Evening star., 1927-05-24

were still at peace with SPAN,
suddenly astounded the country
u and the whole world by unob-
trusively dropping on the clerks desk
a bill appropriating $50 100000 for ma
tional defense. The amount called for
was unprecedented. We We're on the
verge of war and every one knew the
bill was intended for Spain. 1t was
the first lightning flash.
What most astOnished the country
was that Mr. Cannon was known to
be against war. He was even called
a pacifst. For that matter, all the
House leaders, including Reed. and
the President himself were opposed
to war. Mr.. Cannon was chairman
of the appropriations committee and
held the purse strings of the Govern
ment. His reputation for holding
down expenses made his demand for
this enormous sum all the more SEN
sational.
The effect across the water was
electrical \ European alliance
against US was almost under way.
Austria had allowed it to be under
stood that in case Of war she would
side with Spain and that she would
have other allies. Her threatening at
titude was soon modified after Con
gress, in a whirl of enthusiasm, passed
the Cannon bill.
Country Expresses Wonder.
But the country still wondered. At
the very time when Mr.. Cannon thus
led America into Il defiance of Spain
and Austria, Gen. Woodford, our Min
lister in Madrid, was cabling the
President that the Spanish cabinet
was almost ready TO WELD TO the de-
mands of the Cuban insurgents for a
more liberal government, if not com
plete withdrawal from the island.
The favorite guess was that Mr.. Can
non was following the tactics he often
employed in playing poker-bluffing
on a pair of deuCes until he made his
opponent believe he held full house.
The press was perplexed and
rumors We're rife. Mr.. Cannon could
have cleared the mystery up, but he
maintained most eXasperating
silence. Outside of the members of
his committee he took no one into
his confidence. The day after the
bill was introduced it was passed by
the House. the next day it was passed
by the Senate, and that evening it
was signed by the President.
Tells Story Long After
Years afterward he told me the in
side story Of what happened on the
night of March g. 1898. the evening
before he fred what was really the
first gun in the war against Spain
In introducing that bill he consulted
nobody in the House, not even the
Speaker. The $50, 100000 he handed
Mckinley was something no Presi-
dent had ever been given before even
when war was imminent. and it was
given by a reputed pacifist, strictly
economical watchdog of the Treas
ury, House leader who, like the
other House leaders, saw no neces.
sity for war with Spain 1t heartened
the country. threw the fear of God
into Spain and paralyzed Austria.
Here is the inside story of that
momentous night as he told it to me:
1T was a grounding case. The
Government was being forced into
war. without power and shot enough
for the first round; an Army with
out proper equipment, and Navy
deficient in many things. Jingoism
was rampant. The war was not
forced by my bill bat was delayed a
little. Thousands of petitions came
to Congress demanding war. the an
nexation of Cuba, other dangerous
things. Mckinley did not want war.
Nor did Reed, the Speaker of the
House. Nearly all the leaders were
opposed to it, but there was an al
most Overwhelming sentiment for war
on the Republican side, and the ma
jority of the Democrats were equally
as strong for bunding Spain out of
Cuba and giving Cubans their indie
pendence.
Crisis Is Precipitated.
"'The destruction of the Maine pre-
cipitated matters. The President
knew war was inevitable, but we were
not prepared, and the President could
not get ready without an emergency
appropriation. The fact is this
country has never been ready for war
until war was upon us.
"On Sunday evening. March s,
President Mckinley sent me an urgent
message to come to the White House.
] went at once and was taken to the
library His greeting expressed his
apprehension. He began: Cannon, /
must have money to get ready for
- s-----------------.-------- -