Smart Bruno

The Fascist-controlled press of Rome displayed last week a little story, perfect as a gem, concerning small Bruno Mussolini, 9, younger son* of II Duce. Bruno's schoolteacher, it seemed, was recently examining him in grammar and desired to elicit the information that, in Italian, a verb may take the imperative mood in the second or third person but not in the first. "Now Bruno," said the examiner, "tell me in what person one cannot command."

Bruno, obviously puzzled and apparently ignorant upon this point of grammar, showed himself the smart son of a smart sire by replying: "There are two persons one cannot command, the King and my father."

Fascist observers were aghast to think of the inference which could have been drawn had small Bruno mentioned only the King, or, worse still, only his father. No statesman, indeed, could have bettered small Bruno's tactful blending of filial and national loyalty. Skeptics wondered what smart Italian publicist had invented or at least polished the tale.

*Not to be confused with small 11-year-old Vittorio Mussolini who recently received publicity apropos of an airplane ride (TIME, June 13).