THE   MARCH   ON   ROME	309
administrative powers of the party executive ? which were
supposed to have passed into its hands. The mobilization,
as arranged in Naples, took place in the different parts of
Italy, but without the Quadrumvirate being able to follow
its fortunes and its growth. In northern Italy the fascist
leaders' kept in touch with Milan and occasionally with
Mussolini himself. The fascist deputy Torre brought
Mussolini's instructions from Milan to Alessandria and kept
in touch with him during the days that followed. The
Quadrumvirate only intervened once during the mobiliza-
tion : Balbo was sent to Florence on the afternoon of the
27th, because the fascists in Pisa had begun too soon, and in
Florence as well the squads had c given the alarm to the
military authorities ?1 by going into action too soon. The
same evening Balbo was back in Perugia and from that
moment the Quadrumvirate ceased to have any direct
connection with the mobilization, and was therefore in-
capable of controlling the movements of the columns
assembled for the march on Rome which it was supposed
to be directing. It had already had some difficulty in meet-
ing at all. On the very morning of the 27th Bianchi, who
was in Rome, after looking everywhere for De Vecchi and
failing to find him, left a letter at his hotel at 9 a.m., saying,
c I leave for Perugia in a few hours5 time. From now on
there can be no retreat. The latest events favour our
plan,2 We must see things through to the end. You must
do your utmost to get to Perugia to-morrow morning.
Enormous responsibility rests on the Quadrumvirate and it
is essential that we should be in full agreement so as to avoid
a fatal confusion of orders and counter-orders.' This letter
shows that a few hours before the morning of the 28th when,
according to the Naples programme, the three columns were
to leave simultaneously for Rome, two of the Quadrumvirs
had not even managed to get into touch with each
other. It shows too that as yet their political views were
quite divergent. De Vecchi was trying for a compromise
with Salandra, and went on trying until the morning of the
1	Pp. 303-304.
2	Bianchi was alluding to the decision, made by ministers the day before,
to place their portfolios at the premier's disposal.