Date: August 5th, 1924
Location: Washington, D.C.
(Original document available here)
I can’t tell yet when my speech of acceptance will be completed. I am thinking of things I ought to put in and looking at what I have got, and realizing it is too long and ought to be cut down. It makes a rather difficult problem to solve. I suppose everyone realizes that we can’t think of all the things in the United States in one address, so that I shall have to touch on a few important questions.
I don’t know as I can say much about the condition of business or the crops. That report will be out in two or three days, which will undoubtedly reveal the condition. General business conditions seem to be improving. There seems to be evidence of a resumption of business.
Mr. President, you said in relation to your address you would touch on a few questions. Would you care to enumerate?
Very naturally I don’t care to tell what my speech of acceptance will be. I don’t know yet. All these things are coming in, and I may have to drop out some and put in others.
The allied conference seems to have reached a conclusion – an agreement. Of course that is exceedingly satisfactory. It seems to indicate that they have at last been able to adopt a plan of settlement in the European situation, which is very pleasing to me, and I think pleasing to everyone in this country. I don’t know whether that is likely to make any difference in our tariff policy. I don’t know that it would be different from what is generally understood.
I can’t give you any information about the particulars of the conduct of the campaign, establishing headquarters in Minneapolis or any other place. Of course that is entirely in the hands of the National Committee and their advisers. I don’t know what their plans are about it.
I think some telegrams or letters have come from the sugar beet industry and farming interests, but I haven’t had a chance to take that up yet, and so I don’t know much about it.
Here is another pertinent question that I should have referred to in relation to the developments at London. I should judge that the probable effects there would be exceedingly good on American business conditions. I should expect that it would stimulate business, I don’t mean export business, but a general feeling that at last we are reaching a stage where we can see stable conditions in Europe, and that would mean a stabilizing of conditions here, and a minimizing of the present uncertainty, so that people would feel that they could go ahead with their business enterprises.
I haven’t had any suggestion lately about a conference of Governors, coal miners and operators, to take up the question of mine safety. I don’t recall now whether that is treated in the report of the Coal Commission of last year. I imagine that it is almost entirely a matter of local and state governments. Of course the National Government is in favor of having anything done in that connection that it is possible to do. I don’t have any plan at the present time about such a conference, though I am in entire sympathy with endeavors in that direction, – I mean in the direction of safety.
I haven’t made any speaking engagements, and haven’t any further plans about that than those which I already mentioned, which, boiled down, I think consist mostly of an absence of plans.
I can’t give you any further information about the Ambassador to Mexico or Japan. I haven’t heard any report that Ambassador Herrick planned to resign. I am quite certain that there is no foundation for that report. A short time ago it was reported, I think, that he had been ill, but I believe that was a temporary matter and that he is now recovered.
I haven’t done anything about the sugar report. I have been so busy with other things that I haven’t had a chance to take any action on it.
Citation: Calvin Coolidge: Remarks by the President to Newspaper Correspondents
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