Cub Trinity

A fluffy lion cub crouched, speed-stunned in Signer Mussolini's lap as the Dictator stepped upon the throttle of his racing car and sped toward Rome. That was in 1923. Provincial admirers had bestowed the beast. As she grew into a sleek young lioness, the Duce, intrigued, named her Italia Bella. He is wont to enter her iron barred cage crooning "Italia Mia, . . ." and only twice has she scratched him (TIME, July 12). Recently her sleek flanks grew pendulous. The Fascist press began exultantly to refer to her as Sultana, Italia, and she brought forth three cubs. . . .

Straightway the Premier's news-organ, II Giornale d'Italia, began a contest to choose names for the cubs. Scores of Fascists suggested "Bastone,"* "Eia"/- and "Alala."/- Some hundreds of imperialist Fascists suggested the names of three areas which Italy would like to wrest from France: "Nice," "Savoie" and "Tunis."

Though these last seemed appropriate names for the cubs of Sultana, Italia, Signor Benito Mussolini did not approve them. He dropped a word, instead, and suddenly some thousand Fascists wrote to suggest that his given name be divided into three syllables (Benito) and each syllable doubled to form the name of a cub. Last week it was formally announced that the offspring of Sultana Italia will be called "Bebe," 'Nini" and Toto." Within a few days two sets of human triplets at Rome and another at Ravenna were similarly christened.

*"Bludgeon," the characteristic Fascist club.

/-The Fascist "war cry" (TiME, Nov. 29) is "Eia, eia, eia, alala!" a meaningless exclamation like "Rah-rah-rah !"