Notes

Reports from Rome had it that Finance Minister Volpi would head the Italian Debt Mission to the

U. S. Washington contributed a report that the negotiations would be opened at that city about Oct. 15. Said Count Volpi:

"We have every reason to be hopeful. I am a business man and will be dealing with business men of my own type, like Secretary Mellon, who I am sure will approach the problem with an eye to realities.

"I have successfully carried out many similar missions in my career, and I trust this one will have a satisfactory conclusion.

"Naturally, I cannot divulge the details of our proposals, which will be accurate and realistic. It must be remembered that the individual wealth of Belgium is greater than that of Italy. This must be considered, since our plan and any interpretations of it are based fundamentally on our capacity to pay."

In Rome, a smiling American woman in street costume approached the door of the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. She stopped before it, a shade of anxiety passed over her features; she turned away and left. Two others repeated the same sequence of emotions. On the door was posted a notice:

"Entrance is forbidden to women who are not properly dressed; that is to say, those who do not have the head covered and do not wear high-necked dress with long sleeves."

A fortnight ago (TIME, Sept. 7) the Italian fleet went forth to war maneuvers. Last week the fleet went forth again to pick up the casualties. For when the ships had returned to port the Sebastiano Veniero, submarine, 213 ft. in length, 925 tons submerged displacement, carrying six torpedo tubes and two 4-pounders, built during the early part of the War, had not returned. She had been ordered to ambush the "enemy" off Sicily and when last seen had been proceeding to her post Destroyers, dirigibles, submarines were sent in search for her.

Next day an aviator discovered a large spot of oil and naphtha floating on the water between Syracuse and Cape Passero. The bottom lay 4,000 feet below the floating oil. Hope for the Sebastiano Veniero was virtually abandoned.

Two days later Premier Mussolini pronounced the Sebastiano Veniero lost with all hands, and expressed his grief in a message to the personnel of the submarine service.

One Vincent C. Pepe, Manhattan realtor, recently called upon the master of Italy. Good Democrat, Mr. Pepe carried with him an autographed photograph and a letter of greeting from Alfred E. Smith, Governor of New York. The Italian Premier looked upon the likeness and asserted: "He looks like a Roman, and he must be a man with a punch." Straightway Mussolini autographed one of his own photographs, wrote a letter in reply, and gave them to Mr. Pepe to take back to that man who "looks like a Roman."

Premier Mussolini, not minding Herr Roald Amundsen's anti-German activities during the War, received him with great goodwill at Rome and talked long with him.