Day of Wrath

Through the chinks of a Roman shutter, tiny sunbeams glinted on the telescopic sights of a high power rifle. Across the way was a balcony of the Palazzo Chigi, upon which Benito Mussolini would soon appear. Vast Fascist crowds swarmed in the street, eager to catch the words of their Duce's Armistice Day address. With a baleful flash of satisfaction, the man with the rifle trained its sights still more accurately, and waited.

A gentle squeeze of the trigger and the great Fascist would topple headforemost from the balcony. Perhaps the House of Savoy would fall with him. Amid the antiFascist revolution which would spring up, anything might happen. Even as these thoughts coursed through the mind of onetime Socialist Deputy Tito Zaniboni, something happened with a vengeance. Fascist police burst in his door, collared him, took his rifle away, trundled him off to jail.

The Plot, it was declared, had been carefully hatched by Zaniboni and General Luigi Capello (famed anti-Fascist Freemason leader), who had motored to Rome from Parma some three days earlier. Before reaching Rome they are said to have halted near a thick pine grove in order that Zaniboni might receive last minute practice in the use of his rifle, which he fired for a long time at a target set up 100 yards distant in the woods.

Arrived at Rome, the alleged conspirators were aided by Zaniboni's secretary, one Quaglia, who reserved a room in each of the three hotels which command various aspects of the Palazzo Chigi. The rooms were engaged for "an old friend, a wounded Fascist officer who wishes to view the Armistice Day celebration." And early on the morning in question a certain "Major Silvestrini" limped into the little Hotel Dragoni, demanding the room which had been reserved for him. The hotel manager, noting that the "Major's" breast was covered with decorations and that his open throated tunic revealed a Fascist black shirt, showed him without comment to a room looking out upon the balcony of the Palazzo Chigi.

Later the hotel-keeper's suspicions were aroused. The "wounded officer" suddenly shaved off his powerful, black mustache, glared with ill-concealed hostility at the Fascist crowds surging in the street, and seemed to take an interest in a powerful motor car loaded with extra gasoline tins, which mysteriously appeared in an alley behind the hotel. When the police were informed of these doings, they responded with grim enigmatic smiles. Later they declared that the details of the plot had been known to Signer Mussolini for weeks; that Tito Zaniboni and General Capello had long been carefully shadowed.

At the psychological moment it was only necessary to burst in upon Zaniboni, and to cause the arrest of Capello at Turin, whither he had fled. The police specifically charged General Capello with being the liaison officer between antiFascists in Italy and antiFascists in France. The latter group, it was said, had raised 150,000 lire ($7,500.00) as a "Liberty Loan" to be spent in causing the death of Mussolini and the fall of Fascism.

A National Demonstration of feeling followed the announcement of the detection of the plot. Premier Mussolini appeared on the "fatal" balcony before a crowd of at least 100,000 Fascists, packed so tightly that it was impossible to lift hands to clap. He cried: "You are here in such numbers that it is clear that, if I had fallen under the assassin's blow, not a tyrant would have died but a humble servant of the nation who daily gives his whole self to the cause of his country!"

Amid loud cheers he announced that "stern measures" would be taken against those responsible for the plot, and against the Opposition. Then he asked the Fascists to promise that they would not take reprisals into their own hands. Roared the crowd: "No! Revenge! Justice! We shall bring you Zaniboni's head!"

Bellowed Mussolini, fearless even of his friends: "You will obey! You will take no revenge because I wish it!"

Frenzied, the crowd cheered him until their shouts echoed almost across Rome. For hours "all citizens with Italian hearts" remained outside his windows, call-ing him by name, "begging him to come forth and talk to them forever."

The Italian Press scored and stigmatized the plot almost without regard to party lines. Said II Tribuno, usually markedly antiFascist: The attempt rouses not only among the Fascisti but among all Italians the greatest indignation. Whatever party one may belong to, whatever reasons one may have to oppose the present Government, one must admit Mussolini is something more than a political symbol.

Nobody can deny his passionate love for his country, his daily struggles on the behalf of Italy in the face of every kind of danger and opposition with an energy which is often prodigious. At home and abroad Mussolini is considered a kind of national emblem working with a kind of mystical exaltation, which may be criticized in its details, but whose loftiness of spirit and the nobility of whose ends cannot be denied.

Punitive Measures to be taken were vigorously sketched in a circular letter despatched to all the Prefects of Italy:

"The Government will occupy all Masonic Lodges, arrest all culpable persons, dissolve the Unified Socialist Party, [to which Zaniboni belonged] and suspend the publication of Giustizia [its organ], . . .

"Order must not be disturbed in any way. This I demand with the utmost severity . . . All Fascists will obey, as always.--MUSSOLINI"

The Armistice Day Speech, delivered by Premier Mussolini before details of the plot were allowed to leak out, was in part as follows: "Italy's victory over the Central Empires gave us our present sacred inviolable boundaries. Woe unto anyone who would attempt to violate them!....I believe we are confronted with a long period of peace . . . not with the possibility of peace for centuries. . . . The Italian people must not rest on their laurels . . . must be taught how sublime it is to sacrifice one's self for one's country."

Telegrams and congratulatory messages poured in upon Mussolini in such number that they were lugged to his office in bales and sacks. King Vittorio Emanuele, Queen Elena, the Queen Mother and Crown Prince Umberto were among the first to express heartfelt relief that Mussolini had been spared to defend Italy and the House of Savoy. In all the large cities of Italy imposing demonstrations of thanksgiving were participated in by thousands, who paraded through the streets singing and cheering.

French Comment upon the incident was inclined to be cynical. Said the Paris Soir:

Mussolini has just accomplished another coup de force. Zaniboni was a Unified Socialist, but was excluded from the party on account of his too frequent visits to the King.

Nevertheless the Government tries to implicate 25,000 members of the Unified Socialists who have 24 Deputies in the Chamber. The party is dissolved and no longer has the right to meet.

Matteotti also belonged to this party. The exposure is timely also because the trial of the Matteotti assassins has become inevitable. Gen. Capello, who is jointly accused, is a fervent Freemason. The Fascists are violent against the Grand Lodge.

Mussolini has occupied all lodges with the military and thus forced double vengeance on those accused. He will not let matters rest there. The pretext for increased despotism is yesterday's announced plot. It comes so timely for Mussolini's purposes that doubt whether the plot existed is permissible.