Foreign News: Sutler's Salvage

• Share

U. S. passport holders living within the militia-guarded walls of the spacious, 40-roomed American Embassy in Madrid have eaten few delicacies during the last 15 months, but have nevertheless enjoyed an abundance of rich milk, fresh eggs, even non-rancid olive oil—items generally missing from the present Madrid cuisine. The American newsmen, Filipinos, Puerto Ricans now residents of the once ducal palace have to thank no U. S. diplomatic or consular representative for these wholesome victuals, but Captain Frank William Cannaday, a gloomy, stubborn Virginian who fought in the Spanish-American War and prospected for gold in Venezuela before becoming a poultry farmer on the Castilian plateau.

When the Madrid embassy was officially abandoned by the U. S. last Thanksgiving, no provision was made for feeding the remaining Americans. This job fell naturally to Captain Cannaday, who was acclaimed sutler by the beleaguered refugees. First measure of Farmer Cannaday was to accept a loan of eight full-uddered Hereford cows from a dairyman whose farm lay in the path of Generalissimo Franco's advancing legionnaires. Quartered in the embassy garage and pastured on its expansive lawn, the cows produced enough milk to supply the embassy's needs, plus some for bartering purposes with the otherwise well-supplied neighboring British Embassy. Cannaday's measure No. 2 was the purchase of ninety skins of olive oil from a man who feared confiscation by Spain's collectivist-bent Anarchists. Cannaday knew the promise of a few litres of this precious fluid would get action when money, pleading, pressure failed.

Meanwhile, Poultryman Cannaday's 1,700 Leghorns were producing their pre-rebellion quota of 80 doz. eggs daily, only production drop noted being just after an air raid when the hens were frightened. Anarchist collectivizers eyed the farm jealously once, but Cannaday remained unintimidated. Believer in the profit system, respecter of the law of supply & demand, he continued to sell his wares to hungry Madrileños, paying little heed to Leftist Spain's campaign to outlaw profiteering, fix prices.

Last week Government inspectors visited Frank Cannaday, discovered Madrilenos were paying him 75¢ (12 pesetas) a dozen for his eggs, told him the most he could lawfully receive was the official price of 20¢. Farmer Cannaday complained eggs cost 60¢ a dozen to produce because of scarcity of grain, that he considered 15$ a dozen reasonable profit. The Leftist Government's inspectors remained adamant and at latest dispatches U. S. Embassy residents quivered with anxiety as Sutler Cannaday threatened, "I'm going to liquidate this poultry farm! I'm going to sell my hens for a measly $1.50 in inflated pesetas each! I'm going to abandon chicken houses, laying racks, individual pens and equipment on which I've spent $10,000! Yes sir, I'm going to salvage what I can and clear out of Spain!"