The White House Week

The White House Week

P: A man, looking something like the late President Harding, was presented to President Coolidge last week. He is George Gretziano, newly appointed Rumanian Minister to the U. S. He speaks French, Italian and Spanish, and understands English, but does not speak it. He hopes to learn it. Said the President in welcoming him: "The presence in this country of Her Majesty, the Queen of Rumania, is indeed a happy expression of that friendship and mutual consideration Existing between Rumania and the United States." P: An oil painting of the U. S. fleet entering Sydney harbor in 1925 was the gift brought by Sir Hugh Robert Denison, new Australian Commissioner to the U. S., when he was officially presented to President Coolidge. P: A four-inch dagger attached to a chain which may be worn around the neck, a weapon which Finns use to defend themselves against highway robbers, was the gift of Paavo Nurmi, greatest contemporary distance-runner. It was presented to President Coolidge by Murray Hulbert, President of the Amateur Athletic Union of the U.S.

P:The President's heart beat sympathetically as he heard the story of young Joseph Hall last month. Joseph had promised to take his girl to the Navy-Michigan football game, but he had no tickets; incidentally, he mentioned that he was the son of an Edgartown (Mass.) politician who was prominent when President Coolidge was Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. The President produced his own tickets, despatched young Joseph to Baltimore with his girl and a Secret Serviceman. He enjoyed the game, and was photographed heroically with Governor Ritchie of Maryland. Wary Boston police saw the picture, trailed young Joseph to Raleigh, N. C., arrested him for stealing clothing from Boston stores, sent him to a reformatory. He was no son of an Edgartown politician. P: John W. O'Leary, 1st vice president of the Chicago Trust Co., president of the U. S. Chamber of

Commerce, submitted to President Coolidge a legislative program in the interest of his businessmen friends. He urged: ratification of the Berenger-Mellon French debt agreement, reduction of corporation income taxes, early enactment of the McFadden-Pepper Branch Banking bill.

P:On one day last week the President received more than 100 visitors. Among them: the Duchess of Hamilton, antivivisectionist, and other British ladies; Secretary of Agriculture Jardine and many an agricultural college president; General Charles H. Sherrill and his Olympic Games Committee; lame duck Senator Harreld of Oklahoma who was defeated in the elections; Major General Lejeune, Commandant of the Marines, who invited the President to a football game.

P:The President, acting through Secretary of State Kellogg, formally notified Nicaragua that the U. S. would support the government of President Adolfo Diaz (see p. 16).

P:Major Mario de Bernardi, the "Flying Fascist," who won the Schneider Cup races (TIME, Nov. 22), came to the White House last week to receive the congratulations of President Coolidge. A racing automobile and a steamship had carried him to Washington from Norfolk, Va., after he had casually broken his own seaplane record with a new speed of 258.873 miles per hour.

P:Robert E. Sherwood, 70, oldest living circus clown, much impressed President Coolidge when he said that he was the first performer to turn a handspring over seven horses and two elephants. The President then replied that he used to rise, when a boy, at 2:30 a. m. so he could go to the circus. Mr. Sherwood retaliated with the presentation of the book of his life: Here We Are Again.

P: The President being busy, Mrs. Coolidge became the official White House football "fan," attended the game of the Quantico Marines v. the Fort Benning (Ga.) Infantry, presented the President's Cup to the Marines when they won the Service Championship for the second successive year. P: In a conference with the press, the White House Spokesman last week revealed that few people realize the magnitude of Government expenses. Take the humble lead pencil, said he, $125,000 per year is spent for that item alone.