the
measures which events impose upon it for the fulfillment of national
aspirations.

"His majesty, the King, declares that he considers himself from tomorrow
(May 24, 1915), in a state of war with Austria-Hungary."

Thus the ninety-sixth anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria, of
England, found eleven of the countries of Europe at war, their rulers
including three of her grandsons, two arrayed in a bitter struggle
against the third. The Triple Alliance on this date became the Quadruple
Alliance, when Italy joined the Allies. Austria was of course supported
by Germany. Italy was expected to put 3,000,000 men in the field. WHY
ITALY WANTED WAR

The reasons why Italy entered the great conflict were succinctly stated
on May 19 by Signor Enrico Corradini, nationalist leader, as follows:

"1. The necessity for Italy to take advantage of the present revolution
in European affairs to settle her national irredentist problem at the
expense of Austria. Our right to the Trentino, Trieste and Istria, now
held by Austria, is not questioned by reasonable people anywhere in
Europe.

"2. The necessity for Italy to arrive at a secure and definite
settlement of her military frontiers on the north and east.

"3. The necessity for Italy to create for herself by her intervention
a new moral and political position in the new European order of the
future, to replace that which she had, thanks to her alliance with the
central empires, a position which was liquidated at the outbreak of the
war.

"4. The necessity for Italy to contribute to repelling the danger of
a German hegemony which would flourish at the expense of the various
individual cultures and civilizations."

INVASION OF AUSTRIA

Italy promptly threw an army across the Austrian frontier and began
active operations in the direction of Trent and Trieste. The fortified
city of Luzerne soon fell into Italian hands and continued successes
marked the progress of the invaders all through the month of June.
The Austrian strategy at first appeared to provide for a series of
withdrawals after skirmishing; but late in the month a more determined
resistance developed, the defenses of the Austrian troops being
skilfully prepared. The loss of life during the month was comparatively
light on both sides, but on June 26 the Italians--already masters of
Plava on the left bank of the Isonzo river, and the heights dominating
that town--were massing heavy bodies of troops before Gorizia