It is a source of delight and joy to all Ukrainian people that their language has been recognized as one of the great languages of the world. Their literature is being studied and translated into English by great American scholars, and the teaching of their language and literature has found its way to one of the greatest universities of the world - Columbian University of New York, N. Y. The man who made a Ukrainian course at Columbia University possible is Hon. John D. Prince, founder and present head of the Department of Eastern European languages. The work and efforts of Prof. Clarence A. Manning, Dr. Arthur P. Coleman and many Ukrainians is recognized and appreciated also, but it was the final "yes" or "no" of Hon. John D. Prince, on which the introduction of the Ukrainian course depended. Dr. John D. Prince said "yes", and the Ukrainian course is well on its way, accompanied by "Evenings of Ukrainian Literature", of great interest to many American Ukrainian students and rejoiced in by all Ukrainian people here and abroad.

It is only natural that we should like to know our great friend Dr. John D. Prince, a little more than by mere acquaintance with his name. Indeed his life is most interesting:

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The anonymous author of Not To be Repeated - A Merry-Go-Round of Europe, (Ray Long and Richard R. Smith, Inc., New York, 1932) when discussing the activities and abilities of members of American diplomatic corps serving in capitals of European states, observes that the ablest of American representatives are situated at the least important capitals. One of the best American representatives, he finds in the capital of Jugoslavia, and this American minister in Belgrade, is none other than our friend, Dr. John D. Prince.

Let us quote from that book now and meet Dr. Prince in Belgrade in 1932, before he came back to Columbia University and founded the Department of Eastern Languages.

"Jugoslavia in general and Belgrade in particular has one unfailing source of relief from murder and terrorism - amusement at the antics of the Hon. John Dynely Prince - American minister.

"He is an estimable gentleman, this Dr. Prince, a good host and a well-informed student, but it is the misfortune of his life that he knows between sixty and 3seventy languages, perhaps even more.

"He was professor of philosophy at Columbia before he got his first diplomatic post to the legation in Copenhagen. Here he dumbfounded the royal circle by talking in Danish that was just a bit more classically perfect than the king's own.

"Similarly in Jugoslavia today he converses with King Alexander in purest Serbian, although the king knows French perfectly well, as does Dr. Prince. They tell a story in Belgrade, probably a bit exaggerated, of Dr. Prince's early days there. An informal gentleman, given to bright ties and not too fond of protocol, he sauntered along to the royal palace and entered. He was stopped by one of the royal sentries - those tough-looking babies in white pants who pace stiffly from morning to night guarding the portals.

"My man," Dr. Prince is reported to have said, "permit me to pass, I am the new American minister". He said it in Serbian.

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"Now the sentry knew perfectly well that no American minister had ever been known to speak the Serbian language, and so Dr. Prince then and there was pinched and off to the guard house. He was extricated later only after some difficulty.

"Conversation with Dr. Prince is a bit trying. At every third word uttered by a visitor the minister interrupts with a passing description of the pronounciation of the equivalent of that word in Bantu, Choctaw or South Malayan. He talks to one of his secretaries only in Russian. His researches into the various south Slav dialects - Croatian, Slovenian, Montenegrin, Bulgarian and so on, have made him famous in Jugoslavia.

It is the great regret of Dr. Prince's life that he has not a perfect command of Albanian, the only European language he does not thoroughly know. It embarrasses him not to be able to converse with each member of the local diplomatic corps in his own tongue. But he solves this problem neatly by talking to the Albanian minister in Turkish. One Albanian minister, astounded and indignant, protested to his colleagues of the insolence of American government to hire Turks for its diplomatic corps." (pp. 485 - 486).

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It is indeed a pleasure that the Ukrainian course was introduced in Columbia University by a man like Dr. John D. Price. May his knowledge of so many languages be an inspiration to all Ukrainian, American and Canadian youth; may he be an example for them and may Ukrainian language and literature flourish on American and Canadian soil.