Date: November 14, 1924
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
I don’t think I can make any statement as to what I shall advise the Congress as to foreign affairs at the coming session. I have constantly outlined my position on foreign affairs in my addresses. They are the same now as they have been. And I have to make the same apply in regard to what roll the Republican Party should play in political affairs. I haven’t seen any reason to change my opinion on the policies that I have outlined a good many times. The Republican Party can take up the questions as they arise and provide the best solution they can for the constantly increasing affairs of the American people. Of course I think the Party should always go forward. My position relative to the development of the St . Lawrence River I have also stated a number of times. The consideration of that matter is now in the hands, I think I might properly designate it, of a Joint Commission of Canadians and Americans. They haven’t yet made their report. I am not certain, but I think that there is nothing that can be done on this side until we made a treaty arrangement with the Canadian Government. I think this Commission is working on the necessary details for a plan of that kind.
I don’t know as I can say anything about the Child Labor Amendment than that which I have already said. I have favored its adoption. I have forgotten just how the Republican Platform treats it. I think that is the general meaning of the platform declaration.
General Turgeon of Buffalo came down to invite me to go to Buffalo to make a speech. I was sorry to have to tell him I couldn’t give him very much encouragement.
I have received, I think, from Attorney General Stone a report on the rent situation in the District with a suggestion from him that it shouldn’t be made public at this time, because it would interfere with the necessary investigation that his Department wants to make in order to see whether they can take any legal action or not.
I can’t say any more about a conference on disarmament than that which I have already said.
I made all the statement I could about my Cabinet officers, I think at our last conference. You will hear constant rumors of one kind or another that someone is going to retire and somebody else is going to stay, somebody is going to be appointed. Those things are merely rumors and have no other foundation than the rumor foundation.
I don’t intend to make any speeches on my way to Chicago or on my return trip. I think I am to lunch with the Commercial Club, I believe that is the name of the organization at Chicago, and very likely shall make a few remarks there, and then I am speaking in the evening at the International Cattle Show Association.
I haven’t made any decision about appointing Mr. Gore the Secretary of Agriculture until his term as Governor begins on the 4th of March.
I don’t think I am going to make anything in the way of an extended speech to the Agricultural Conference. They know the agricultural situation. I expect them to come here to the White House, and I thought I would meet them in the Cabinet Room Monday morning. I may have a short statement that I can give out. It will be very short, if any.
Mr. President, where will the sessions be held?
Well, they are arranging to get accommodations at the Agricultural Department.
I haven’t any plan whatever about an extra session of the Congress. I don’t expect to call one immediately after the 4th of March. I don’t want to say that I shall never call an extra session of the Congress, but I shouldn’t call one unless I thought it was very necessary. I suppose the particular question that would be expected to be taken up by an extra session would be a reduction in taxation. We can’t reduce taxation much more until we have first reduced expenses. We shall not know much about the balance between our expenditures and our income until after the 30th of next June. That is the end of the fiscal year. Then we will know what balance there is on hand and what provision could be made for further tax reduction.
I expect that during the present session of the Congress I shall be able to transmit to them such recommendations for agricultural legislation as may be necessary.
I haven’t any idea how long the conference will take to study the questions.
I haven’t had any report from the Naval Board on the relative value of aircraft, surface craft and submarines.
I haven’t any information about the trial of Representative Hill, so that I could make any comment on it.
I am not familiar with the speech made by Dr. Streseman concerning the American elections. If he expressed the belief that friendly relations between the two nations are growing, I think that is true. And I think it is true also of the European nations. That was demonstrated at the London Conference where after years of comment back and forth ever since the Armistice they were at last able to agree on certaindefinite action to which all of them were willing to subscribe. I think that is the very best evidence of growing friendliness among the nations over there and it reaches our relations also with the European nations.
I couldn’t make any comment at all on what is said to be a news item from Brussels that Foreign Minister Theunis has invited Great Britain and France to create a new Triple Entente. That is entirely a European question, a suggestion of European action. I can’t make any comment about it .
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper CorrespondentsÂ
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