THE CAPORETTO OF SOCIALISM 227
The offices of workers5 organizations were set on fire, after
the state forces had driven out the defenders. The battle
raged furiously in the suburbs, and especially at San Lazzaro,
where the strikers attacked and besieged the barracks of the
carabinieri, and even tried to occupy the fort of Monte
Acuto. In spite of the workers' heroism the struggle was too
uneven and Ancona too, passed under the control of the
fasci.
The speed acquired in action and the favourable military
and political conditions made it possible for fascism to attack
two more important positions, Milan and Parma. In Milan
the fascist mobilization was carried out under the orders
of Captain Cesare Forni, leader of the squads of Lomellina.
On August 3 the Palazzo Marino, the town hall, was
occupied, and d'Annunzio made a long speech from the
balcony about the ' pacification of minds 3 and the greatness
of Italy, without making the slightest allusion to fascism.
This was all part of his c saviour' performance ; but his
presence among the leaders of the fascist bands amounted
to support, since it sanctioned the violence perpetrated
against the socialist council. His words were blown away
by the wind, the gesture alone counted and served to swell
the fascist success. Michele Bianchi, the secretary of the
party, sent a congratulatory telegram from Rome : e The
National Fascist Party echoes your cries of cc long live
fascism 5V D'Annunzio had certainly not shouted c long
live fascism ' ; he was furious at the lie and at being thus
annexed, and telegraphed in reply : e My own cry is the
only one that should be exchanged between Italians to-day,
" Long live Italy ! " I know no other.3 But the Popolo
<fItalia, which had published Bianchi's telegram to
d'Annunzio, took good care not to publish the poet's reply.
For this piece of misrepresentation d'Annunzio had only
himself to blame. The following day, August 4, the fascist
squads decided to destroy once again, for the third time since
April 1919, the offices of the socialist paper, AvantL After
considering bombarding it from an aeroplane :
e the fascists decided to attack it from three sides, with
columns made up of strong groups ofsquadristifrom Milan,