THE PRESIDENCY: The White House Week: Mar. 29, 1926

Alanson B. Houghton, U. S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s, arrived in the U. S. for a three weeks’ visit and settled down to spend a good part of it as White House guest.

President Coolidge, Secretary Kellogg, Ambassador Houghton and Hugh S. Gibson, Minister to Switzerland (who like Mr. Houghton was called home for conference), discussed the course of action which the U. S. should undertake in regard to the proposed League of Nations preliminary disarmament conference, which will meet on May 17.

The President announced to the press that he saw no trouble between Mexico and the U. S. which could not be circumvented by diplomacy. Next day a luncheon was given at the White House to Dr. Jose Manuel Puig-Casavrane, Mexican Minister of Education, and Ambassador Don Manuel C. Tellez. Among the guests were Secretary Kellogg, Secretary Work, Secretary Hoover, Representative Stephen G. Porter and Representative Linthicum. The last two are respectively Chairman and ranking Democrat of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, which on March 30 will hold a hearing on the expulsion of foreign nuns and priests by the Mexican Government.

The Great Smoky Mountain Conservation Association presented the President with a young wildcat, with assurances that it was captured in Sevier County, Tenn., “the strongest Republican county in the country in 1924,” and that such wildcats domesticated are more friendly than house cats. The President sent the cat to the local zoo.

The President told reporters that he did not expect to establish a summer White House away from Washington this year. His absences from the Capital would probably be brief. He might, he said, go to Denver to make a speech, might also go to Atlanta for a similar purpose.

The President and Mrs. Coolidge were guests of Dr. Hubert Work, Secretary of the Interior, at dinner at the Willard Hotel. Dr. Work is a widower and his daughter, Mrs. A. W. Bissell, acted as hostess. His son-in-law, his two sons and two daughters-in-law were also present, also Justices Van Devanter and Stone of the Supreme Court, Senators Warren, Phipps, Ernst, Means, Goff, Congressmen Madden, Tilson, Taylor, Hardy, Governor Parks of Alaska, Will H. Hays, Frank W. Steamsmany of them with their ladies— and enough others to make it the largest dinner given to the President this season by a member of the Cabinet.

Mr. and Mrs. William C. Davis of Leonidas, Mich., received the following letter last week:

“Word has reached me through [State] Senator Frank S. Cummins and Representative John C. Ketcham that on Thursday you are celebrating the 71st anniversary of your wedding.

“It gives me the greatest pleasure to send you my heartiest congratulations and to wish you health and prosperity during the coming year.

[Signed] “CALVIN COOLIDGE.”

Word was telephoned to the President at the White House that his father, who had been very ill for several days, was sinking. Instructions were sent out to prepare a special train. That afternoon the President and Mrs. Coolidge, attended only by Attorney General Sargent and the inevitable newspapermen, began their journey to Vermont. When the train reached Bridgeport, Conn., a telegram relayed from the White House was received:

“Colonel Coolidge passed away very quietly at 10.41 o’clock.”

In the early hours of the morning the President’s train stopped at Northampton, Mass., and picked up the President’s son John. At 5:00 a.m. the train arrived at Woodstock and the 16-mile journey by automobile and sleigh to Colonel Coolidge’s home was begun. That night the President spent at Plymouth, the next day returned to the farm. After the funeral the Presidential party returned to Woodstock, and at 5:00 in the evening began their return trip to the Capital.

The Presidential train returned to Washington on slow schedule, and the President and Mrs. Coolidge had had a good night’s rest when they arrived at the Capital at 7:00 the next morning.