This is a collection of letters (as well as postcards and telegrams) written by Umberto Nobile largely in Joliet, Illinois to Hermine Speier in Rome during May and June of 1940. During this period, Nobile travels to a conference hosted by Sicilian residents of Milwaukee, and he continues to make quick jaunts to Chicago and other nearby towns for social and professional outings – as always, he keeps Speier well informed of his itinerary. He expresses the lingering difficulty of having lost his beloved companion Totosca. Interestingly, in one letter he spends a number of pages discussing current events having to do with the war, only to immediately apologize to Speier for having digressed from "cose nostre" – which, in a sense, retroactively explains why all letters up until this point remain so doggedly personal as to err on the side of the trivial, rather than ever venturing too far into the realm of world events. It is during these weeks, however, that Nobile for the first time expresses having difficulty talking about the particularities of his everyday life when there are such grander issues at stake on the international stage. On Speier’s birthday in late May, the effects of the war on Nobile’s status in America can be seen when he assures her that his not having telephoned her to wish her a happy birthday had nothing to do with the cost, but rather was a result of his hesitation to draw attention to himself given the general air of agitation with foreigners – particularly with Germans and Italians- during the period. Nobile explains that they are often suspected of engaging in propaganda or espionage, and he predicts that Italians’ plight in America will only worsen if the U.S. decides to join the war. Other effects of the war that place further strain on the pair’s relationship include the fact that, in June, steamships cease to directly travel from New York to Naples, making postal correspondence even less efficient. Nobile is attempting to plan a trip back to Italy at this time, and he pays numerous visits to the consulate in Chicago to assess scheduling and prices. He doubts that any of his requests to leave the country will be pushed through, given the unfavorable opinion of foreigners, and he expresses little hope that he will see Speier at all that year. He tries desperately to understand how the war might be affecting Speier’s everyday life, asking her questions such as whether she is still working at the Vatican Museum regularly or if they are shut down, and whether they are still paying her regularly. At the end of the month, he leaves for an extended stay in Rochester with his cousin. Newspaper clippings are included with some letters. One is about the United States police being on high guard against Italian Fascist activity.