Millions for Pals

Since Frenchmen know that thrifty President Franklin Delano Roosevelt has a fat little fortune, they would approve if in marrying off an only daughter he dowered her with 20% of it in tax-exempt bonds. Such was the ratio observed last week by shrewd, earthy, peasant-born Premier Pierre Laval when, like equally plebeian Premier Benito Mussolini, he prepared to marry off his Jose to a count.

Jose Laval, like Edda Mussolini, grew up her father's pal. Since a Dictator can do more for a pal than a mere statesman, Edda made her debut with a tour of the Far East on which she was showered with gifts by many a potentate, later married baby-faced Count Galeazzo Ciano who was promptly advanced through Italy's diplomatic service, and gradually promoted to his present rank of Minister for Press & Propaganda.

Rome says that Edda's dowry was 5,000,000 lire ($410,000). Last week Paris heard friends of Jose saying that her dowry will be 10,000,000 francs ($662,000) or 20% of the Premier's estimated fortune of 50,000,000 francs ($3,310,000).

Latin shrugs greet any query as to where Papa Mussolini and Pere Laval earned all that money. Both have airtight alibis.

Dictator Mussolini is a writer and what he is paid by the Hearst papers is supposed to be as great as his fame. He also owns Italy's leading daily and his Government controls the Press. Monsieur Laval, as he says, is a lawyer. As fat fees have rolled in during the years, he has piled investment on shrewd investment, now owns several estates and a frowning medieval castle.

Also a lawyer is Jose Laval's fiance, almost forgotten last week in the dither over her dowry. He, aristocratic young Count Rene de Chambrun, is a nephew of the late, great Nicholas Longworth, a descendant of the Marquis de Lafayette.

Convening at Nancy last week members of the National Alliance for Increasing the Population of France, which recently cracked down on U. S. "Slave Dancer" Joan Warner (TIME, July 22), took ap proving note of Jose Laval's engagement, adopted a resolution of "hope that after her marriage to Count Rene de Chambrun she will have many children."

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