Date: May 5, 1925
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
I don’t know of any special comment that I can make on the speech of Ambassador Houghton. Of course it is made on his own responsibility and I hope it will be helpful to the situation, both in Europe and in this country, as an interpretation of what our country is trying to do and what Europe may expect, and what we hope may be accomplished over there. I should think the situation in Europe, so far as the encouragement of making private loans by American bankers is concerned, is somewhat improving. The English appear to be going back onto the gold standard, probably accompanied by Holland. Financially that would be a stabilization of currency and exchange, though when it comes to making loans generally in Europe, of course it would have to be done with discretion. Some countries could be helped that way and others it might be doubtful about.
I am not planning to leave Washington on any occasion that I know of, other than the trip to St. Paul before I try to get away for a short vacation.
I don’t believe that I had better make any comment on the result of the recent German election. Unless I wanted to go into a very long and detailed explanation, there would be very grave danger that any comment I might make would be misapprehended.
I haven’t made any appointments yet of the Commissioners or the Commissioner General who serve as representatives of our country in the Spanish Exposition, which is to be held at Seville. One of the reasons is that where there has been a law passed authorizing the appointments and providing for an appropriation, no appropriation was made. There is no money with which to act at the present time. I am not certain, but I presume that would make it necessary to wait until next December when the Congress reconvenes and then make an appropriation, though I may pick out some men and hand them in before that time, in order that they may be ready to take action right away when the money becomes available.
Of course I should like very much to have the original Wright airplane left in this country as a record of what Americans have done, though I realize that it is the property of Mr. Wright and he has a perfect right to put it anywhere that he thinks will be most agreeable to himself. While those original models are always of interest historically, the main thing of course is the developed plane. I have noticed, I think, in the Grand Central Station of New York some old models of engines, locomotives and cars. Those are interesting, but for the use of the present day, why we turn to the present development of the transportation industry, and of course we turn to that in the airplane industry. While it would be interesting and desirable to have this original model, here I don’t think it is of great importance.
No successor has been decided on yet for Solicitor General Beck.
I don’t think that the Secretary of Agriculture would submit to me any findings in the Armour-Morris merger case. I understand that is a matter that is entirely under his jurisdiction, under the statute, and I wouldn’t have any authority to act in relation to it. So that I suppose the matter will be left entirely to his Department. They have special counsel that have to advise him, so that I think he wouldn’t need to call on the Attorney General for any legal advice.
No person has been selected yet to succeed Dr. Culbertson on the Tariff Commission.
There hasn’t been any decision made in the New Jersey judgeship.
I don’t know as I can say anything about the prospect of rental conditions in the District, other than what has already been in the press. I talked the other day with Senator Ball about it, and the Chairman, Mr. Metzerott came in and discussed it with me. But the Chairman didn’t seem to have any new information, other than that he feared that there would be quite an increase in rents when the present Commission goes out of existence. I should very much regret having that occur. I had understood that the Real Estate Board here had provided a committee that was prepared to take such action as a voluntary committee could, to prevent anything of that kind.
That seems to cover the questions of the day.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper CorrespondentsÂ
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