The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-16
Allusion To Union With Canada Causes World
 Wide Excitement
TAFT ASTONISHED AT
 WHAT CLARK SAID
Underwood and Other Democrats Know That Clark Spoke in Hu- morous Vein an dIs Will
 fully Misinterpreted

the democratic Speaker-to-be, made in the House yesterday during the debate on the Canadian reciprocity agreement to the effect that he believed the stars and stripes would one day float over the entire western hemisphere, stirred up most unexpected trouble today. Pres ident Taft took occasion to write to Representative Mccall, introducer oR and deprecating the annexation talk and to follow it with personal remarks to visitors even more emphatic.
 The news that MT. Clark's allusions had created excitement in Canada and in England occasioned great surprise and considerable amusement at the cap ital. The man most surprised of all was MT. Clark himself.
 Was Not Serious
 MT. Clarks entire speech on reciproci- ty yesterday was delivered in a half humorous, half-taunting vein. The house was In gale of laughter mos of the time. In return for the laughs he was creating at their expense some of the republicans tried to turn tables cii MI. Sieih pJ ShiuAh5 hiii "ith ehN fact that he might have President Taft as an opponent for the democratic nomination This humorous exchange reflected the spirit of the debate dur ing the entire time MT. Clark was on his feet and no one gave serious considera- tion to his remarks regarding the pos sible annexation of Canada at some distant time. They regarded his state ments in the nature of a compliment to the Canadian people in that he would be glad to see the Friendship that ex ists at the present between the Cana dians and the people of the United States so ripened in the future that all might some day be under one flag.
 There was further touch of faceti- ousness to the debate vixen one of ths repub f1sans asked sfr, Clark If he would like to be the first president of the magnificent union he was creating, and he replied amid a burst of laughter that he certainly would.
 Excitement Abroad
 The excitement abroad was attributed at the capitol today in part to the fact that number of English and Cana dian newspaper correspondents were in the press gallery following the debate when MT. Clark spoke.
 His remarks may have appealed tc them as the most important feature of the story and have been cabled accord ingly. In "skeletonizing' his remarks for cable purposes, the semi humorous character of the debate probably was entirely lost sight of
 Friends of the reciprocity measure
 nyt ,ad to fo opponents of the agreement had simp- ly seized upon what was regarded here as an entirely personal and harmless statement to make capital against the ratification of the agreement
 A declaration similar to that made by MT. sClark was contained in the opening speech last Monday in favor of the reciprocity bill in the house. de- livered by Representative Hill of Con- necticutt. a member of the ways and means committee. This speech widely reported in the American newspapers caused not a ripple so far as It's an- nexation sentiments were concerned. MT. Hill also quoted from a speech made a few years ago by Speaker Can non in which he not only took Canada in under the American flag, but pro- posed to make the entire western hem isphere into one country.
 OTQerWOOQ l'leaSe0
 Democratic leaders were pleased to- day over the passage of the Mccall bill. Representative Underwood of Ala bama, minority leader. MT. Clark's chief lieutenant. and the chairman of the ways and means committee of the next Congress, said he regarded the action of the House as in every way helpful to the democrats. that it marked the beginning of the end of high protec- tion and foreshadowed a democratic victory in the national elections in 1912 He said the republicans, by their vote, showed that they were as bad ly split up as the democrats were In the last session of Congress during the Cleveland administrations
 Speaker Cannon, Republican Whip Dwight, Chairman Dalzell of the rules committee and other leaders of the republican party in the House were among those who stool out against the administration programme and the democratic members figured that this split in the ranks augured we'll for democratic success.
 President Taft today. to some of his congressional callers. expressed aston ishment that Representative Clark should have injected into the reel procity treaty in the House yesterday any thought about the annexation of Canada The White House is said to regard the remarks of Mir. Clark as most unfortunate and the President has made 1t known that he would like to have 1t understood throughout the world that his administration had no thought whatever of annexation when the reciprocity was arranged.
 In reply to Representative Clarke's statements, President Taft sent a letter today to Representative Mccall of Massa- chusetts. whose name the reciprocity bh, bears, declaring that Canada is now and will remain a political unit" The letter in full follows:
 4 Taft,s Letter
 1T, write to congratulate you sincerely upon the passage through the House of the Mccall bill enacting into legislation the reciprocity agreement with Canada sincerely hope that it will pass the Senate and become a part of our statutes
 This agreement, if 1t becomes a law. has no political significance. No thought of future political annexation or union was in the mind of the negotators on either side. Canada Is now and will re- main political unit.
 ''I am very sure that if this agreement becomes law 1t will 'inure to the great social and economic benefit of both coun- tries.' ,1s
 The President. 1t is said. is hopeful that the people of this country, Canada and Great Britain will look upon tho