Norwich bulletin., 1911-02-16
One Flag over
 Our Hemisphere
CHAMP cLARK,s WORDS PRO-
 DucED WIDE EFFECT.
EXCITEMENT ABROAD
Speaker to-Hs Made AIlusion in Semi
 JoouIar Mood-Tempsst in . Teapot
 Pres. Taft DiscIsims Annexation

Washington, Feb. 15.-The semi- -jo- cular remarks which Champ Clark, the democratic speaker to-be, made in the house yesterday during the de- bate on the Canadian reciprocity agreement, to the effect that he be- lieved the stars and stripes would one day float over the entire western hem isphere, stirred up much unexepected trouble today. President Taft took oc- casion ot write to Representative Me- Call, who introduced the reciprocity bill, a letter disclaiming and deprecat- ing the annexation talk, and he fol- lowed it up with remarks even more emphatic to his visitors.
 Mr. Clark Most Amused Man. (.
 The news that MT Clark's allusions created excitement in Canada and in England occasfoned great surprise and considerable amusement at the capitol The most surprised man of all was MT. Clark himself.
 Mir. Clark's entire speSch on reci- procity yesterday was delivered in a half humorous, half-taunting vein. The house was in a gale of laughter most of the time. In return for the laughs he was causing at their ex- pense. some of the republicans tried to turn tables on Mir. Clark by chiding him with the fact that he might have President Taft as an opponent for the democratic nomination.
 Annexation Not Taken Seriously.
 This humorous exchange reflected the spirit of the debate during the entire time MT. Clark was on his feet, and no one gave serious consideration to his remarks regarding the possible annexation of Canada at some dis tant time. His colleagues regarded his statements in the nature of a com pliment to the Canadian people, in that he would be glad to see the friendship that exists at present between the Canadians and the people of the Unit ed States so ripen in the future that all might some day be under one flag
 There was further touch of face tiousness in the debate when one of the republicans asked MT. Clark if he would like to be the first president of the magnificent union he was creat- ing. and he replied; amid a burst of laughter, that he certainly would. Foreign Press Correspondents Failed
 to Sec Joke.
 The excitement abroad was attrib4 nted at the capitol today partly to the Canadian newspaper eorras pondents were in the press gallery during the debate. Mr. Clark's remarks may have appealed to them as the most import ant feature of the proceedings and may have been cabled accordingly. In 'sskeletonizing'' his statements for ca ble purposes, the semi humorous char : acter of the debate was probably en- tirely lost sight of.
 Political Move by Opponents.
 Friends of the reciprocity measure were inclined to take the view that opponents of the agreement simply seized upon what was regarded here as an entirely personal and harmless statement to make capital of against the ratification of the agreement.
 A declaration similar to that made by MT. Clark was contained in the opening speech last Monday in favor of the reciprocity bill, in the house, delivered by Representative Hill of Connecticut, a member of the ways and means committee, and member of the administration party. This speech, widely reported in the Ameri- can papers, caused not ripple so far as it's annexation sentiments were concerned. MT. Hill also quoted from a speech made a few years ago by Speaker Cannon, in which he not only took Canada in under the American flag. but proposed to make the entire western hemisphere one country.