100 years ago in The Record

Wednesday, Dec. 4, 1918

Woodrow Wilson becomes the first President of the United States to travel to Europe when he departs for France today on board the U.S.S. George Washington.

The President will take part in an international peace conference alongside the heads of government of France, Great Britain and other allied nations. His departure has caused some controversy as critics question whether Wilson can continue to fulfill his presidential duties at such a great distance.

In Troy, the President’s departure is marked by the blowing of a presidential salute of 21 blows on the city fire alarm at 11 a.m. Mayor Cornelius F. Burns issues a proclamation noting that “When the President leaves the shores of American soil today for those of distant foreign country, he will, as has been pointed out in many quarters, be breaking precedent.”

The President has good reason to break precedent, Burns explains. Wilson “is proceeding to take part in a conference which concerns the destinies of the peoples and nations of the entire globe. The things for which America stands and has fought should be great – in fact the greatest – factor in the decisions of the peace table.

“As the representative of the American people at home and the exponent of American ideals abroad, I feel that we should bid him Godspeed and wish him success in his vital mission.”

New Armory Cost

A new Troy armory to replace the structure destroyed by fire in January 1917 will cost more than twice as much as originally planned, the county board of supervisors learns today.

Construction of the armory was delayed by the world war. The old facility on Ferry Street was the headquarters of the Second New York National Guard Infantry regiment, now the 105th U.S. Infantry stationed in France.

State officials originally planned to spend $300,000 on a new facility, but the original plans were woefully inadequate, according to Brigadier General F. DeForest Kemp. An armory accommodating at least 800 men, with a drill shed seating up to 10,000 people, will cost between $600,000 and $625,000, Kemp estimates. The revised plan will give the Collar City “as fine an armory as may be found in the state.”

Present to Answer Estimate Questions

In recent times Republican aldermen in Troy have demanded that department heads from Mayor Burns’s Democratic administration appear before them to explain specific items in the city’s tax budget.

While the common council can’t compel the department heads to appear, the public works commissioner, the city engineer and the water works superintendent surprise the aldermen by showing up at tonight’s meeting. The Republicans ask them nothing.

—Kevin Gilbert