THE PRESIDENCY: Mr. Coolidge’s Week: Jan. 5, 1925

Mr. Coolidge’s Week

¶ The President asked the General Board of the Army to draft a proposal for suitably rewarding the aviators who made the round-the-world-flight. Several bills granting promotion, bonuses, etc., have been proposed in Congress but not seriously considered. The President wished to present and press a bill approved by the Army.* ¶ Mr. and Airs. Coolidge attended the dedication of the Washington Community Christmas tree, opened voluminous mail, received numerous presents, attended church, heard choral singing at the north portico of the White House by the choir of the First Congregational Church: Bells of Christmas, The First Noel, Sleep, Holy Babe, Angels We Have Heard on High, Silent Night, Holy Night, Shepherd’s Christmas Song, God Rest You Merry Gentlemen, Come All Ye Shepherds, O Little Town of Bethlehem, The Babe in Bethlehem’s Manger Laid, To Us Is Born Immannel.

¶The President’s only Christmas clemency was a commutation of the sentence of one man, John Rohrer, sentenced for life for having shot a Chinese policeman while on duty as a legation guard at Shanghai. The sentence was reduced to 20 years. Rohrer had served nine, and was immediately eligible for parole.

¶President Coolidge wrote to commend William Ritter, founder of a large lumber business in Columbus, who gave some $2,000,000 of stock in his company to 124 employes as a Christmas gift. Wrote Mr. Coolidge: “Such acts of generosity cannot help but lead to better cooperation and understanding between the employers and employes, and you are to be commended for the fine example you have shown.”

*This bill provides advancement on the promotion lists of 1,000 files for Capt. Lowell H. Smith, flight commander; 500 files each for Lieuts. Wade, Nelson, Arnold. Explaining, Secretary of War Weeks said Smith’s advancement would approximate 13 years service, that of the others, four years. Sergts. Ogden and Harding would become Second Lieutenants. All six men would get the D. S. M.