Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-15
White House View of Remarks
About Annexing Canada.
TAFT MAKES STATEMENT
Rebuke to Representative Found IN
Letter to Mr.. Mccall.
NO THOUGHT OF ANNEXATION
Secretary Knox Also Expected te
Take Matter Up in Speech at
Chicago Tonight.

President Taft today expressed to
few callers his astonishment that Champ
Clark should have injected the thought
OF annexation of Canada into discussion
of the Canadian reciprocity agreement.
The White House is said to regard the
remarks of Representative Clark as the
most unfortunate thing that has occur
red. and the President has taken steps
to let 1t be understood throughout the
world that his administration did not
have the idea of annexation in mind when
the agreement was arranged and signed
by the representatives of the two coun-
tries. The President is represented as
being exceedingly hopeful that this coun-
try. Canada and Great Britain will look
upon the speech of Mr.. Clark as the
opinion of one individual. who, in the
sentiments thus expressed, does not rep
resent the democratic party or any
other party in this country
President Hits Clark.
President Taft this afternoon wrote
IN important letter to Representative Nc
Call. In which he tersely. although in
directly, hits Representative Clark a
hard blow on the annexation question.
The letter is as follows:
February Is, 1911.
MY Dear Mr.. Mccall
Il 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 1T will pass the Sen
ate and become a part OF our statutes.
This agreement, II 1t becomes law.
has no political significance. No thought
Of future political annexation or union
was in the minds of the negotiators on
either side Canada is now and will re-
main political unit.
II am very sure that II this agreement
becomes q law It will inure to the great
sociai and economic benefit OF poth eouh-
tries.
WILLIAM H. TAFT.
Hon Samuel w. Mccall.
House of Representatives.
The administration attitude. already
outIined by the President in many
speeches. will be further defined in the
address to be made tonight at Chicago
hv Secretary Knox. Mr.. Knox has had
his attention called to the remarks or
the democratic leader in the House and
II In understood today that his speech
will take especial notice of this alleged
blunder in Congress.
Effect in England and Canada.
One senator at the White House today
openIy asserted that Mr.. Clark. profess
edIy friendly to reciprocity with Canada,
lad taken precisely the best step pos
sible to defeat ratification of the agree
ment. While the President and his friends
understand we'll that the speech OF Mr..
clark will have no effect on the final
results in the Senate. they realize that
English jingo newspapers, already start
ing a lingo campaign there, with the an
nexation bugaboo as the subject Will
laise a storm in the old country, thereby
causing terrific pressure to be brought
in Canada for the defeat Of the agree
ment
Mheu the agreement was signed here
tae understanding on the part of the
CONSERVATIVES of the United States was
that they would submit the agreement 70
ongress for ratification. while the rep
resentatives of the Canadian adminiStra-
on would do the same thing In the
Canadian parliament. There has never
been any doubt that the Canadian MN
lSteTs who backed the treaty would De
cble tc secure ratification by the cana
dian parliament. That ratification. how
cs,r. mas been delayed. pending action
by the American Congress The deiay
will be taken advantage OF Doth IN Eng
land and Canada. following the speech
of Mr.. Clark. according to administration
uninion today. 1t may even be possioie
,:,at unless the bad effects Of the speech
are cleared the agreement may be de-
f..oted in the Canadian parnamen..
But for the fact that Representative
t.lark is the leader of an important party,
and himself mentioned as the nominee OF
the democratic party next year, the au-
lninistration would not regard ms sus-
ion, uif g.
fIass IL does today. But Mr.. CLARK, 1t is
uointed out. is leader in the House, and
il will be impossible for the Enghsh ana
canadian people, not familiar with the
political situation in this country, to un-
derstand that his party has not acted
upon any suggestion of that kind and that
Mr.. Clark represents only himself
The possible harm done by Mr.. Clark
has determined President Taft today that
he will proceed with greater vigor than
heretofore in his campaign for ratification
Of the agreement. The speech of Mr..
Knox and other cabinet officers will be
followed by conferences with leaders OF
the Senate and further appeals to public
sentiment.
No Bluff in Extra Session.
President Taft. il was ascertained to-
day. has been fully informed that GER
tain elements in the Senate think he is
bluffing about an extra session, but il is
known beyond question that if opinion
in the Senate becomes extensive enough
10 threaten the defeat of the agreement
the President will come out in manner
that will shake things political He has
already prepared his plans he /.
merely awaiting further deveIo ents ir
the Senate He wants to find Il lit
tie more definitely the exact de o,
certain senators.
House republican leaders who were
forced TO a vote on the reciprocity agree
ment were told today. when they sug
gested that .he President ought TO pu
The question up TO the Senate the sam,
as to the House. that there need be n,
fears as to this-that the President Il
fully determined to have vote in th
Senate either I'm this session or a regular
session and that he will soon LET hi
determination be known in such a forci
BILE style as TO create a surprise, if not
nsation
Cotton Operator Brown Better.