Astonishing Nuptials

Well known to be in closest touch with Italian Fascist organizations in France and with Il Duce, is Monsieur Jean Bosc, Director of the extremely conservative Paris newsorgan L'Avenir.

Of nuptials which took place in Rome last week L'Avenir said weightily:

"Today's marriage consecrates the ascension of the Mussolini dynasty."

What did this mean?

In Rome tall, somewhat imperious Edda Mussolini, whose dark brown eyes have the snap and fire of Il Duce's own, was marrying Galeazzo Ciano, son of Minister of Communications Count Costanzo Ciano di Cortellazzo--a Fascist comparatively little known outside of Italy. But L'Avenir claimed to have positive information that directly after announcement of the engagement on Feb. 15, 1930 the Fascist Grand Council at Rome appointed Count Costanzo Ciano to be II Duce's successor in the event of the Dictator's resignation or death. If printed by an irresponsible sheet this "exclusive revelation" could be safely ignored, but the readers of L'Avenir, prosperous French bourgeois, were ready to take Monsieur Jean Bosc's word last week that: "Today's marriage consecrates the ascension of the Mussolini dynasty."

Two Bridal Veils and Mrs. Wurts. To deck the small Church of St. Joseph for the wedding huge tapestries were borrowed from the City of Rome and quantities of flowers brought from the vast gardens of Il Duce's residence just down the street, the Villa Torlonia, where he has lived as the guest of aristocratic Prince Giovanni Torlonia since 1925.

A crack detachment of the Fascist blackshirt militia, nicknamed "Mussolini's Musketeers," mounted guard at the church as the wedding party swept up in eight automobiles. Among the few, distinguished guests who were allowed to squeeze into the small church, the U. S. was represented by Ambassador and Mrs. John W. Garrett, by enigmatic Mrs. Wurts.

Clinging to her father's arm, Bride Edda arrived in the first motor car. Father as well as daughter seemed flushed with excitement. Amid cheers they entered the church, he in faultless morning clothes, she in a sleek white satin dress trailing to her ankles, shoulder length white kid gloves, and a superb lace bridal veil the gift of the Italian Senate, this surmounted by a narrow wreath of orange blossoms. Bride Edda's bouquet was an armful of roses white as snowballs.

Next out of the motorcade stepped the morning-coated, silk-hatted bridegroom, deferentially escorting the Countess Costanzo Ciano, his mother. From the third car descended Donna Rachele Mussolini. At a reception the day before she had presided for the first time in her life as the Dictator's official hostess. Usually she lives in Milan, 350 miles from Rome. Appropriately the Dictator's wife was escorted by the tall, stern Roman with eagle-eyebrows and crisp white beard whom L'Avenir had called Il Duce's "designated successor": Count Costanzo Ciano.

The marriage and subsequent low mass were performed in 45 minutes by the parish priest. On the prie-dieu before which the couple knelt was tactfully draped a second magnificent lace bridal veil, an unexpected last-minute gift from the Hungarian Women's Organization. Amid tremendous cheering the bridal party left the church, and on the doorstep Signor Mussolini, flushed even deeper than before, made a dramatic gesture.

Toe Kissing. On the morning of the marriage Fascist newsorgans had announced that Il Duce (who had never in his life set foot in the Papal State) would not accompany his daughter and her husband to St. Peter's, where they would pray before the tomb of the Apostle and kiss the bronze big toe on the statue of St. Peter.

But after the wedding, with a sudden flash of decision, Il Duce stepped into the motor car of the bridal pair, saying that he would accompany them to St. Peter's, despite the fact that the usual intensive precautions to protect the Dictator's life at his every public appearance had not been taken in Vatican City, since he was not expected.

After a quick drive to St. Peter's the wedding party and Signor Mussolini nudged and elbowed their way through a completely unrestrained crowd to the portal, where they were welcomed by a prelate in imposing purple robes.

A moment later Il Duce entered St. Peter's, was seen to kneel in prayer for nearly five minutes on the enormous rug presented by the Emperor Napoleon. Flabbergasted Fascists felt like rubbing their eyes and pinching themselves to make sure, when they saw and heard the full, pouting lips of Benito Mussolini plant a smacking kiss on bronze St. Peter's toe.

His action was duplicated by the entire bridal party, including the Dictator's brother Arnaldo (editor of the family newspaper Popolo d'Italia), and a sister whom hardly anybody in Rome had ever seen or heard of before, Virginia Mussolini.

Great Man Bereaved. At the extremely private wedding breakfast, served when the bridal party returned to the Villa Torlonia, the U. S. was not represented even by Mrs. Wurts. Loath indeed to part with Edda, well known to be his favorite child, seemed the emotional Duce. He let bride and bridegroom slip away in their car, but he knew they would take the Naples road. And soon in his fire-spitting racer the Great Man who rules all Italy and some of Africa gave chase.

With the humbleness and full heart of a truly devoted father who has "lost"' his only daughter to the man she loves, Signor Mussolini did not overtake the bridal roadster, merely kept it in sight for more than 30 miles. At last, feeling the futility of this, he turned back to Rome, driving like a madman "all out," great sheets of flame leaping from the exhaust as his appallingly powerful car (300 h. p.) devoured the long white road, roaring like a monster in pain.

At Naples the bridal pair left their car, stepped aboard a grey submarine chaser of the Royal Italian Navy, cruised over to idyllic ("Blue Grotto") Capri where they stopped at the Hotel Quisisana, caused the fat proprietor to all but burst with beaming pride.

Consoling Cousin. Consoling perhaps to the bereaved father was this telegram, wired from the Royal Lodge at San Rossare to the Villa Torlonia:

"In this day of happiness for your family, I send the heartiest felicitations and express the most cordial wish for the perennial happiness of those just married.

"Your most affectionate cousin,

"VITTORIO EMANUELE"

King and Dictator call each other "cousin" because they are both members of the Order of Annunziata, all members of which are "cousins of the king" by a pretty fiction of Italian law.

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