294 THE RISE OF ITALIAN FASCISM
steps had already been taken to try to prevent the execution
of the ministerial decree. Pressure had been brought to
bear on the king from the early hours of the morning. At
7.30, says Chiurco, c Doctor Ernesto Civelli,1 who came
by himself and before anyone else, explained the situation
to the king, telling him of the concentration of 70,000
fascists, who were surrounding Rome. He assured him
that the fascists were with the king, certain that the king
would be with them.5 On the other hand, at 6 o'clock in
the morning, the nationalist deputy Federzoni and Roberto
Forges-Davanzati, editor of the Idea Nazionale, went to
Facta and asked him if he still was in touch with the leaders
of the fascist movement. When he said that he was not they
offered to put him in touch again, and from the very office
of the president of the council they telephoned to De Vecchi
at Perugia, headquarters of the Quadrumvirate, and to
Mussolini at Milan, inviting both to Rome. De Vecchi
accepted, Mussolini refused once more. Facta returned to
the Viminal and told the cabinet that the king was hesitating.
The cabinet instructed him to return to the king and insist
on his authorising the declaration of martial law already
proclaimed. It was probably between Facta's first visit
and the second, which took place at about 10 o'clock, that
others started to intervene : Federzoni, who announced the
mobilization of the Nationalist Party, and Admiral Thaon
de Revel, who asked the king to avoid any conflict between
the fascists and the army. News also reached him that his
cousin, the Duke of Aosta, was at Bevagna, not far from
Perugia, in touch with the Quadrumvirate and ready to
allow himself to be placed on the throne if the king abdicated
or was deposed by the fascists. Consequently Facta
was faced with a second and absolute refusal2 and the
cabinet had no alternative but to withdraw the decree.
1 Civelli, with the engineer Postiglione, had been told off to attend to ' all
the services required by the mobilized fascist militia '.
2 Again according to the very trustworthy evidence of Count Sforza, the
senator Taddei, Minister for the Interior in the retiring cabinet, was convinced
on ^ the evidence of a number of small signs which at the time had seemed
insignificant, that Facta, disregarding the formal mandate twice entrusted to
him by the cabinet, had advised the king not to sign the decree of martial law.
The reason he put forward was the lack of authority of the cabinet, which was
resigning, an action to which he was holding them.