Date: September 5, 1924
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
I haven’t given any particular attention to the appointment of a successor to Commissioner Gaskill in the Federal Trade Commission. I understand he is a very good man, and I have had several applications for the place.
I don’t know that Minister Jay is expected to come to Washington, and the matter of the Roumanian Mining law has never been brought specifically to my attention. If anything has been done, it has been done through the State Department. The Department would be the natural avenue of action. It would be rather unusual to have it brought to my attention.
The Firpo case hasn’t been called to my attention, other than that I have seen it referred to in the newspapers. That is entirely under the jurisdiction of the Labor Department. If I were to do anything about that, it would be to direct action there. They are perfectly competent to handle cases of that kind over there.
There has been nothing that I know of that has occurred in relation to the elevation of guns on American ships.
I didn’t know that there was any difference between the Navy Dept. and the Bureau of the Budget over naval estimates. There is a general difference, practically speaking, that way between all the departments and the Bureau of the Budget, but that is in the way of a preliminary examination of each Department’s estimate, and they have an opportunity to come to me when the budget is finally made. It is my budget. I have to take the responsibility for it when I submit it to the Congress, and I am here if the departments want to talk to me about any parts of the budget.
I haven’t had an opportunity to examine in detail the petition that was presented to me a few days ago in relation to Liberia. I am sympathetic, of course, with the desire to build up a state there and assist Liberia in any way that we can, and entourage the colored people of this country to cooperate with the Liberians, and our Government ought to cooperate with them in every possible way.
I don’t think I ought to make any comment about anything that a foreign Prime Minister might say in the way of an address. I don’t think it would be fitting to make any comment about it until after inquiries have been made to us through our State Department.
I have done some work on the sugar report. There are a good many different angles to it, both facts and law. The other reports that I have had before me have been unanimous reports on rather simple questions, but this involves a good many questions and they are not very easy to determine.
I haven’t made up my mind about the vacancy on the Tariff Commission, though I believe I have had some applications from a good many people for appointment to that place.
I haven’t any other speaking engagements that I now recall. Let me see – I think I have made some engagement to speak at a Methodist – Bishop McDowell was here about it – October 15th. What is it, Mr. Slemp?
The Francis Asbury statue, I think.
Are you going to speak there, Mr. President?
Yes, it is a dedication of a statue to Bishop Asbury. He was about 1750 and after that, I believe, the first Methodist Bishop in this country. There is, I think, considerable correspondence between him and General Washington, which makes this a kind of a national occasion.
If I had any specific information about what Mr. Pomerene and Mr. Roberts are doing before the grand jury, I should doubt if it would be proper for me to disclose it, much as I want to help the press. Of course they have instructions from me fully to investigate the business on which they are employed and to take such action as the law and facts warrant. But I wouldn’t be able to go into particulars about it.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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