D'Annunzio's Speed Boat

Now in the Mayday twilight O'er the bright skies pearl-coloured clouds float through the emerald space, While on the shore the wavelets Lightly take hands, rise and subside, dance like enamoured naiads. Into such a scene on the last day of May roared the poet in his speed boat. Like a mad modernist, scoffing at his own lyrics, Gabriele d'Annunzio disturbed the waters of Lake Garda (in the Italian lake district), annoyed ladies and gentlemen lolling in boats covered with bright awnings. He detests fat people and, what is more, he was out to add another title--speed-boat king--to his list of poet, musician, soldier, aviator, orchideous Italian. When he came ashore, it was announced that his Isotta-motored* boat had attained a speed of 127 kilometres (78.9 miles) per hour, unofficially a new world's record. The fastest previously recorded speed for motorboats, made by Gar A. Wood's Miss America, in 1920, was 70 m.p.h.

*Capt. Ugo V. d'Annunzio (son of the poet) is President of Isotta Motors, Inc. of Manhattan, the U. S. agency for Isotta-Fraschini automobiles ($15,000 and upward). He, well acclimatized, is an exponent of the U. S. take-a-cake-of-yeast habit.