THE MARCH ON ROME 285
private room in the Hotel Vesuvio to make the final decisions.
Teruzzi, Starace and Bastianini were there as well as
Mussolini and the Quadrumvirate, De Bono, De Vecchi,
Balbo and Bianchi. Mussolini proposed that the political
leaders of the party should hand over their powers to the
Quadrumvirate at midnight on October 26 : c The aim of
the movement must be the seizure of power, with a cabinet
including at least six fascist ministers in the most important
posts.'1 Immediate mobilization was fixed for October 27.
c Then,, on the 28th, action against the nearest objec-
tives, prefectures, police stations, post offices, telegraph
exchanges, wireless stations, anti-fascist newspapers and
clubs, Chambers of Labour. Once the towns are con-
quered, swift concentration of the squads on Santa
Marinella, Monterotondo, Tivoli in columns ready to
march on Rome. Where the entire population is fascist
and conquest of the towns is assured, as in the Po valley
and Tuscany, a limited number of fascists will be left to
guard the positions ; all the rest must be sent to the
concentration points. But where the conquest of a town
is impossible or doubtful no attempt even is to be made
on the public buildings, and every single fascist must be
sent to the meeting place. The plan must follow the lines
laid down in Milan and Bordighera and under the com-
mand of the officers chosen in Florence. On the morning
of the 28th the three columns will leave simultaneously
for the capital. On the same morning, Saturday, the
Quadrumvirate's manifesto will be issued from Perugia.
... As for arms, the Quadrumvirs have fixed on two or
three depots on which an attempt may be made. In any
case the fascists will be able to disarm the small detach-
ments of carabinieri in the country districts. Separate plans
for the offensive in Milan, Turin and Parma have been
drawn up.'2
1 Details of this meeting are given by Italo Balbo, who kept the minutes.
2 The day before, another meeting had been held in Naples at the head-
quarters of the fascia, which had been attended by the commanding officers,
zone inspectors and officers commanding the columns. The same plan was
under discussion : * The action will be carried out in two parts, first, mobiliza-
tion of forces during the night of Thursday, 26, to Friday, 27, so that by
Saturday at midday all movements are complete and the fascists are in a
commanding position. Secondly, all possible pressure must be brought to