Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-07-23
The Worlds Liberty Day"

The Worlds Liberty Day"
Official advices to the State De-
partment at Washington from Rome
show that the celebration Of Amer
ica's Independence Day = the Fourth
of July was almost as widespread
in Italy as in the United States. Spe-
cial demonstrations were held at
Rome. Naples, Florence, Bologna.
Turin, Genoa. Ancona, Palermo.
Catania, Perugia, Padua, Aquila, Mi
Ian and other cities.
Throughout these centers the or
ganization was official but the re-
Spouse was popular to significant
degree. Approximately 100000 en-
thusiastic people joined in the ce!e
bration at Rome and the spirit every
where was the tame. AS one Italian
put it: 'Italy's heart spoke to Amer
lea
Rome on the Fourth was a mass Of
red, white and blue. More than So
900 small flags were distributed by
boy scouts and even taAicabs and
The local celebration centered at the
Victor Emanuel monument which
Romans call The Altar Of the Coun-
try" A huge parade ended there and
the exercises were begun before q
crowd estimated at more than a
quarter of million people. One at
tractive feature Of the exercises was
the release Of se"eral hundred car
rier pigeons carrying Statutes 10
America"
Mayor Prince Colonna declared
that Italy honors in Rome the
glorious American Republic and the
celebration is worthy of this hour Of
victory. The cause of Italy is the
cause of America as it is the cause
of all mankind and Roman civiliza-
ton"
Il speak in the name Of the Ital-
ian government" said Minister Bis
so!ati. Right is for us more pre-
coUs than peace. We will go On
fighting for the right of peoples to
govern themselves and for the free
dom of all small nations. We VIII
SAT- IiiNt otti ItNtS' Jul III tdiiNo hiid
all that we possess to accomplish
s. h duty. and We are nroud that
the day has at last arrived when
America can give her blood for these
principles for which she was born.
At the moment of entering this ter
rible conflict and throwing their lives
, into this most terrific struggle the
20
their President, We're moved by the
same principles which brought this
nation also into life"
Here the minister turned to a
| group of Italian and American mu-
I tilated heroes who were participants
in the celebration. You wounded
and mutilated." he said wear the
uniform of the Army of the Stars
! and Stripes. Many of YOU are of
! Italian blood. You have come here
! to demonstrate your inextinguishabe
love for the Mother, also mutilated
like you. You can hardly imagine
the strength which will issue fro n
you t. our soldiers at the front. It
| is n strength which cannot be meas
ured against regiments and guns be
1 cause it is soul energy much more
/ to be feared by the enemy than even
territorial gains or the mass power
! Of regiments"
We have sent a million men and
| more to assist the nations struggling
! to throw off the blood thirsty Hun
and his menace to the future of Eu-
rope, but the coming of that million
! has added another million in courage
| and confidence to the fighting ability
of the armies sorely pressed six
mont-:s ago. And what is perhaps of
greater significance, it subtracts an
other million from the morale of
Prussianism's electives.
The remark of the Italian foreign
minister that, You can hardly mag
inc the strength which will issue
| from you to our soldiers at the
'front.'" has been voiced in other
words from France and England.
America has put an aim higher
even than self defense into the pur-
pose of those fighting Prussianism -
word liberty"