The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-20
(Copyright.)
1Copyr1ght)
ma r PHoToR's back, sir" said
M the boy at the door.

M the boy at the door.
"rl1 see him." replied An
chester expectantly, pushing away from
his desk.
A weary man presently threw a bag
into one chair and himself into an
other
You saw the President2p inquired An
chester.
YES: I was at the White House this
morning"
There was a heavily charged silence.
Photor, desperately fatigued expressed
the failure of forlorn hope Anchesters
mind was busy with news of men who
wanted Photor's place and salary. HIS
voice was not pleasing when he leaned
his chin on one hand and said:
And you failedr'
MOP cried Photor, as II stung by that
scorn. "I didn't fail. He failed. Tho
President failed, that's all. lie failed TO
see our point. You can't move him. lie s
bound to declare war"
you failed!" Anchester repeated, as If
he had heard nothing you failed in the
greatest crisis in our history. Two days
ago I told you the United Trades had
pooled in an independent corporation, or
which 1 am the head; that Congress was
ready to declare war, but would follow
the President either way; that a war at
this time would act dangerously upon
the United's profits and that the only re-
suit of hercuean efforts In Congress had
been to pledge members to stand by the
President for peace or war, whichever he
chose. Then I sent you to see him to in
duce peace, and you have failed. l tell
you, Photor, we can't have a war. The
United is now the centre. The meat
trust, the utensel combine, the transpor-
tation pool the fuel federation, the Fed
GRAFTON OF Labor, the mine managers and
the machinery corporation, embracing ev-
Iwt... - In, ftnfo
countries, have pooled with us-with me
and I say we can't have a war-not
this year. I need time to get ready"
1.-The President is ready now" Photor
replied. HE will recommend war within
week. His mind is fixed and Congress
will follow him, no matter what we
spend"
Anchester glanced at his calendar
| clock.
"Photor." he said, drop Washington
! till further notice. I want you to take
that typewriter list I filed with the in
! tellgencer on Monday, and wire every
| man on 1t to be here tomorrow at 10
o'clock It's the new executive board, one
from every trust in the combine. Wire
| them all to be here at 10 o'clock tomor-
row.
| At 10 next day the board assembled.
| AT 12 one minutes following adjournment,
Anchester called for his car to be hooked
! on Lne w dSNluSlOn 1llllltu NlleH lie gut
aboard he was armed with full authority
to personally see the president and to
| force peace at any price, with the whole
| mass of units making up the United
Trades behind him. The president saw
| him. That almost disappointed Anches-
ter He was looking for trouble
1t was a queer pair they made standing
in the middle of the lofty room, the
young mans fate had burdened with the
! greatest public office in the world, and
the thick f1orid, bulldog head of the big
| gest corporation
Mr.. President" said Anchester, with.
out a particle of ceremony, I'VE can't
1 have "a war now"
who cant?" retorted the president
| with equal candor.
1--WE can't" replied Anchester, coming
to the point defiantly.
Every likely said the president "but
we cam"
| Anchester unbuttoned his coat and laid
| his hat on the table. Then, coming back
to where the president continued stand
| ing, he put both hands behind his back
and said smartly:
NOW, we've got down to business early.
1 The United Trades is against war. 1t will
i ruin this corporation, which employs two
million five hundred thousand men, two
thirds of whom have families. I'm the two
million five hundred thousandth man, and
a half of voters of this country, and
say to you we can't have war"
And t. replied the President, SAY we
shall have it. The final step is to be
taken within an hour"
You're a young fool" cried Anchester
recklessly. Don't think man in my po-
sition is going to be impressed by any
bluff of office or tradition. I'm not going
to see you send off fool message that
| will ruin plans I've been a whole life
! time in building. am I? No, sir; you're in
a hard place. but you've got to come up
to the dough dish with the rest of them,
and-and-well, l am here to say you
mustn't declare war"
| "War will be declared todayr' The
Presidents face was calm. He spoke
rapidly, but in a low voice. 1.-THE honor
of the country is at stake. To refuse to
| fight now would not only deprive us of
| valuable privileges in a quarter of the
world where American domination must
| be maintained at any cost, but would put
us back a hundred years in prestige and
the sort of power that makes govern
ment worth while. Besides, you have no
kind of right to come here with these
| threats, and 1 warn you"
| and | warn you" AnchesteI's voice
| broke in high and angry, that If you
think I've been making threats, you just
| listen to this: You're first in war, we'll
| III nfSl IN peace. L IN the master or nun
| dreds of thousands of votes, and l can
control 500 newspapers all over this coun-
| try. You declare war, and I'll play the
| highly moral game and tell the women
| of the United States you're going to rush
their sons and husbands and fathers to
death for the sake of some foolish, boyish
| idea of foreign policy I'll say you'll ruin
| the country with war debts andNfeyer and
all that sort of thing, and I'll send the
| best speechmakers and the cleverest writ
| ers, and more money than your treas
ury department has seen in six months to
rub that in and sandpaper 1t down until
women and children will be calling you a
murderer and thief and somebody with
| a liking for that kind of thing will shoot
you for a tyrant. That's what I'll do for
you, my young sir, If you dare declare
| war today!
| The president walked to the far end of
| the room and back before he replied:
! yet Congress will declare war today"
| Anchester's cheeks blazed redder than
| his round eyes
IF you're going to have a war, you
have 1t, d-n you, have it, have 1t, have
| it, But you start ii and I'll stop 1t in
| three weeks, and whip you like pup into
| the bargain. For you've got to fight me.
I've got an undivided surplus of a hun
| bred and five million dollars, and l can
raise a hundred million more by wire in
| ten minutes after l get back to my office
in New York OF the two and half mil