"Political Incompatibility"

Every baby born into the world is a finer one than the last.

--Charles Dickens.

Big-eyed, bouncing Bambino Romano Mussolini was born Sept. 27, 1927. At age 14 months he bounced once around Ancient Rome while Fascists roared enthusiastic "Ala-ala-alalas!" (TIME, Dec. 10), in the arms of Papa Benito Mussolini, who bounced in turn upon a large white horse.

Last week. Bambino Romano, not yet turned 18 months, was completely forgotten as Milan tea table gossips buzzed. The secret was not that Donna Rachele Mussolini is burgeoning again, though as a matter of fact she is. The terrific and appalling piece of gossip was that Donna Rachele recently said to a most intimate--and seemingly most faithless--friend: "I am still a Socialist at heart. I could not turn Fascist with Nito."

Piquant, such "political incompatibility" would plausibly explain why "Nito" prefers to play the Duce alone in Rome, only visiting his wife in Milan or at his farm in Forli twice or thrice a year.

Pleasing to II Duce was the deed of one Signora Neriva Cavassa of Bologna who, last week, gave birth to triplet sons and named them "Pio," "Benito" and "Vittorio Emanuele," after Pope, Dictator, King.