THE PRESIDENCY: Mr. Coolidge's Week: Jan. 26, 1925

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¶ The President received the first report of the Commission which he appointed to seek a permanent solution of problems confronting agriculture (see Page 5).

¶ Much of the President's attention was required by the pending changes in his official family. In addition to the changes in the portfolio of State, in which Secretary Hughes is to be succeeded by Ambassador Kellogg and in the portfolio of Justice, in which Attorney General Stone is to be succeeded by Charles B. Warren, a successor was to be picked for Secretary of Agriculture Gore who retires on Mar. 4. C. Bascom Slemp, Secretary to the President, resigned and is to be succeeded by Everett Sanders, at present Congressman from Indiana. Other changes were rumored as well (see Page 2).

¶ "As a token of respect and collective regard," the Haverhill Kennel Club, of Massachusetts, sent the President a gift —another dog, "Cal's Pal," Boston terrier.

¶ The second state dinner of the season was given at the White House for the Diplomatic Corps. Diplomats, the Secretary of State, the chairmen of the Congressional committees on Foreign Relations and their wives were the guests. Afterward a musicale was given, with Beniamino Gigli and Mme. Madeleine Brard as artists.

¶ The President made an address to delegates of the Convention of the Associated General Contractors of America, who visited the White House. Said he: "The importance of construction among the country's industries hardly needs any testimony. A recent analysis reached the conclusion that the national income in 1924 was $53,000,000,000, of which approximately $6,000,000,000 was expended for construction."

¶ In a Manhattan theatre is playing a drama entitled They Knew What They Wanted. One night last week, as the curtain was about to rise, a telegram was received saying that the President was coming to attend the play, but had been delayed in New Jersey. He was anxious to see the first act. Would it be too much trouble to wait a few minutes for him? For 30 minutes actors and audience waited. Then both became restive. Someone went out before the curtain and explained the situation, took a vote on whether the delay should be continued. The majority voted to wait. Another wait followed. Finally the performance went on without the President. A few minutes later, a tipsy friend wandered into the dressing-room of Actor Richard Bennett. "I won a bet!" declared the friend. "So?" murmured Mr. Bennett. "Yeh—I bet a fellow at dinner I could hold up your show for half an hour.

¶ President Coolidge addressed a dinner given by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, saying: "Wherever the cause of liberty is making its way, one of its highest accomplishments is the guarantee of the freedom of the press" (see Page 26).