The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-11-07

Milan, Italy, Nov. 7.-The sensa- tion and excitement caused in Italy by the expedition of the poet D. Anunzto to Plume are greater than anything that has happened since the victory of last year. The Italian Government, which had suppressed the censorship last July, suddenly re- established it in far more drastic form, and little or nothing has been allowed to pass. I wired thousands of words, and I doubt if a single one reached London. Today the eX- pedition has acquired ar importance far beyond the original expectations of the organizers. Italy is thrown into a state of extra ordinary politi- : cal confusion. Plume is fOrcibly oc- cupied by Italian troops, who have more or less deserted and revolted against their own Government. Pub- lie opinion in Italy, m a first spon- taneous outburst, unanimously ap- proved them, and the Government is pitted, IS it were, against the country. The Supreme Command is powerIess against the general move ments in the army, which, on the question of Plume, is on the verge of general revolt. Almost every reg imerit and every unit is prepared to Fnutiny, and the navy itself is talk ing sides with D'Annunzio, ships Aeaving Adriatic ports stealthily at night to steam into Plume in the morning. Aviators leave their camps and land unexpectedly in Plume to offer their services, and instead of 10000 men, D'AnnunZio mi ght have today 1000 at his command, If he only expressed a desire. The incl dent had thus assumed extraordinary and unexpected proportions, and it is no use trying, by the suppression of news and drastic censorship, to conceal Or minimize the facts. As none of my early dispatches have gone through, I sum up in more de- tail the events as they occurred.
 First News of the Coup.
 Friday noon, Sept 12, between twelve and one, an expedition of Italian volunteers, headed by the poet Gabrielle D'Annunzio, entered Fiume with banners flying and cheered by all its inhabitants! They came to occupy it in the name of Italy, as an Italia4. town, in deft- ance of Paris diplomacy and the Covenant of their own country. It was intended as dramatic demon stration to compel procrastinating diplomacy to come to q definite con- clusion in compliance with the wishes of Plume and with the pat riotic aspirations of the whole Ital- ian nation. From one end of Italy to the other the theatrical exploit of D'Annunzio and his volunteers was approved with satisfacttn and ad- miration and dfsapproved only by the responsible Government in Rome, , which hastened to announce that or
 
 ment and oblige D'Annunzio and his volunteers to withdraw in order to avoid unpleasant international com- prications. Public opinion, however, unanimously approved it in the fix ed belief that the annexation of F'i- unle to Italy is the only possible his toric conclusion. The Paris Con- ference may juggle as it pleases with other amateur solutions, but 40,- OO0,000 Italians have positive ideas about it from which they will not swerve. The redemption of Plume to them is as sacred as the Ten Com rnandments; it is as if they had gone to war for no other object, and it is this national ideal that was interpret ed by D'Annunzio and his legion of volunteers.
 Governments Surprise.
 | IIt 11ISI news oL tie event was communicated to the Government on Friday afternoon, Sept 12, during the sitting of the Chamber by the Under-Secretary for the Interior, Sig nor Grassi, who car&e and whisper ed something into the ear of Signor Nittl, who jumped from his seat and had a lively discussion with the Min isters of War and Marine. The scene caused quite a sensation in the Chamber. Till then the Governrn lent seems to have had no information of what was a public secret among all D'Annunzios friends. He had or ganized recruiting offices for his vol unteers in Sicily, Naples. Rome Florence, Milan. and Venice, and thousands of officers and daredevil "Arditi' had joyfulIy inscribed their names in the D'Annunzio legions for the redemption of Plume. Early in the afternoon the Giorna1s d'Italfa published the news of the poets entrance in Q despatch from Venice When Signor Grassi handed to the Premier the typewriter sheet with the despatch from Plume and at the same time a copy of the newspaper announcing the events, Signor Nitti looked angry, his face grew red, and he immediately turned to the Minis ter of Marine, both of whom were in complete ignorance of what had hap pened. It was then that Signor Nitti struck the desk with his fist, for 1t seemed marvellous indeed how sev- eraI thousand volunteers with rifles, machine guns, and bombs, could pro- ceed from Venice Or any other point, in Plume unknown to the military authorities. Signor Nitti demanded an explanation from both Ministers, and the Minister of the Navy sat down to write a telegram to Fiume ordering D'Annunzio and his legion to be stopped.
 The intention of D'Annunzio and his volunteers was to occupy the city and the port of Plume and to proclaim its annexation to the moth CT country in anticipation, or possibly in defiance, of the decrees of the Paris Conference. An act which the Feaiian Government despite the wishes of the entire nation, had not dared to do, was thus plished py. D-Annunzio. D'Annunzio amour res his intention of sumTn oning tn e