturbed.
l almost plunged into his lap
once, in moment of considerable
embarrassment, and afterward re-
membered only the saddest and
most beWildered human counte-
nance 1 had ever seen. With King
Alfonso of Spain on a balcony of
the Quirinal Palace in Rome, King
Victor Emmanuel stood on a box,
behind tapestry, leveled up TO Al
fonso'S stature. He was a per-
sonage of dignity and assurance
and popular with the people, as one
knew from the franctic cheers of
the multitude. Walking down the
Quirinal hill, I turned into a cul
de sac street. got caught in some
scrambled traffic, stepped aside sud-
denly and half fell through the low
window of limousine which had
just come to a halt. In the rear
seat were the King and the tall and
beautiful Queen Helena.
There was a CLINT of amusement
on the Queens face as I backed
away with whatever awkward apolo-
gles / could muster, but the King
registered only that unchanging look
of infinite sadness. The black
cloaEed Caribinieri emerged quietly
from everywhere, and / thought for
a moment they had called out the
Italian Army.
On October 20, 1922, the Black
Shirts, sWarming into Rome. and the
general disorder and peril of the
realm We're interfering distressinely
with the Kings scholarly pursuits.
| Gen. Pletro Badogiio, standing by,
said he had men and guns ready to
clear the rabble in no time. if the
King would give the order. Victor
Emmanuel pondered this for a few
/ minutes, and made a gesture of dis.
/ mlssal 10 the general He told his
AIDE, Gen. Cittandi. TO telephone to
I Milan and summon to the palace
one Benlto Mussolini. an unkempt
Socialist agltator, Just then writing
his daily hot blast at the cluttered
editorial desk OF II Popolo DItalia.
I MusSollni arrived-on a train. and
not at the head Of marching troops.
/ He spoke bluntly to the King. and
/ his hlghness, fed up with the braWl-
/ lngs and ructiOns of postwar italy.
| tod him to take over. Thus did
! ltaly'S modest little King change
! the course Of history.
AS an infant he was afflicted with
rlckets. and spent his childhood
years in steel-braced iacket-hence
his small stature, which appears to
have afflicted him with a deep sense
OF Illustration. AS the Crown Prince.
his marriage prospects we're en-
tangled with continental power
politics for years. with ell sorts of
putative alliances and ententes based
thereon. but he ended the intrigue
by marrying the Princess Helena.
OF the mountain kingdom of Monte
negro.
Languages. literature, the arts
and, above all, his coin collection
he has more than $4,000 pieces-en-
crossed him rather than statecraft,
On occasion. he has asserted his will
boldly as when he fatty forbade
Mussolini to emblazon the Italian
flag with the Fascist emblem-and
he got away with it nicely. His
once bristling hair and mustache
are now snow white.
Crown Prince Umberto hasn't
been any too friendly to the Fascist
regime or to II Duce Mussolini's
reliance, so far as the royal family
Is concerned. is said to be the tall.
handsome Duke of Aosta, the Kings
cousin. thoroughgoing Fascist and
Viceroy of Ethiopia.
tCopyrieht, 1882