Date: January 8, 1931
Location: Northampton, MA
(Original document available here)
Germany has been regaining her place in the world with remarkable rapidity. While her large national expenses need reduction, all but reparations and interest on foreign loans go to her own people. Taxes are less than in England. Her merchant fleet and exports have risen to a high place.
Perhaps the best explanation of the World War was an eagerness in Europe to hurry progress. It led to universal tragic disaster. Contentment with normal development would have changed entirely the present world aspect. Germany especially would now be in an enviable position.
There are no short cuts in national life. If Germany will heed the lessons of the past and be content to work out her destiny by doing her best to meet her obligations, she will continue to grow in the estimation of the world and such sympathy and help as she needs will be forthcoming. To adopt some other course would endanger all the good opinion so laboriously gained since 1919. The responsible elements of her government appear to recognize this and are successfully striving to discharge national obligations. Their efforts are gaining the good will of other people.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge Says: Dispatches Written by Former-President Coolidge and Syndicated to Newspapers in 1930-1931 (Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation)
The Coolidge Foundation gratefully acknowledges the volunteer efforts of Greg Harkenrider who prepared this document for digital publication.