All But Five

Shrill, fussy Minister of Public Works Giovanni Battista Giuriati was last week elected President of the new 100% Fascist Chamber of Deputies (TIME, April 8). Casting about for some one to fill the vacant Ministry of Public Works, the powers-that-are came upon Signor Benito Mussolini.

Since he already held seven of the 13 Cabinet portfolios he might as well hold eight. Soon he did.

Cabinet posts not held by Il Duce are: Justice, Finance, Public Instruction, Communications, National Economy. Senator Luigi Federzoni, famed "Soft Speaker of the Vatican," from whom Signor Mussolini took the Ministry of Colonies last year (TIME, Dec. 31), was last week elected President of the Senate.

Watchful observers noted that the new deputies, all hand-picked by Il Duce, are nearly all men of elder-middle age. The one exception is 25-year-old Deputy Marcelo Diaz, son of the late Marshal Diaz, "Foch of Italy."

Since Fascismo has always vaunted itself the "Party of Youth" and foe of paunchy middle age, the Dictator's choice appeared peculiarly remarkable.