Date: January 25, 1927
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
Our policy in respect to our citizens and their property in China is that which I have often outlined to the conference, of doing what we can to protect them. There are great difficulties because of the vast extent of territory and the fact that we have people who are located in many different parts of China. All we can do about it is to do the best we can. The American situation and that of Great Britain is quite different. They have concessions in China and we have not, so that their policy perhaps might be different from ours. We have at the present time some forces around Shanghai. It is there that there is located the principal number of our citizens in China. I think there are some 4,000 in Shanghai and those we shall attempt to do the best we can to protect from disorder and mob violence. A memorandum was handed to the Secretary of State not very long ago from the British and the Secretary has been considering making some statement that would more clearly define the policy of the United States relative to our treaty rights and so on in China. I think he may have such a memorandum ready within a day or two, so that you will have an authoritative and carefully prepared statement of the American position and policies. That hasn’t anything to do with protection of our citizens and their property that is located there, but it has to do with the other matters which are not in the memorandum that the British made.
There are no new developments, so far as I know, in Nicaragua or Mexico.
I haven’t decided on any one to fill the vacancy in the Interstate Commerce Commission. Now that Mr. Woods has been rejected I shall have to canvass the situation to see who I can find that would be suitable to fill that place.
And I would say the same about the People’s Counsel of the New Public Utilities Commission. I have withdrawn the name of Mr. Mallan and shall canvass that situation again to see if I can find a suitable person.
As it is probable that Mr. Kellogg, Secretary of State, will give out a memorandum within a day or two relative to China there isn’t any occasion for my making further comment about it.
It won’t be possible for Mrs. Coolidge and me to attend the dinner in honor of the 90th anniversary of the birth of Grover Cleveland on March 18th in New York. I suppose that is ex-President Cleveland. The name given here is Cleveland. I should be pleased if I could have such an opportunity. As I was growing up President Cleveland was the first President that I came to comprehend at all. Of course I could recall others. In my still younger days we were taught in the District Schools the name of the President of the United States, Governor of the State, and so on, so that I recall some earlier Presidents. He was the first one that I comprehended in relation to his office. The more experience I have had in public affairs, the more I have come to admire the strength and solidity of his character and the efficiency of his administration.
I have already spoken of the Interstate Commerce Commission and China.
I have a large number of inquiries this morning, but a great many of them are repeaters.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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