Date: August 24, 1926
Location: White Pine Camp – Paul Smiths, New York
(Original document available here)
I haven’t had any conference with any one concerning a choice of nominee for Governor of New York. I don’t expect to. I think they have a convention in New York for the purpose of nominating a Governor. I am perfectly willing to intrust whatever interest I might have in that nomination to the convention.
There isn’t any comment that I can make on a proposal for a bridge across the Lake, Lake Champlain, connecting Vermont and New York. I haven’t any information about it other than what might occur to any one, that it would be a convenience to travel and commerce to have such a bridge, but I haven’t any idea at all as to whether it is expedient, and not the slightest idea where it should be located.
I haven’t heard much of any comment from people that have come to see me concerning the tariff. I saw that Senator Capper thought that there was some desire on the part of agriculture to have higher duties on some agricultural products. I don’t recall that he talked with me about that.
I don’t think there is any foundation for any supposition that foreign countries will make a proposition for some kind of an economic trade in connection with our entrance into the World Court. I should suppose that question would be considered entirely on its merits. Any suggestion for a reduction of tariff or anything of that kind would be a suggestion that would have to be taken up and acted on by the Congress. I should think it would be entirely impracticable and I doubt if any informed authorities in Europe would think of making any such suggestion. There is a great deal of rumor and comment and supposition going about in the press, both of this country and Europe, unfounded and a good deal of it harmful in its effect upon the friendly relations of different countries. I sometimes wish the press would read that address I made when the National Press Club of Washington laid its cornerstone. I don’t know but it ought to be reiterated every day, in which I suggested that it was very harmful to the friendly relationship between countries to have unfounded reports in the press and that the press ought to exercise a great deal of care because it shares the responsibility with the Government in maintaining friendly relations. I don’t know of any way that that can be made plain except through the application of the Golden Rule. I know we don’t like to see unfounded criticism of our country in the foreign press, and it must be that they dislike to see unfounded criticism of themselves and their country in our press. There is a large field for candid discussion which is always helpful and educational, but unfounded rumors as to what this Government is going to do, or some other Government is going to do, usually results in misinformation and is a great deterrant to friendly relations.
Mr. Koenig who was here yesterday has had a good deal of experience in charitable work in New York. I was very much interested in inquiring of him about the general condition of work of that kind at this time. He says there is need of as much money now as there was in the past, because charitable relief costs more. The things that are to be provided require a larger outlay than they did in the past, on account of increased prices generally, but that the number of applications for relief is very much less than it has been in the past and the bad conditions that existed in some parts of – I speak now generally because of course he was talking of New York City and its environs, but I think the same is true over the country, the slum conditions that have existed in our large centers of population are gradually clearing up. That doesn’t mean that all of the old buildings have been eliminated, places that are very largely unfit for human habitation, but the overcrowding has been eliminated a great deal and that people who formerly were in a state of great distress in what was known as the slums are now able to get good wages and live under very much better conditions than they ever had before.
Mr. Lewisohn is stopping somewhere in the neighborhood. He is a personal friend that always comes to see me when he comes to Washington. He usually has lunch and he is coming up to lunch with me today with his son. I don’t understand that he has any Government or personal business – merely a call of friendship. I have a very high regard for him. He is a man of most estimable character, greatly interested in childrens’ welfare, has done a great deal for childrens’ hospitals and institutions that minister especially to orphan children. Of course he has been in his lifetime a man of very large business experience and still keeps it up, but I think is giving more and more attention to the charitable enterprises.
I want to talk with Martin Madden about the prospective budget. General Lord and I make up a budget, but we have to depend on Chairman Madden and the Congress to pass it, and it is because of Mr. Madden’s great force and his long study of the finances of the nation that we have been so successful in our experience under the budget.
Will Wood is another one of the leaders of the House that is coming to make me a visit. I don’t know that there is any special thing that we are going to discuss. I haven’t any in mind.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
The Coolidge Foundation gratefully acknowledges the volunteer efforts of John McLeod who prepared this document for digital publication.