Evening star., 1926-06-24
ITALY'S CROWN PRINCE MAY WE'D
MUSSOLINTS YOUNG DAUGHTER
Umberto, Heir to Throne,
Not Expected to Object
in Face of Pressure.
Duce Visits l5-Year-Old
Girl at Boarding School
to Discuss Plan.

BY Cable to The Star and New York World.
! CHIASSO, Switzerland, June "a
| Benito Mussolini. the man who holds
Italy in the hypnotism of his scoWl,
is planning, according to rumors, to
i knit the dynasty of Savoy to his own
by marrying his daughter, Edda, to
Crown Prince Umberto.
Such reports are only whispered and
their source is unknown. They have
not yet been dignified with official
notice of any kind and no italian
newspaper has dared to print them.
| But they are persistent and there are
certain indications which justify, if
they do not prove. the fantastic fairy
tale of homely, low born girl marry
| ing the future head of one of the
greatest of regning families.
For one thing Edda, an imperious
child of Is, since her fathers
rise to be dictator of Italy has been
sent to Poggio Reale, near Florence,
q voncent school for princesses and
the daughters of the more important
aristocracy.
Takes Naughty Attitude.
| The nuns who conduct it wish the
girl had never come there, for Edda
will not hear of discipline. II am
Mussolini's daughter" is her naughty
retort to all attempts to make her
obey the strict rules of the convent,
and it is enough.
In this school Princess Marie Jose,
eldest daughter of King Albert of
Belgium, was educated During the
period of Mussolinis ascendancy her
engagement to Umberto has often
been reported and just as often
promptly, emphatically and officially
denied.
Shortly after the last denial there
was a rumor that the dictator him
self had vetoed the proposed marriage
| for political reasons. Those who hint
at his supposed plans for Edda say
there might have been personal rea-
sons, too, and see in the circumstances
support for their story.
| Again, MuSSoliniS movements on
June and are recounted in detail.
on Sunday, the 9Th, he left the Villa
| Torlonia. his Roman residence, for a
morning drive around the cnvironS of
the capital. As his car was passing
the walls he asked the chauffeur how
he would like a trip to the Romagna
region and presently directed him to
| Carpena, near Forli
Went to Daughters School.
Here his wife. Donna Rachele. was
waiting. The religious marriage of
| this couple was solemniZed only about
| Il year ago. Next morning they both
went to fetch their daughter at her
school 1t is said the purpose of this
visit was to find out how Edda would
| like to be the future Queen of Italy.
Finally. the dictator adores his
daughter The heavy frown, without
| which he is hardly ever photographed.
| can leave his features when he is with
her. and on these occasions the man
| of iron is intensely, pathetically hui
man. What wonder, say the gOsslps,
| that he should like to see her on
| throne.
AS for precedents. they are not
lacking. Napoleon married his
brothers and sisters to royalty and
Mussolini emulates the Corsican in
many things.
Furthermore. it must not be for
| gotten that the man whose follow
ers call him simple I'll Duce" holds
more power than the King Of Italy
ever did Politically he is supreme.
When he presides at cabinet
meeting as prime minister he also
| holds the portfolios of foreign
affairs, war. marine, air and corpora
tions.