Date: July 29, 1924
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
I don’t know as I could add anything to the sum of human knowledge by discussing my first year in the White House, and I don’t know as I would be a very good judge of what would be considered as the outstanding feature. There are so many things that might be said about it, so many different ways of looking at it. I don’t know what you would call the outstanding feature. I suppose it is my nomination for the Presidency, if you want to talk about political matters, and considering what the question refers to. Whether my work here has made any difference in the sentiment of the country would be something about which you could judge better than I, as you were more in touch with it before I came here.
There wasn’t anything said in the Cabinet meeting about the place to which the men who are flying around the world should finish their flight. They started from some place in California. I have received some suggestion that they might finish in Seattle. But that is a matter that is under the direction of the War Department, and I suppose they know what would probably contribute most to the object that they are seeking. As a matter of course, I am sure that whether it is one state or another, one city or another, the flight would please all of them. This is a matter undertaken to demonstrate certain things, and it would be natural for the Department to choose the place that would make the largest contribution to the end sought. I don’t know where they are proposing to have the flight end.
I haven’t anything further to say about the Defense Day, or Inspection Day, as I thought it might be called, other than what I tried to make plain in my letter the other day. I did that as well as I could. But perhaps I took up a little too much space in discussing it. I think every important element that occurred to me was set out there. I couldn’t make any statement about the new Ambassador to Mexico, of course, until several necessary things have taken place. First, the person would have to be picked out. It is necessary, as you know, to make inquiries of the Senators from the state where that person might live, or lived, in a state represented by Republican Senators, and the person himself would have to be consulted to see if he is willing to accept the position. And lastly, the important thing, the custom requires that we should inquire of the country where it is proposed to send a representative whether the person we have in mind will be acceptable. It oftentimes happens that a man of highest integrity, character, and reputation in this country, might for some particular reason not be acceptable to another country. Naturally, if we should begin to make announcements that someone has been selected, and we hadn’t first made inquiry of the country, it might result in considerable embarrassment, so that we can’t give out suggestions about positions in the foreign countries until all of those inquires have been made and determined.
I haven’t any plan about what I shall do after the notification exercises – for the period after that. I shall have to wait and see what develops. I shall watch with my usual interest to see what you do after that. On that I may base my subsequent determination of what it is necessary for me to do. However, I don’t look on that with any apprehension, and I shall hope very much to thank you. I hope that I am not remiss, however, in feeling appreciation for those who have been solicitous for my welfare, and who have exhibited kindness toward me. This brings to my attention the great kindness that I had from those who perform the White House Press Association duties, and their associates. Perhaps this is a good time to express the appreciation that I feel for the great kindness you have always exhibited towards me.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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