THE CAPORETTO OF SOCIALISM 203
c Fascism/ explained the communist Bordiga in a
report to Moscow, a month later, after the march on
Rome, ' has collected all ex-servicemen who could not
fit into post-war society and has taken advantage of
their military experience. ... It has attained a dominant
position in Italian politics by what may be called territorial
methods, which may be followed on a map. Starting
from Bologna fascism has advanced in two main directions,
on one side towards the north-western industrial district,
Milan, Turin, Genoa ; on the other towards Tuscany and
central Italy, so as to encircle and threaten the capital3
On July 15 the Popolo d? Italia came out with an enormous
headline across the front page : ' Imminent collapse of last
strongholds of P.U.S. Congratulations to the fascists of
Cremona, Rimini, Andria, Viterbo, Sestri Ponente. Fascist
mobilization at Novara.' What was happening ? Mussolini
himself explained in the editorial :
c Italian fascism is at present engaged in fighting several
decisive battles to effect local clean-ups. According to the
latest news fascists have managed to force their way into
Rimini and gained control of it. This is the turning-point.
With Rimini we hold the key position which gives us a
hold on Emilia and the Romagna, and a passage to the
neighbouring Marches. Active fascist advance guards at
Pesaro, Fermo, Pergola, and Jesi are seeing to it that the
Marches will not long resist our fateful advance. At
Andria our militia is victorious, and the reversal of the
situation in this town is of extreme importance to our
campaign in Apulia. The Barifascio must make up its
mind to get a grip of the situation there. In Latium the
last few days have seen the Viterbo affair and the fascist
concentration that followed it. The time has come to
show all friends of Italy that the fascist forces in Latium
are very numerous ; each little township in this vast
district has itsfascio, and the whole movement is drawing
strength from the fresh vitality with which the Rome
fascio seems to be endowed. Further north we find the
forces of fascism engaged in Liguria. There is nothing to
worry about there. Sestri Ponente (where the socialist