ITALIAN PREMIER TO
GET TITLE OF DUKE
Fiery Government Head To Be
Honored By King
ROME, August 16.—Benito Musso
lini is to be created duke, with the
heriditary title of “Duke of Musso
lini,” according to reports in court
circles.
The elevation of the fiery editor
premier to the Italian peerage will
take place in October, it is said. King
Victor Emmanuel will bestow the
honor at the quirinal on the anni
versary of the “black shirt” march
on Rome, which Mussolini led.
In the event of his being granted
the title, it will become extinct with
his death. Mussolini is married, al
though the fact is not generally
known. His wife has been a chronic
invalid for years, however. There
are no children.
Mussolini was born near Milan, his
parents Ijping poor. As a boy he was
forced to work at an early age to ob
tain money for his education. Visit
ing Switzerland in Bearch of employ
ment, he was arrested for vagrancy
at Lausanne, where later he was to
arrive in splendor to attend the j
Lausanne conference.
The sufferings of these early years
turned him against the established ‘
order of things, and he became
known as an active and violent so
| cialist.
With the opening of the World war
be enlisted as a private, and served
in non-commissioned ranks at the
front. During this period he switched
to a reactionary viewpoint, and on
leaving service began to build up th»
facisti movement, the organ of which
was his newspaper, “The Popolo
d'ltalia,” of Milan. In two years
fascismo swept Italy, culminating in
the march on Rome which resulted
in he being made premier.
