Date: March 22, 1927
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
A group of American gentlemen have been approached with a view of their acting as our representatives at the Economic Conference. Some of them have not yet replied, so that I am not yet able to announce their names. I think an announcement may be made within a day or two. One or two of them have been away and have not been able to be reached.
I think we shall make an appointment very soon in the Western New York District of a United States District Judge. 1 had a letter from Judge Hazel recently stating that it was quite desirable that another judge should be appointed in that region. There are several names which have been presented for consideration. As soon as it can be determined which one of them seems to be the best the appointment will be made.
There isn’t any statement that I can make relative to any proposal of reciprocity with Canada. Such a proposal would only be made after carefully considering its details, which I haven’t been able to do.
There is nothing that I can add to the announcement that I understand has been made by the Department of State relative to the termination of a small treaty we had with Mexico covering the question of smuggling.
The Department of Interior and the Treasury have under consideration the matter of making the May and June pension payments. Nothing has been worked out yet that seems to be satisfactory. The question is still being studied to see if some method can not be reached for making those payments. Of course, it was only a short time ago that payments were made once in three months, and the interval in this case would only be three months, from the 4th of April to the 4th of July, at which date it seems to be clear that both the May and June payments could be added to those of the July payments. So that it really amounts to waiting from May 4th to July 4th. But if anything can be devised to obviate that period of two months waiting, it will be done.
I have had very little complaint about the abolition of some land offices that were made under the advice of the Interior Department, the reason being I think that it had been taken up as I understood and canvassed quite carefully with parties in interest before the abolition was made. It may be that there are one or two that it is proposed to abolish that will not be abolished, but I haven’t any final decision on that.
I doubt if I am going to be able to get away in the immediate future to go to Asheville or Florida, or any other place in the South. I have had some very hospitable invitations and offers of places to stay from several southern points. It doesn’t now seem probable that I shall be able to accept any of them.
I doubt very much if I can attend the opening of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on the 14th of May.
Question: When is that to be, Mr. President?
President: The 14th of May. I was up to Wilmington – no it wasn’t Wilmington that I visited, it was Trenton. I was up in that general vicinity a short time ago, so I doubt if I could go up there again so soon.
What I said about the appointment of a judge in Western New York would apply also to the appointment of a Judge in Maryland.
I have also had a number of invitations to go into the Northwest. Here is a specific one from the legislature of Washington suggesting that I go there in June to dedicate the State’s new $6,000,000 Capitol. I think it is very doubtful whether I shall go so far West as that. I do, as I have already indicated, want to get out West somewhere to spend some time during the summer. I have had many invitation s from practically all the states west and including Michigan, but I do not expect to go so far West as Washington.
Question: At no time during the summer, Mr. President?
President: I do not expect to go so far west as that. Touring the country doesn’t lend itself very well to my idea of a vacation.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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