222 THE RISE OF ITALIAN FASCISM
where to help the fasci. Their activity greatly increased
after August 3, i.e. after the end of the strike. Mussolini
was jubilant, and wrote in his newspaper on August 5 :
c If the three secretaries of the Labour Alliance had been
fanatical fascists they could not have done more for the
cause of fascism.' To prove it he published the list of
fascist victories. This list (see Appendix) includes the names
of forty-three towns in which the headquarters of socialist
and communist clubs and co-operatives, Chambers of
Labour and newspaper offices had been burnt down and
socialist municipal councils forced to resign ; in addition,
so lavish was the victory, there were a number of others
which there was no room to print.
The fascist push went on for several days, and demobiliza-
tion wras not ordered by the secretariat of the party until
August 8, five days after the end of the general strike. Even
then, while demobilizing, the fascists were to c act in
accordance with the local situation '. The meaning of this
phrase was explained in a circular letter of the 7th :
c If nothing has happened by the end of the day we shall
give the order to demobilize this evening. In districts
where the situation may not be favourable to us a garrison
must be left. It appears, now that things are quiet, that
the authorities intend to begin seizing arms. Issue strict
orders on this subject so that arms and munitions can be
taken at once to a safe place.'
The fascists had meant to take advantage of the general
strike to attain various important strategic objects, in
particular—as may be seen from the circular letter sent out
from the party secretariat on July 31l—the Genoa district
and the city of Ancona.
In. Genoa the working-class movement was in the hands
of the £ autonomousy socialists, who were outside the official
party, held right-wing views and had favoured Italy's
intervention in the war. Their leaders had played a fairly
important and somewhat ambiguous part in the central
committee of the Alliance of Labour. They were supported
by a powerful network of co-operative societies which
1 P. 219-220.