Date: March 23, 1926
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
Here is an inquiry that will probably be more or less chronic for the next few months, as to where I am going to spend the summer, and all I can say about that is that I haven’t made any plans at the present time. I indicated I think at a previous conference that I should like to spend the summer in the mountains somewhere, but no arrangements have yet been made and I have given the matter scarcely any consideration. If you will keep that in mind, perhaps it will enable you to answer some inquiries that may come to you especially from the press in distant parts of the country that are inquiring if there is any foundation for the rumor that I am going to spend the summer in that neighborhood. This inquiry is made in relation to an inquiry that asks if I am going to spend the summer in Wisconsin. I knew that some people up there were thinking of securing a place for a summer residence for the President. It is on the shore of one of the beautiful lakes of that State. Some of you went through the State last June with me on my trip through Milwaukee and up to the Twin Cities and will recall what a beautiful country it is through Wisconsin. It would certainly be a very pleasant place to spend the summer, but there have been no arrangements made in relation to it.
I have only seen a report in the press to the effect that there might be an invitation from the League of Nations that we should send some representative to discuss with them the matter of the reservations that were put on by the Senate in its ratification of the protocol of the Court. I don’t think any such invitation has come. If it does come, why of course it will be taken and considered then. I haven’t come to any final conclusion about it. The method that the State Department is adopting to deal with our entrance into the Court is that of sending a copy of the vote of the Senate to each interested nation and requesting them to send to the Department the note that is specified in the reservations signifying their consent to our adherence on the conditions that are expressed in the reservations. I think I saw in the morning press that one Nation , Cuba, had already sent in its note, and I presume that that would signify that other nations would be rapidly sending in their consent. I don’t know what would be in the mind of the League, but as the reservations undertake to emphasize especially the independence of the Court from the League, and perhaps strengthen it, I assume that perhaps the League thought that it was a matter that might interest them in some way and there has been a discussion as to whether they would hold a conference to consider it and have some one present representing this country to explain the reservations. So far as I can see at the present time, that would hardly be necessary. The reservations seem to speak for themselves and I think are quite plain. In general, they do emphasize, of course, the independence of the Court from the League. Our preparations are going on for attending the Preliminary Arms Conference. It is virtually decided that Ambassador Gibson will represent us there. He will have of course a military staff consisting of representatives of the Army and Navy. It is expected that General Smith will be his Army adviser and some one undoubtedly will be associated with him. That hasn’t been fully determined, though General Nolan has been spoken of. The General is now in Europe and it hasn’t been possible to make all the arrangements in relation to that. From the Navy it is expected that Admiral Jones and Admiral Long will serve. Now, both the Army representatives and the Navy representatives will undoubtedly take some subordinates with them. Who that would be, I don’t know, but those preparations are going forward and will probably be finished within a short time.
I want to express my gratitude to those of you who went up to Plymouth with me. It was a real satisfaction to have present those of you who had been so intimately associated with me here, and it was a real help to me in bearing the burdens that I had to bear there. I want especially to thank you for the many tributes that were paid on that occasion to my father. I am sure that he was worthy of all of them. It was a great satisfaction to see the appreciation in which he had come to be held by those of you that knew him and knew me, and especially the appreciation that was expressed in the many messages of condolence that came to me.
(The newspaper men were called in later and the President said:)
There was one slight matter that I forgot to mention. There are one or two bills pending in Congress relative to regional representation on the Interstate Commerce Commission. I appreciate the desire of different localities to have representation on that Commission, and while of course I can’t pledge the action of the reappointing power, when the time comes I do expect to give special attention to those regions that think they ought to have more representation than they have. There is the South, the Southwest and Pennsylvania, and I am very glad to assure the people in those localities that if occasion arises, whether there is any law passed or not, I shall give every attention and consideration that I can to securing representation for those localities on the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper CorrespondentsÂ
The Coolidge Foundation gratefully acknowledges the volunteer efforts of John Sullivan III who prepared this document for digital publication.