The Coolidge Week

P: In front of the ancient desk in the East Room of the White House stood a restless group of photographers in a little forest of tripods. Behind the desk stood a group of Senators, Cabinet Members, State Department officials. At the desk, of course, sat President Coolidge, in frock coat and wing collar. On his right sat Vice President Dawes, on his left, Secretary of State Kellogg, behind his chair stood Idaho's square-faced Borah and Virginia's militant Swanson. All eyes turned toward the green morocco case resting on the desk. It contained the Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact, officially titled "The General Treaty for the Renunciation of War." There was a moment of fidgeting and shifting while the cameramen peered. Suddenly Tiny Tim, the Coolidge chow, scampered into the room, ran yipping toward his master. Mrs. Coolidge and Mrs. Kellogg came and stood in the doorway. Smiling, the President took a large, glimmering gold pen in his hand, a gift pen to Mr. Kellogg from the City of Havre, France. With a flourish which made good copy for the cameramen, he signed one copy of the ratification document, started to hand it to Mr. Kellogg. Sidney Smith, State Department official, reached over, blotted the parchment, passed it to Mr. Kellogg. "Will you please keep out of the way?" said President Coolidge. Mr. Smith withdrew. Mr. Kellogg tried to sign, but his pen scratched. It was dry. The President passed him an inkwell. A second copy was signed. The treaty had been formally ratified.

P: President and Mrs. Coolidge were host and hostess at their last state dinner, in honor of Speaker of the House & Mrs. Nicholas Longworth.* Among the 60 guests were Senator and Mrs. Robinson of Arkansas, Vice President-Elect Curtis, Governor Byrd of Virginia, Dr. Hubert Work, Mr. and Mrs. Walter P. Chrysler of Manhattan. At 10 o'clock came 100 additional guests. Mrs. Ruth Townsend-Petrovich sang; Rudolph Ganz played the piano.

P: President and Mrs. Coolidge were guests of honor at a Cabinet dinner given by Postmaster General and Mrs. New at their suburban home, Hemlock Hedge.

P: The President pondered an inventory of his personal chattels which will be moved to Northampton, Mass., in advance of the regular White House moving day, March 4. Most of them are gifts.

P: From Northampton, Mass., came the news that Mrs. Lemira B. Goodhue, mother of Mrs. Coolidge, "was not quite so well."

P: Representative Wallace H. White Jr. of Maine, Chairman of the House Merchant Marine Committee, called at the White House. He told the President that much sentiment had arisen in the Committee to drop all radio legislation, to allow the Federal Radio Commission to go out of existence as an administrative body in March.

P: President Coolidge sent to the Senate the nomination of Charles H. March of Litchfield, Minn., for membership on the Federal Trade Commission. Mr. March was potently pro-Coolidge in the Minnesota pre-convention campaign of 1924.

*No Presidential table-chat was the story appearing in Collier's for Jan. 26. This told of an unnamed surgeon whose possessions were taken by the U. S. in 1917 when the government conducted a general seizure of German property. For ten years the surgeon has awaited the return of one piece of property. He prizes it highly. It is the appendix of Mrs. Nicholas Longworth. Bottled, of course.