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Show !U. S. TROOPS WILL SOON BEIN ITALY NEW YORK. May 24. Secretar "f ;u BakeT announced in an address here tonight in celobration of Italy day that Ame.it an infantry, American machine gun units and American artillery ar-tillery soon would he lU'hllnq shoulder-to shoulder-to shoulder with the Italians on their front. The feature of New York's celebration celebra-tion of Italy day was a meeting to-nlKhlt to-nlKhlt at the Metropolitan opera liou.se at Which the chief speakers were Sec retary of War Daker; Count V. Macchl dl Cellere, the Italian ambassador, and Charles E. Hughes, president of the Italy - American society, which arranged ar-ranged the nation-wide demonstration) to mark thy third anniversary of ; Italy's entrance into the war. There was greiit applause when a letter from President Wilson was read j expressing his admiration for Italy. 'Colonel Theodore Roosevelt also paid "homage to the Italian nation and to the Italian army tor their brilliant and he rote record for the last three years." I in a letter read at the meeting. President Wilson expressed his re- jgiet at beini: unable to voice in per- ( son his "admiration for the great Italian Ital-ian people who are engaged with us In the great struggle now going forward for-ward for securing the rights of free men." I At the clo.se of the meeting a group of young Italians presented tto Secretary Secre-tary Baker an American flag which he announced he would place personal!) "in the hands ol the Ha;-: heareis oi the first mill tar J contingent of the United States whloh leaves in join the Italian armv on the Italian front." Recent reporls Irom Rome have quoted Kirm Victor Emmanuel as expressing ex-pressing a desire to see American soldiers sol-diers on the Italian front and it has be ii well known ihat Italy as a whole would welcome American fighting forces. Official announcement, however, how-ever, was not niven until tonight by the war department that the L tilted Si .1 !. s would meet i h i wish It is piesuuied thai word ol the proposed action was withheld to form a fitting climax lor the Italy day celebration when the people of Italy and the United Stales pledged faith one to the other. |