The Coolidge Week

It was a dull week for the President. At press conference on Tuesday he had next to nothing to say. This seemed too bad in view of the fact that there was present an unusual number of foreign correspondents, especially British--arrived in Washington to watch what Congress does about the Kellogg Treaty and the cruiser-building bill, and to get background for the inauguration of the Hoover regime. President Coolidge took the opportunity to explain to the foreigners that the reason he has the U. S. embassies abroad hand out copies of his speeches--such as the Armistice Day announcement about naval construction, foreign debts and the U. S. share in the War--is to avoid misinterpretation, not (as suspected abroad) to impress foreign governments.

Thinking of nothing much else to say, the President turned to Secretary Everett Sanders. What could he suggest? Secretary Sanders murmured something about the Last Message to Congress. Ah, yes. President Coolidge stated that he was working on a message to Congress, that he expected to have it ready before Congress Is ready to hear it.

P:President Coolidge went to an Army dispensary and prudently checked on his health by having his teeth Xrayed. The presidential teeth are in excellent condition, announced Presidential Physician James F. Coupal.

P: Having received the diplomatic corps (TIME, Nov. 26) and met all newcomers, the President & Mrs. Coolidge last week dined the diplomatic corps--92 covers, 49 nations represented, music by Tenor Arthur Hackett and Harpist Alberto Salvi.

P: The press of the U. S. discovered, to its admiration and amusement, that President & Mrs. Coolidge had made a Sunday morning motor trip to Bull Run battlefield in Virginia, returning for a 2 p. m. lunch at the White House. The matter went unreported for 24 hours--a record in the Coolidge administration.

P: President Coolidge appointed John W. Pole of Cleveland to be Comptroller of the Currency, vice Joseph W. Mclntosh resigned. Duties of the Comptroller of the Currency are to supervise application of the banking laws, study reports from U. S. bank examiners. All national banks must report to him periodically. He has power to close banks with shaky resources.

P: Mrs. Coolidge, at Hoover Field, christened a big airplane Christopher Columbus. If she noticed that it was a Ford plane, she said nothing. It was supposed to have been a Fokker plane, the first of the Pan-American Airways Transport system, soon to open routes from Miami to Nassau, Havana, Camagueey (Cuba), San Juan, P. R. and, later, Mexico, Central and South America. The Fokker ship meant to have been christened Christopher Columbus had been cracked up the day before. The substitute Ford was leased for one day.

P: Fourteen Senators and a Senator-elect--all Republicans--breakfasted at the White House. They went away digesting sausages, fried eggs, buckwheat cakes and the impression that President Coolidge wants to get the U. S. into the World Court as a crowning event of the Coolidge Era.