Date: March 25, 1924
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
No further information has come to me about the McNary-Haugen Bill. I have some reports of experts – some on one side, and some on the other, some that I am waiting to come in.
I haven’t any information about the appointment of the former Governor of the Federal Reserve Board, W. G. P. Harding, with the League of Nations Commission No. 100. I don’t think that is anything that would come before the United States Government. It says here that it is possible he might decline the appointment, and whether in that case the name of Owen W. Boynton, or Frederick Delano, has been suggested. There has been no suggestion about any of this, so far as I know. I have seen some reports about Governor Harding in the press, but that matter is not a matter, so far as I know, that comes before our Government at all. I certainly haven’t any information about it.
I haven’t taken up with the State Department the matter of the appointment of a Mixed Claims Commission to determine claims between the U. S. and Austria and Hungary. Whether that is ripe for consideration is a matter about which I haven’t any information at the moment. I don’t recall ever having taken it up, though I don’t want to be too certain about that. It might have slipped my mind.
I have one or two inquiries about the amendment to the Naval Appropriations Bill for calling another Disarmament Conference to complete the work of the Washington Conference. Our Government has made no inquiries about that of foreign governments, so far as I know. I think I have stated once or twice my position about it. There were some things that our Government would we have been glad to do at the Washington Conference which we were unable to accomplish. It may be that there is an opportunity arising in the near future, though I don’t think it appears to be here at present, for taking up some of those questions and getting a solution to them. If that should appear to be the case, why it would be in order to consider it. My general opinion has been that in the present condition of Europe, it would not he of any use to approach them with any general suggestion about a disarmament conference, or a further disarmament conference, though I suppose everyone knows what the American position was and what the agenda proposed by the American Government required, and that some of those positions were not met, The American Government at the Present time I feel certain would be glad to have those positions met that were proposed at that time. I should think that the first thing to do would be to consider what would be the agenda at a conference of that kind. A general disarmament conference, I think would be hopeless of accomplishing very much at its very outset. Then there are other matters of consideration that might be taken up – undertaking to see what could be done about international laws, which our country had in mind for such a long time but on which it could not get any action.
J . Weston Allen of Massachusetts I suppose was in town on some Federal matters that he had. He dropped in to see me – a personal call.
I imagine the postmaster at Boston will be appointed very soon.
The Secretary of Agriculture reported at today’s Cabinet meeting that the foot and mouth disease had broken out afresh in one or two different places in California, and this would probably make necessary the expenditure of considerable money there to stamp it out. He thought it was under control in California and had lifted the embargo on transportation of cattle within the State. It has broken out in a rather disturbing fashion in counties at least some distance away from where it first broke out.
I don’t know who will have charge of the contempt proceedings in the case of Harry F. Sinclair. I suppose they will proceed in the usual way that those cases proceed. I don’t recall ever having noticed one of those cases before. I suppose the general way is to certify to the District Attorney of the District of Columbia, who then takes charge of it. I haven’t any definite knowledge about it.
Senator Lodge dropped in on his way up to the Capitol to confer about general legislative matters.
I don’t know as I can give much of any information about the tariff rate on sodium nitrate. There are some people interested in that, in the State of Washington, who called on me a day or two ago and I told them that I would be very glad to give them any possible assistance that I could. I think the difficulty has arisen from the fact that the Tariff Commission is unable to ascertain the cost of manufacture abroad. Manufacturers abroad have declined to permit them to inspect their works or plant, or whatever may be necessary, so that they find a great deal of difficulty in finding what the cost of production abroad and at home is. I believe a letter was left for me which I was to take up with the Tariff Commission.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
The Coolidge Foundation gratefully acknowledges the volunteer efforts of Tamara Harken who prepared this document for digital publication.