The Roman Observer

The Supreme Pontiff & Vicar of Christ must not, does not and cannot lower himself sufficiently to become one of two persons who are quarreling. The truth of this statement became luminous, last week, as discussion waxed hot in Italy upon the recent and contradictory speeches of Pope Pius XI and Prime Minister Mussolini--speeches which had seemed to place them on opposite sides of a dispute as to whether the education of Italian youths shall be purely secular and Fascist, or partially religious and Roman Catholic (TIME, April 9). Round 1 of the apparent quarrel had ended when Il Duce backed up his speech by suppressing all non-Fascist youth organizations, including the Roman Catholic Boy Scouts. Therefore it behooved the Vatican to explain, last week, that no quarrel had ever existed. The task of tidying up and if possible effacing the whole incident fell to a remarkable man: Count Giuseppe Dalla Torre, editor of the news organ which speaks for the Vatican, L'Osservatore Romano (The Roman Observer).

Count Dalla Torre is massive, stocky, weighs perhaps 200 Ibs. and stands half a head taller than most Italians. His complexion is very fair and his hair almost blond. Withal he is of noble and ancient Venetian lineage, though he was born a Paduan. Even enemies find him affable, but few except his friends realize his extraordinary and sensitive keenness of mind.

As a devoted Son of the Church, Count Dalla Torre conducts L'Osservatore Romano under the charter of a strictly private corporation, but indicates its true status by printing daily as its device the Papal mitre and crossed keys. He maintains absolute the decorum of L'Osservatore's news and editorial columns, but does not scorn to accept advertisements of fountain pens, filing cabinets, asperin, hair tonics, and that esteemed internal remedy Le Pillole Pink.

Thus, Editor Count Dalla Torre is both a loyal Son of the Church and a businessman of the world. As such he signed his authoritative initials, last week, to a leading article in L'Osservatore Romano which purported to explode the theory of a quarrel between Pope and Duce as follows:

"[The Pope's pronouncement] was confined solely to a moral plane, and was in no way politically inspired, and did not constitute intervention in the affairs of the State. . . .

"[The Pope] did not mean to condemn the Fascist party for monopolizing the education of youth, but simply to insist ... as a Father speaking to his children . .. that education should be effected in a Christian spirit. . . .

"This only the Church can accomplish. . . .

"It is quite untrue that any conflict . . . has taken place or is about to take place. ... It is well to say that such an interpretation is not true, although it is recognized that such an impression may have arisen from the sudden action of the Italian Cabinet* so soon after the Pope's speech."

"The words of the Pope do not affect the Roman Question . . . [but Catholics must remember] that it is the prerogative of the Pontiff alone to deal with this."

*In ratifying Il Duce's decree suppressing the Catholic Boy Scouts, etc.