Mr. Coolidge's Week

P: On Dec. 7 Calvin Coolidge is to be in Chicago delivering an address at a convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and on the same day the 69th Congress will assemble in Washington. It cannot be known when Congress will be ready to receive the President's message on the state of the nation, but he announced last week that in any event his message will go to Congress in printed form and be read by another.

P: In the annual race of handsome gobblers to the White House Thanksgiving dinner table, the first to arrive was a wild turkey which had voluntarily taken up a sedentary life with a tame flock in Pondera County, Mont. As a reward the County Turkey Growers' Association gave him a free ride to the White House, but on the trip he lost two of his 22 pounds from excitement.

P: Some 400 delegates to a convention of the National Catholic Women's Welfare Council were received by Mrs. Coolidge one morning, and afterwards filed through the President's office for the ceremony of the handshake.

P: Senator McNary of Oregon called on the President concerning shipping matters. Mr. McNary talked about Commissioner Haney of the Shipping Board, who has opposed the President's shipping policies and refused to resign at Mr. Coolidge's request (TIME, Sept. 14, SHIPPING). The President gave Mr. McNary notice that Commissioner Haney would not be reappointed when Congress assembled, and that the Senator had best suggest some one to fill the place who would be approved by Oregon business men. Senator McNary did not say he approved of Mr. Haney, but intimated that the Pacific Coast liked Mr. Haney's policies.

P: In his talks with correspondents the President let it be known: 1) that he is open minded but does not think it would be wise yet to attempt to abolish submarines; limitation is about all that may be hoped for; 2) that he intends to tell Congress again that the U.S. ought to join the World Court; 3) that he has no intention of urging a ship subsidy; 4) that he is soon going to make public the report of the experts appointed to make a study of what should be done with Muscle Shoals.

P: Colonel John C. Coolidge last week fell ill with a disease which his physician described as "heart block." His condition caused some concern, but was not considered critical.

P: Accompanied by Dwight W. Morrow, Frank W. Stearns and Colonel George Harvey, Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge drew into Manhattan early one afternoon on a special train. In the Pennsylvania Station, police preserved them from a delighted mob. One automobile carried the President to the Waldorf Hotel, where he was welcomed, shot up by elevator to the sixth floor, on which 17 rooms were held for him and his party. There he received Charles D. Hilles, Thomas W. Lamont, Cornelius N. Bliss, Frank A. Munsey, had good news of his father's health, took a nap. At 7:35 he entered the grand ballroom; 1,000 members of the New York Chamber of Commerce and their guests stood to receive him. He sat and ate, chatting very little. He ate ambidextrously; without laying down the knife from his right hand, he lifted the fork with his left. At the end of the meal, he put on his glasses, selected a cigar, examined it, cut the end and "pulled in" while a waiter held a match. It was not until 9:15 that he began his speech.

Meanwhile Mrs. Coolidge accompanied by Mrs. Dwight W. Morrow, who met her at the train, motored directly to the Metropolitan Museum and inspected an exhibit of early U.S. furnishings. From there they drove to Mrs. Morrow's home on East 66th St. and had tea. Mrs. Coolidge then returned to the Waldorf to rest. She was entertained at dinner in a private dining room by Mrs. Frederick H. Ecker, wife of the President of the New York State Chamber of Commerce. There were eleven women present, including Mrs. Morrow, Mrs. Adolph S. Ochs and Mrs. Owen D. Young. About 9 o'clock the ladies went to the ballroom to hear the President speak.

Said the President (in part):

"It would be difficult, if not impossible, to estimate the contribution which Government makes to business. It is notorious that where the Government is bad, business is bad. The mere fundamental precepts of the administration of justice, the providing of order and security, are priceless. The prime element in the value of all property is the knowledge that its peaceful enjoyment will be publicly defended. If disorder should break out in your city, if there should be a conviction extending over any length of time that the rights of persons and property could no longer be protected by law, the value of your tall buildings would shrink to about the price of what are now waterfronts of old Carthage or what are now corner lots in ancient Babylon.

"Every one knows that it was our resources that saved Europe from a complete collapse immediately following the armistice. Without the benefit of our credit an appalling famine would have prevailed over great areas. In accordance with the light of all past history, disorder and revolution, with the utter breaking down of all legal restraints and the loosing of all the passions which had been aroused by four years of conflict, would have rapidly followed. Others did what they could, and no doubt made larger proportionate sacrifices, but it was the credits and food which we supplied that saved the situation. . . .

"The financial strength of America has contributed to the spiritual restoration of the world. It has risen into the domain of true business. . . ."

After speaking, the President retired to his suite for 45 minutes, and then motored to the station to catch his train back to Washington.

P: In Plymouth a radio was brought to Colonel Coolidge's bedside, and after hearing his son's speech in Manhattan he wired: "Dear Cal: Just heard you over radio. Congratulation on fine address. John C. Coolidge."

P: Perhaps not with unmixed feelings did Mr. Coolidge read the caustic comment of the London Daily News, as cabled to the U.S. press:

"It is not easy to think of any parallel to President Coolidge's amazing address to the New York Chamber of Commerce, except a certain notorious prayer. The author of that prayer also thanked God he was not as other men are, and recorded with the same smirking self-satisfaction his financial righteousness and his virtuous self-restraint. No rich parvenu can ever have addressed his humblest poor relation in a tone of more offensively oleaginous patronage than this."