Date: January 29, 1926
Location: Washington, DC
(Original document available here)
I haven’t any information about the critics m that was made of the appointment of Judge Anderson in the Western Tennessee District, nor have I any information about the charges alleged to have been made against District Attorney Murray of that District. So I don’t know whether it is anything that requires investigation or not.
Here is a question about the action of the Farm Loan Board in relation to charging of 20 % annually of the value of farm property obtained through foreclosure of mortgages. I haven’t any information about that that has come from the Farm Board. I think I have had one or two letters from the West about it. I think the best way to get information about it is to apply directly to the Farm Board. They can tell you what their attitude is and the reason that they are taking action of this kind, if they are taking it, and the purpose they are serving and the result they expect to secure.
Mr. Warren, Charles B. Warren, of Michigan, was down here in order that the Secretary and myself might consult him about certain things that took place when he was one of the Commissioners or Ambassador to Mexico negotiating the agreement and trying to carry it into effect. The State Department secured considerable important information from him as to the details that are helpful to the State Department and to me in meeting certain questions that are arising relative to property in Mexico that is owned by American citizens.
I haven’t made up my mind just what broader powers ought to be given to the Governor General of the Philippines. I think he ought to have more complete authority over securing such assistants as he needs. He has great difficulty in getting proper assistants, because he can’t appoint men without the confirmation of the Senate, and that i s not given unless certain members of the Senate make the appointments, so that it has been necessary to send over various Army officers to assist him in carrying on his duties when he should be able to make civil appointments. Now just how that can be worked out to his advantage and the advantage of the Philippine situation, I don’t know, but it is quite evident that he ought to have more complete authority over appointing his own subordinates.
I wouldn’t be able to give an opinion that would be worth anything about traffic management here in Washington. It is a technical question that has to be passed on by experts. I think, as I indicated once before, when I go out I am almost always attended by a bicycle policeman so that I don’t have the ordinary difficulties that beset the public in general in traveling our streets.
The State Department will take whatever steps are necessary to secure the consent of the other nations to the reservations that have been made to our adherence to the protocol of the World Court. You will recall that the World Court is governed by a statute so-called, which statute is really the Constitution of the Court, and that statute was established by agreement between the different nations, and in order to have us become a party to the statute it will be necessary to have the consent of the other nations agreeing that we may become member of the World Court on the conditions that have been set out in the Senate reservations. So that the State Department will, either directory or indirectly, approach the other adherents to the protocal to secure the exchange of notes that is required in order that a condition may be created which I shall have authority as President to signify our adherence.
There are no developments that haven’t already been given to the public in the coal situation. The parties are in negotiation. Secretary Davis tells me that he hopes they will be able to secure an agreement.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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