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Show ITALY FORMALLY DECLARES WAR KING SIGNS DECREE WHICH BRINGS THE ELEVENTH NATION INTO WORLD WAR. All Austrian and German Ships In Italian Harbors Have Been Ordered Confiscated by Royal Deoree. Clash on Frontier. Rome. Italy has formally declared war against Austria-Hungary. The decree de-cree which brings the eleventh nation into the war was signed by King Victor Vic-tor Emmanuel at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon, af-ternoon, May 23. A declaration of war by Germany against Italy is expected. ex-pected. Baron von Macchio, the Austrian ambassador was handed his passport. The Due d'Avarna, Italian ambassador at Vienna, has been recalled. Prince ron Buelow has been ordered by Chancellor Chan-cellor von Bethmaun-Holhveg to leave Italy immediately, as Germany has decided de-cided to support her ally, Austria. The first clash between Italian and Austrian troops occurred at Forcel-lini Forcel-lini di Montozzo soon after the declaration decla-ration of hostilities had been signed. An Austrian patrol crossed the border in a pass between Pont di Lego and Pejo and was driven back by Italian Alpine chasseurs with slight losses. All Austrian and German ships in Italian harbors have been ordered con. flscated by a roylU decree issued Sun day. Immense bodies of troops are massed on both sides of the border. It is reported here that 800,000 Aus-tro Aus-tro Germans are concentrated and ready to cross the frontier. An enemy torpedo fleet is erasing off Cattaro. More than 3,000,000 men fully equipped with arms and ammunition, it is expected, will be put into the Held within a month. Because of the work of preparation that has been going go-ing on for the past few weeks, mobilization mobi-lization is going forward rapidly. The regimental depots have been crowded since Sunday - morning by reservists who have been expecting a call to arms since Thursday. The calmness and cheerfulness of the reservists and their famileis completely belie the temperamental excitement which is supposed to be an Italian characteristic characteris-tic and affords proof of the popularity of the war spirit. The entrance of Italy into the world war which began last August brings the number of states engaged in the conflict up to eleven. Italy, allied with Germany and Austria-Hungary since 1882 in the triple alliance, was called upon last summer shortly after the assassination of the Austrian crown prince at Sarapevo, Bosnia, to support the Germanic empires. She declined and there began a series of diplomatic diploma-tic negotiations which soon resolved themselves into efforts on the part of Germany and Austria-Hungary to induce in-duce Italy to remain neutral. So far as known the Italian fleet is mostly in the Adriatic, under the com-mand com-mand of the duke of Abruzzi, who is known to many Americans through his visits to the United States some ten years ago. It is generally believed that the fleet will proceed promptly against the naval strength of Austria in these waters. One great purpose of Italy in entering enter-ing the war is to gain possession of "unredeemed Italy," a sweep of Austrian Aus-trian territory to the north and east near the head of the Adriatic sea. This region, which includes Trent and Trieste, is Italian in all but nationality. nationali-ty. To attain it has long beei her cherished ambition. Italy's total war strength, including resources of all kinds, is figured at about 4,000.000 men. |