Date: May 2, 1924
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
There are several inquiries here about the National Convention. I haven’t any information that I can give out about that. I think the plans that were made yesterday by the Executive Committee or special committee at Cleveland (I guess it was the day before yesterday) have all been reported, and that is all the information I have.
I haven’t appointed any delegates yet to attend the Inter-American Electrical Communications Conference, which is to be held in Mexico City on the 27th of May. No appropriation has been made at the present time for expenses, but whether any appropriation is made or not I shall appoint someone under the Act that went through. I used to do that when I was Governor, and suggested to the appointees that there was no appropriation made, which meant that they would defray their own expenses. I haven’t any doubt that the many people who would be interested in a conference of this kind, and in the general development of electrical science, would be pleased to attend a conference on that basis.
I haven’t taken any action on the pension bill which is before me. I have been having it scheduled to see just what it does. I haven’t had a chance to look over the results of the studies that I have had made of it.
There wasn’t very much that came before the Cabinet meeting today, except the matter of quarantine that has been put on products in California. We are interested in undertaking to see if there isn’t some method through negotiation, by which we can open up a passageway for those products to market, either under the certificate of the Secretary of Agriculture or something of that kind.
The interview with General Dawes and Mr. Young and Mr. Robinson went along the lines that I indicated to you in my conference on Tuesday, in which I expressed my appreciation of the services they had rendered, and I was able to learn from them that they thought there was a good deal of hope for having their plan adopted by the nations that are interested.
The sodium nitrite report I think has come back to me with the suggestion from the Attorney General, but I haven’t had a chance to digest that yet, so that I can’t tell whether I shall make any proclamation changing the rate of duty on this commodity.
There hasn’t been any request, so far as I know, from the New England Textile Industry for a higher tariff on cotton goods. It may be that some request has been sent here which would, as a matter of course, go from here to the Tariff Commission. I don’t know of any such request coming in.
I don’t know of any decision to call off the around-the-world flight, because of the apparent loss of Major Martin. I assume that when that flight began it was known that dangers would be encountered, and because of the encountering of dangers perhaps the loss of one of the aviators. While that of course is most regrettable, I should not think that unless there is disclosed some serious obstacle to the continuance of the flight it would make any difference about the continuation of the rest of those engaged in this flight. I don’t know of any disclosures of that kind coming out of his loss.
There was perhaps no reason entertained for selecting Mr. Butler for presentation to the incoming National Committee as a proposal for the Chairmanship, other than that which was disclosed in the statement I made last night. Mr. Adams didn’t care to serve as Chairman of the incoming Committee.
Mr. President, would you permit a question as to whether you have anything to report on the Japanese affair?
I haven’t anything to report. I think I made my statement very clear about that the other day, that I was in favor of exclusion, but was trying to accomplish it in a way that wouldn’t give any unnecessary offense. I am trying to provide for it in the most courteous manner possible. I don’t doubt there will be an exclusion bill. What we want to do is to accomplish it in a way that will cause the least possible offense.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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