The Grandi Week

The discussions have embraced subjects of such importance as the present financial crisis, intergovernmental debts, the limitation and reduction of armaments, the stabilization of international exchange.

It has not been the purpose of this meeting to reach any particular agreements but the informal discussions and exchanges of views have served to clarify many points of mutual interest and have established a sympathetic understanding.

Presidents pair only with Premiers. Foreign Ministers, one rung down the diplomatic ladder, pair off with Secretaries of State. When Britain's MacDonald and France's Laval visited the White House, it was President Hoover who joined each in a public statement of thing accomplished. Last week it was Secretary of State Stimson's part to collaborate with Dino Grandi in the above summary of the Italian Foreign Minister's three-day round of Capital conversations.

To the brisk, bearded young Italian, President Hoover opened the White House doors as wide as ever he did to a head-of-state. Four times Signer Grandi passed through the glass portals-once for a courteous "Excellency! Excellency!," once for a respectful "A rivederci," once for a great State dinner in his honor and once for a long private talk with the President. In the Lincoln Study three easy chairs were pulled before the fireplace. Into them sank Messrs. Hoover, Grandi & Stimson. Because of the Foreign Minister's good command of English, no interpreter was necessary and in two and one-half hours the trio covered the equivalent of what last month it took a non-English-speaking Premier and a non-French-speaking President five hours to discuss. President Hoover endorsed Italy's one-year naval holiday plan, spoke wishfully of the forthcoming Geneva conference on arms limitation, hoped France and Italy could get together on the size of their auxiliary navies. Signer Grandi described Italy's purposes in European politics, its desire for peace. Nothing was asked. Nothing was promised.

If Minister Grandi had no gaudy achievements to take back for a Roman holiday he did carry in his diplomatic luggage intangibles hardly less valuable-a personal friendship with a U. S. President, glowing goodwill from Press and Public, a better understanding of U. S. intentions. Because these things were hard to write about, because Secretary Stimson made them even more intangible in his lawyer-like announcement, a sector of the U. S.

Press grew suspicious, began to yammer in bad temper about "cautious secrecy." To some editors it was inconceivable that nothing concrete was accomplished behind all the elaborate atmosphere of Washington cordiality. But in this case good atmosphere was all Signor Grandi wanted, all he got.

P:"Right there ... on that spot." Captain Charles Russell Train, the President's naval aide, directed Signor Grandi where to stand on the White House portico to be photographed. Clicking his heels obediently, the Foreign Minister repeated fearfully: "On the spot."

P:About the tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dead silence. Signor Grandi approached with a big wreath. Squeak-squeak, squeak-squeak went his shiny black shoes. He tried to tiptoe. He shuffled along flatfootedly. Nothing would stop the crickets-in-his-boots. Home again, he quickly changed to a silent pair.

P:Best Grandi meal: luncheon with Secretary Mellon. Its elegance, grace and good taste were due to the supervision of tireless little David Finley, Mr. Mellon's Virginia-bred, cosmopolitan special assistant. Afterwards, unexpectedly, Charles Augustus Lindbergh popped in on the guests to say hello, popped out again to fly on to Miami.

P: To each of seven chauffeurs who drove him about the Capital, Signor Grandi gave a $40 tip. Premier Laval's motor tips were $20, Prime Minister MacDonald's $15. P: Daniel Willard's private car carried Minister Grandi over the Baltimore & Ohio from Washington to Jersey City. Fog enveloped New York Harbor as he was tugged across to the Battery. Vrooo-oom went the tug whistle as the Foreign

Minister playfully pulled the cord in the pilot house.

P: Along Broadway to City Hall, police-men faced into the sidewalk crowd, looked for anti-Fascist demonstrators. The weather was too thick for Minister Grandi to see small posters on building walls in which his picture was captioned: WANTED FOR ARSON AND MURDER.

P: Mayor to Minister: "If you are not safe in New York City, I'm going to move. . . . But with your infectious smile and attractive personality you might stay here too long and change the political aspect of the city. . . ."

P:Minister to Mayor (from notes on a tiny strip of paper wrapped around a forefinger) : "A sense of admiration and respect pervades the heart of a stranger the moment he is inside this powerful and marvelous city. ..."

P: In Philadelphia Signor Grandi patted the Liberty Bell, then went to see Joseph E. Widener and his art collection. Exhibiting a bust of St. John brought from Italy, Mr. Widener joked: "The tag of the Minister of Education is still on it. I'm glad I got it out before Mussolini came into power because he would have tried to keep it." Signor Grandi, bowing: "Oh, I'm sure he would have made an exception in your case." One room Mr. Widener described as being filled with the art of all nations. "Ah," mocked the Foreign Minister, "it is then a League of Nations, is it not?-If you American people can accept that."

P:Far more heavily bearded is John Work Garrett, U. S. Ambassador to Italy, than Dino Grandi who week-ended at the Garrett home in Baltimore before returning to New York for four days' fun.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.