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Show AMERICAN TROOPS WILL GO TO ITALY PRESIDENT MEETS THE DESIRE OF ITALIAN KING AND WILL SEND MORE MEN OVER. Red Cross, Y. M. C. A. and Staff of Experts Already on the Ground to be Followed by Infantry, Machine Gun Units and Artillery. New York. Secretary of War Baker announced in an address here Friday night in celebration of Italy day, that American infantry, American machine gun units and American artillery soon would be fighting shoulder to shoulder wilh the Italians on their front. Recent reports from Home have quoted King Victor Emmanuel as expressing ex-pressing a desire to see American soldiers sol-diers on the Italian front, and it has been well known that Italy, as a whole, would welcome American fighting forces. Official announcement, however, how-ever, was not given until Friday by the war department that the United States would meet this wish. It is presumed that word of the proposed action was withheld to form a fitting climax for the Italy day celebration, when the people of Italy and the United Unit-ed States pledged faith one to the other. In referring to the intention of the United States government to send part of its fighting forces to Italy. Mr. Baker Ba-ker said that there were already in Italy representatives of America. "The Bed Cross is there," he said "carrying the message of our heart and hand to Italy. The Young Men's Christian association is extending its work there, and the American army is already represented in Italy by a large and important staff of experts who are studying Italian methods of warfare, war-fare, and we have sent to Italy a substantial sub-stantial number of our army's sanitary corps, so that we have doctors and nurses of the American army already there. "But I see. and in the no distant future, American infantry, American machine gun units and American artillery ar-tillery shoulder to shoulder with the Italians on their front line." |