It is necessary to bring about, with no delay and very discreetly, the
dispatch of messages to the Prime Minister Nitti and to the Minister of
Foreign Affairs Tittoni from the mayor, from societies, etc., of this
garrison, expressing the people's keen desire to be annexed to Italy.
A copy of said telegram should be transmitted to me.
THE MAJOR: THE MAJOR-GENERAL:
FORESI. SQUILLACE.
To return to the events at Blato--while we were waiting for the
Yugoslavs a woman made her way as far as the corridor, flung herself
down on her knees and entreated us to protect her. Major Verdinois gave
us his word of honour that no Yugoslav with whom we spoke would, for
that reason, be arrested. Perhaps he was overruled by his superior
officers--at all events he arrested and deported to Italy, in the night
of June 19, no less than ten persons, that is, all the Yugoslavs who
spoke to us at Blato, with two exceptions. [We cabled this to the Paris
Conference, and after some delay the unfortunate men were repatriated.]