Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/150

 On March 4, 1898, Pres-i-dent McKin-ley took his seat as head of the land. The next year, 1898, came the war with Spain.

Cu-ba, an isle near the U-ni-ted States, felt that she must be free from Spain whose yoke had been a hard one for years and years. The Cu-bans had been kept down and large sums ground out of them and sent to Spain while there was great need of funds right in their own isle.

The U-ni-ted States thought it a shame for poor Cu-ba to have so hard a time, and some said we ought to make Spain let Cu-ba go free. There was much talk back and forth.

Just then a shock came. One of our fine ships of war, the Maine, which had been sent to Ha-va-na as a guard to A-mer-i-cans who were there, was blown up in the night of Feb. 15, 1898. Of the men on board, 259 lost their lives.

To be sure that the ship was not blown up by chance, men were sent to find out, and all went to show that it had been done from the out-side.

"This means war!" was heard on all sides. The Pres- i-dent then made it plain that this land was in no shape to wage war on e'en such a na-tion as Spain was. Then a great sum was put in the Chief's hands. Our whole land stood as one in this. The trust in Will-iam McKin-ley was such that the whole North, South, East and West said, "He knows what to do." "We will do what he asks us to."

The Pres-i-dent made a call for troops. They came at his word. Soon it was march, drill, and train for the work they had to do.