SIR , —I read with interest Americans in Italy by
Isabel Quigly in your issue of March 6th. I was employed at the same headquarters, and during the same period of time as Miss Quigly, and I found that the majority of the Americans, both officers and other ranks, took some trouble to learn the elements of Italian.
The colonel for whom 1 worked attended language classes at least three evenings a week, and could speak enough Italian for every-day use, to quote one example, and the young sergeant id my office spoke admittedly his own rather odd, but quite intelligible, brand of Italian, which he insisted on using to all the Italians with whom he came in contact, from the waiters to the I.A.F. officers. I think Miss Quigly is v_ quite right in saying that some Americans have a rather depressing attitude to the Italians and their way of life, but I should say that these are definitely in the minority.--Yours faithfully, SUSAN BRUCE ALLEN.
125 Oakwood Court, W.14.
SUSAN BRUCE ALLEN.
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