1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Salandra, Antonio

SALANDRA, ANTONIO (1853–), Italian statesman, was born at Troia in 1853. He first entered parliament as member for Lucera and from the beginning of his political career he sympathized with the views of Baron Sonnino. When the latter became Treasury Minister in the Crispi Cabinet of 1893, Salandra was chosen under-secretary in that department. He was Minister of Finance in the first Sonnino Cabinet of 1906 and Treasury Minister in the second (1909–10). When in March 1914 Sig. Giolitti resigned, Sig. Salandra was called upon to form the new Cabinet, and he was Premier when the World War broke out in Aug. following. On the death of the Marquis di San Giuliano in Oct. he offered the Foreign Office to his former chief, Baron Sonnino, who accepted it. It was the Salandra Cabinet which took the momentous decision of bringing Italy into the World War on the side of the Allies, and it conducted the Government of the country during the first months of the campaign more successfully than any of the succeeding war Cabinets. On resigning office in June 1916, he continued to support both the Boselli and the Orlando Cabinets. As professor of Constitutional Law in the university of Naples he published several important works on legal subjects, and translated Spencer's Principles of Sociology.