in common.

The people of Italy demanded that she throw her military as well as her
moral support to the Allies. The matter had been threshed out in the
Chamber of Deputies. Wild anti-German and anti-Austrian demonstrations
were almost daily occurrences in the streets of Rome and other of the
larger Italian cities. The people wanted war. Here was the one country of
all the powers engaged in the mighty conflict that could truthfully say:
"This is a popular war."

At the instigation of the Kaiser, Austria had agreed to make many
concessions to Italy in return for her neutrality. She agreed to almost
anything. But the Italian government was not fooled. Austria would yield
anything at the present time, and then, with the aid of her powerful
ally, Germany, at the close of the war, take it away from Italy again.

So the Italian people and the Italian government decided upon war on the
side of the Allies. Millions of trained fighting men, fresh from the
rigors of the recent Turkish war, were ready to take the field at almost
a moment's notice. The reserves had already been ordered to the colors.
The Italian fleet was ready for action.

There was now no question that Italy would enter the war. The chief topic
of interest was as to where she would strike first. Would she send an
army to join the French and British troops recently landed on the
Gallipoli peninsula and a portion of her fleet to help force the
Dardanelles, or would she strike first at Austria, and if so, would the
first blow be delivered by her fleet in the Adriatic, or to the north,
upon the border, and through the Alps?