The Washington times., 1911-02-17
ANNEXATION MOVE
DIES IN COMMITTED
Foreign Affairs Body Al
Presidents Suggestion
Kills Measures.

Acting on suggestions which; it is
, understood, came direct from the White
House, the House Committee on For
eign Affairs held a surriedly called
meeting this morning and, by a vote OF
the two resolutions introduced by Rep
resentative Bennett requesting that nC-
-gotiatons should be begun for the
annexation of Canada.
The ForeiSS Affairs Committee made
short work of the Bennett resolutions,
which, it had been feared by the fricn1s
of the Canadian reciprocity agreement,
might result in such alarm in England
and Canada as TO impede the progress
of the ratification OF the agreement by
the Canadian parliament. The Bennct
resolutions were referred to the COM
mittee yesterday afternoon. A call was
issued for an immediate meeting of the
committee, and this morning Chair
man Foster, Of the committee and Rep
rescntative Mccall. author of the re-
Ciprocity bill, were at the White Housc.
1t is understood that President Taft
urged that in the interest of the agree
ment decisive action was necessary, ant
that the possible disastrous effects o.
the resolutions should be Immediately
nullified by a positive stand against all
annexation talk.
How They Voted.
Representative Bennett was the &only
member of the committee who voted
in favor of his resolutions. Those conf
mittee members opposing were: Chair
man Foster, Legare of South Carolina;
Cooper of Wisconsin; Cooper of Penn
sylvania: Ames of Massac husetts; Nc
Kinley of Illinois; Garner of Texas;
Flood of Virginia; Hitchcock of Ne
braska: Palmer of Pennsylvania.
Closely following as they did the casual
statement Of Champ Clark. who de-
Clared in speech that he favored an
nexation the resolution, it was feared,
would be likely 10 be misconstrued in
both Great Britain and Canada.
The Canadian press expressed great
alarm when Champ Clarks speech was
flashed over the wire. The White House
felt il necessary to issue a statement
declaring that annexation is not con-
templated, and Mr.. Clark, mindful of
the trouble lie had innocently brought
down upon a reciprocity measure Of
which he was a stanch supporter. made
II plain that he spoke only for Champ
Clark, and not the Democratic party.
The Introduction of formal resolu-
lions, however bode more misunder-
standings across the Canadian border,
and friends of reciprocity at the Capitol
feared that it would have this effect
when the Canadian parliament came to
ratify the reciprocity agreement.
That Mr.. Clark's prophecy and Mr..
Bennets resolutions already have had
effect is shown by a quotation from the
imperialist Evening Standard of London,
which saws:
I'VE need not suppose that Speaker
elect Clark and Representative William
S. Bennett have unfriendly sentiments to-
ward England. or propose to accomplish
their designs iIiegitimately.
But they were not joking when they
expressed annexation sentiments in the
American Congress. They were only
saying publicly what thousands Of
Americans have always been saying pri-
VatelY."
Fair Sample of Attitude.
The above is a fair sample of the at
titude of the Conservative press of Eng
land. The Liberal press seems to re-
gard the Bennett resolution more lightly,
declaring It a thinly yelled attempt to
defeat reciprocity.
The Morning Post and the Express
of London have Joined with the Stand
ard in exploiting in big headlines the
views of Mr.. Clark and Mr.. Bennett, and
are predicting that unless reciprocity is
defeated the empire will be dissolved.
Even the Liberal papers are inclined to
believe that if Mr.. Clark was in a half
humorous vein his remarks were ILL
timed. The Bennett resolution. however,
is regarded by them as a strategic move
TO possibly defeat legislation which Mr..
Bennett and many of his Republican COL
leagues did not favor.