Date: August 1, 1924
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
I don’t think I can give you any information about the Republican position on the tariff, that is not contained in the Republican platform and in my message to Congress. I stated my position in my message, and the position of the party, which I think is entirely harmonious is in the platform.
I can’t make any further statement about Commissioner Lewis that that which I made the other day.
Here is an inquiry about Mr. Jackson, Commissioner of Markets, from Georgia. I do not recall that I ever heard of him.
I don’t know that any changes are contemplated, other changes, in the Tariff Commission; nor have I heard that Mr. Culbertson is to retire. He is not under consideration for the appointment to Mexico.
The Tariff Commission has made a report on the sugar schedule. It is a very long report and I haven’t had a chance to examine it. Judging from the size of it, I should think it will take some time for me to digest it, and I can’t tell when it will be possible for me to make a decision. About the other reports that have come to me about a disagreement in the Commission. I had understood that there was a division of opinion in relation to this report. If that is the case it would complicate the difficulties for me. I hadn’t thought of referring it to any other department, but I don’t know but that is a good suggestion. I always refer these reports to the Treasury Department, of course, before drawing and signing an order, in relation to a change in a schedule, to see that it is correct. I may have to call in the assistance of some other department in relation to the report of the Commission. That is something that hadn’t occurred to me until it was suggested by this inquiry. I haven’t read the statement of Senator La Follette.
Mr. Hodges never has conferred with me. I don’t think I ever saw him but once, and that was almost a year ago. My recollection is that he was in the city and called to pay his respects soon after I became President.
I don’t recall that Senator Smoot has had any particular conversation with me about the sugar schedules. He may have mentioned it incidentally some time. About that, I don’t recall. As I haven’t read the report of the Commission, I can’t give any information about it. I am not going to publish it at the present time.
In relation to the diplomatic intercourse with the Irish Free State, the State Department advised me some time ago that they had had an inquiry as to whether we would receive a Minister, I think it was, a diplomatic representative, of the Irish Free State, and of course we replied that we would. That is all that has ever been done about the matter. That would leave the situation so that it would be proper at any time for the Irish Free State to submit a name to us, asking if such a person would be acceptable. That has never been done, so we haven’t pursued the matter any further.
Mr. Warren has not tendered a specific resignation as Ambassador to Mexico. I think I understood and he understood, as a result of his talks with me here, and communications that have been passed between him and the State Department, that he is to retire at the present time, and I suppose the matter of tendering his formal resignation is just a matter of form. He is going to write it out and hand it to me. I know that is what he expects to do.
I don’t know when I shall be able to complete my notification address. I am working away at it. You gentlemen who write even more than I do know that when you are not obliged to get a copy ready for a certain edition, in writing a casual piece it is very hard to tell when it will be done. I want to get it done early to give you every possible advantage in its distribution.
I have quite a lot of inquiries here about the sugar schedule. I think I have covered all of those already.
I judge from such reports as have come to me from the State Department and from what I have seen in the press today that the conference at London is making satisfactory progress. They have difficult problems to solve, and I have thought that it wouldn’t be strange if it took some time to work out a solution and agree on a process of action. There are so many Governments and so many questions that, from the reports I have, I feel very much encouraged that they are going soon to secure a favorable outcome.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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