National Affairs: Political Notes: Aug. 27, 1923

The American Philatelic Society assembled in Washington for its convention. An appointment had been made for its members to see and shake hands with President Coolidge. When the convention assembled it voted to break the engagement rather than take up the President’s time and endanger his health by such practice.

“I am not an actual, constructive, receptive or any other kind of a candidate for President. Thank you all the same.” — Secretary of the Navy Denby by wire to ex-Marines in Chicago.

“Ha, ha!”—Henry Ford to a reporter at Escanaba, Mich., when told that a magazine writer had stated plainly that Mr. Ford wished to become President.

“I would like to be President. I think any American in political life who pretends otherwise is wholly hypocritical.”—a letter purporting to be from Senator Hiram Johnson, published in The Bulletin, San Francisco.

President Coolidge, like President Harding, like President Wilson, like the first of our Presidents, will deliver his important messages to Congress in person. The custom now bids fair to go on.

Hendrik Shipstead, called by his enemies ” the duck hunting dentist,” Senatorial sidekick and Farmer-Labor brother of “Magnavox” Johnson, left the wheat fields of Minnesota and went to Washington. In attendance on him as aide-de-camp, wearing military uniform, was Adjutant General Rhinow of Minnesota, smoothing the “hard road of travel for the son of the soil.

Mr. Coolidge wrote to Dr. Alonzo G. Howard of Boston that he would probably accept the latter’s offered gift of a wire-haired fox terrier, Peter Pan. Laddie Boy was given away by Mrs. Harding to one of the White House guards. Peter Pan, three months old, one of six children, son of Prides Hill Sicyon and Lady Babbie, bids fair to become Presidential hound.

The physiognomy of the new President is not yet generally recognized by the people of Washington, despite his two years’ residence there. Mr. Coolidge is still identified on the streets by his companion, Richard Jervis, who has walked close to every President since McKinley.

This companion of Presidents has many accomplishments to his credit. He is expert at chasing counterfeiters, at horseback riding, at piano playing. He was the almost invariable companion of President Taft when the latter went riding, and made advance arrangements for the protection of Mr. Wilson and Mr. Harding on their Western tours. Besides being guard to Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, he has been chief of the Presidential guard since 1920.

The American Peace Award, the organization which is administering Edward Bok’s $100,000 prize contest for a plan whereby the U. S. can promote world peace (TIME, July 9, July 16) announced that a referendum of the country on the winning plan will be taken about January 1, 1924. Fifty societies and organizations throughout the country have been organized to aid in taking the poll. The object of the referendum is that the plan may be taken before Congress with a definite indication of how the public feels towards the proposal.

The Democratic State Committee of Vermont chose for its candidate in the election this Fall to choose a successor to the late William P. Dillingham, Park H. Pollard, first cousin to Calvin Coolidge.

Medallions in memory of President Harding will be struck off by the Philadelphia Mint. On the obverse side will be a portrait of Mr. Harding; on the reverse the dates of his birth, inauguration and death. It will be ready about Sept. 1, cost $1.52, including case and postage.

Temporary two-cent stamps, black on white, with a profile of President Harding will be placed on sale throughout the country, at the order of Postmaster General New.

A giant Sequoia tree in California, 5,000 years old, 32 feet in diameter, 280 feet high—next in size and age to the famous General Sherman Tree—was named Warren Harding Tree as a memorial to the late President.

The Stone Mountain Monumental Association (which is carving a monument to the Confederacy, on the side of the famous mountain) offered to the Mayor of Marion, all the granite necessary for constructing a mausoleum for the late President.

New England will not admit that it is the tail of anything, but if it should, it could declare it was the tail which wags the U. S. dog—because of the number of New Englanders high placed in the Government. Its sons include: President Coolidge of Massachusetts; Chief Justice Taft of Connecticut; Secretary of War Weeks of Massachusetts; Speaker Gillett of Massachusetts (if reflected); Majority Leader Lodge in the Senate (also Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee) ; Chairmen of every “important” Senate Committee, except three, to wit—McLean of Connecticut, Banking and Currency; Hale of Maine, Naval Affairs; Colt of Rhode Island, Immigration; Moses of New Hampshire, Privileges and Elections; Brandegee of Connecticut, Judiciary; Representative Winslow of Massachusetts, Chairman of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. The formula of New England for getting these results is simple: elect a man to Congress and keep him there until by seniority rule he gets a Chairmanship.