GENERAL ORDERED BACK.

Gen Pittaluga then courteously took leave of Col D’annunzio. Gen Castelli, commander of the Brigade Regina, came for orders, saying his troops were tired. Measures were taken for sending some of the troops to occupy the line of the armistice. The news that Gen Robilant was coming to persuade the troops to return to their respective camps created great excitement. Robilant is a general who was on the committee of inquiry into the incidents of Fiume, and is unpopular in consequence of his having signed the report of the committee which is understood to have been unfavourable to Fiume. But Gen Robilant halted at the line of the armistice. A small detachment of Arditi was sent to meet him, and tell him he had better return to Trieste. Gen Robilant, seeing his task was impossible, returned to Trieste in a motorcar. But Brig-gen Anfossi, commander of the Brigade of Grenadiers, was allowed to enter the city. He came to persuade his men to return to their camp at Ronchi. Only four men offered to return. All the others gathered around Maj Reina and declared that they would not leave till the annexation of Fiume was announced. He was followed by Gen Zotti, commander of the Arditi, who had no better success. Both returned to Trieste to report their failure. During the night, the commander of the battleship Dante Alighieri tried to leave with his ship. The bells of all the churches and the whistles in the port gave the alarm, and the people all rushed out. D’annunzio appeared and harangued the sailors, and the ship was unable to leave. In the morning the city council met and solemnly appointed D’annunzio commander of the town. After the departure of Gen Pittaluga, orders for maintaining strict discipline in the town were taken, and the task was an easy one, the soldiers being all animated with the most patriotic feeling, and the citizens being in harmony with them. On Saturday, a British officer went to D’annunzio, declaring that the British troops could not remain constantly in their barracks. D’annunzio replied: “But who asks them? We are all friends. You are free to leave, and if you go, I wish that military honours should be given to your gallant troops.” During the night a British lieutenant came to say that the British troops would leave at six in the morning. D’annunzio, in bed overcome with fatigue, sent word to beg him to put off the departure for three hours, so that the city had time to make a friendly demonstration of sympathy. Word came back from the British commander saying the hour could not be delayed. D’annunzio sent word regretting that he was ill with fatigue. In his place he sent an officer of Arditi, with an entire battalion, to render military honours.