THIS DAY IN 1918 IN THERECORD

Friday, May 24, 1918. The third anniversary of Italy’s declaration of war against Germany is celebrated with a parade and mass meeting in downtown Troy today, The Record reports. Italy had been allied with Germany and Austria when the world war broke out in the summer of 1914, but refused to join them in fighting Serbia, Russia, France, Belgium and Great Britain. More concerned with reclaiming historically Italian territory from the Austro-Hungarian empire, Italy turned on its erstwhile allies in May 1915. President Woodrow Wilson urged Americans to show solidarity with Italy by commemorating the anniversary. Thousands of people, including Italian-American societies from Cohoes, Green Island, Waterford and Watervliet take part in a demonstration ranked “among the most patriotic ever held in this city.” In the absence of Mayor Cornelius F. Burns, assistant corporation counsel John P. Judge addresses the crowd outside City Hall. After describing Italy’s achievements on the battlefield, he notes that “while Italian residents of this country have been unswerving in their loyalty, it would not be amiss to urge that every energy be expended to assist this country in its industrial and agricultural pursuits.” Representing Troy’s Italian-American community, attorney Phillip Cirillo states that “the Italian residents of this country are grateful to President Wilson and to the people of the nation for ar- ranging for the nationwide movement which would cement more firmly the friendly relations between Italy and the United States.” Professor Pasquale DiBiasi of New York City addresses the gathering in Italian, reading a message from the Roman Legion of America urging Italian-Americans to “fight the internal enemy here as strongly as the men at the front are fighting theirs.” Red Cross Campaign Today is also Industrial Day for the city’s $150,000 Red Cross fund drive. “The aim is to make every factory and business concern in the city 100 per cent patriotic by subscribing to the war fund, no matter how small the amount,” The Record explains. A business will be “100 per cent patriotic” when 100% of its employees contribute to the fund. Organizers hope to push Troy’s total over $100,000, as “it is expected that every concern will have the 100 per cent enrollment by to-night.” As part of the campaign, Troy’s movie theaters will donate 100% of the proceeds from next Sunday’s performances to the Red Cross fund. The Record reports that Mayor Burns has given theaters special permission to open next Sunday. Theaters actually have been running Sunday shows for months despite a state ban on movies during the Christian Sabbath, but the mayor’s permit will allow observant Christians to contribute with a clear conscience.