(Published in Il Popolo d'Italia, September 13, 1919)
By Benito Mussolini
The enterprise undertaken by Gabriele d'Annunzio in order to restore Fiume to Italy is destined to arouse the greatest thrill around the world. In the last ten months of waiting and frustration, universal attention was placed on this city of the Quarnaro. D'Annunzio entered the city yesterday to dissolve this Gordian knot of western plutocrats...
After ten months, having already signed the peace with Austria, it was necessary to also give peace to Italy in the Adriatic. And since the Western merchants decided not to conclude this peace and continued to drag it out for eternity, an act of force was necessary
We don't know what Nitti's government is thinking. All we can say is that, if necessary, thousands of volunteers — the best of Italy's youth — will be with D'Annunzio.
We understand the concerns of Roman political circles, especially the parliamentarians. However, while recognizing that the general political situation is delicate, we do not share those excessive worries of the typical couch potatoes. In order to thwart the inevitable socialist speculation, we must say immediately that D'Annunzio's gesture is not the prelude to another war for the Italian people. The occupation and defense of Fiume will not lead to another war simply because there are no enemies. If Croatia does not declare war on us, do you really think England and France would resort to violence? Such a hypothesis is absurd.
[...]
Not so absurd, however, is the assumption of possible economic reprisals by Anglo-American plutocracy. But we're at a point now where blackmail no longer frightens us. Take note of what we're saying in this moment: rather than be strangled by the odious capitalism of the Anglo-Saxons, the Italians can adopt a policy not quite different from their own current foreign policy: an "Eastern policy", which opens us up to a world of inexhaustible resources. We will closely follow the new, dramatic and exceptionally interesting situation caused by the action of Gabriele d'Annunzio. In the meantime, we cry out with all our soul: "Long live Italian Fiume!"
