The White House Week

The White House Week

The President named 12 of the 28 men who will constitute the Board of Tax Appeals, created by the new Income Tax Law. Seven were lawyers, accountants, tax experts from private life. Five, all lawyers, were appointed from the Internal Revenue Bureau, where they have been familiar with the kind of work required of the new Board.

General and Mrs. Dawes arrived in Washington and were met at the station by Henry M. Dawes (brother) with whom they motored to the White House. At the door, General Dawes turned aside to meet the newspaper men, many of whom he knew. A question was popped at him. He answered: "I wonder." He grinned and went on: "I guess that sounds strange coming from me, but you fellows will get used to it. I must talk sense and must be cautious in my replies. This is different business from being Director of the Budget, and, much as I like gassing with the White House correspondents, I must forego that pleasure.

"I can see you fellows don't take to that "I wonder" answer of mine. I learned it abroad. When I was working with the Reparations Commission, and this or that question was put up to one of the leading members of the French delegation, that gentlemen would look wise for a second or two and answer 'I wonder.'

"So, when I found myself President Coolidge's running-mate, I just decided to imitate that Frenchman."

That noon at table in the White House, Messrs. Coolidge, Dawes, Butler and Stearns lunched together over business matters.

After lunch, Campaign Manager Butler announced that Mr. Coolidge would be officially notified of his nomination and would be expected to make his speech of acceptance (the first formal notice the President will take that there is a campaign afoot) on July 24, at 8 p. m., in Continental Memorial Hall (D. A. R. building) with radio attachments. Mr. Dawes would be notified at his home in Evanston on July 29 and would make his first speech in Lincoln, Neb., on Sept. 1.

A day or two later and Mr. Dawes was off again for Evanston, via Manhattan.

P:Mr. Coolidge celebrated his birthday by delivering an address to the National Education Association (see EDUCATION), receiving 45,000 congratulatory messages, including a birthday card an inch thick and signed by 20,000 Massachusetts men, and several bedfuls of flowers. That afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Coolidge, looking grave, went to the Walter Reed Hospital. In one of the rooms lay Calvin Coolidge, Jr., 16, their youngest son, stricken suddenly with virulent septic poisoning that had settled in the tibia of his right leg as the result of a tennis blister. Dr. John B. Deaver, of Philadelphia, operated, but by evening it was known that the patient's condition was extremely serious.

The President would not permit the publication of bedside bulletins, as in the case of high officials. Informal White House statements on July 5 said that the boy was resisting the poison but showed no improvement. Sunday's news was about the same.

On Monday came the ominous report that the patient was taking no nourishment; that William Gerry Morgan, Washington stomach specialist, had been called in consultation; that oxygen and hypodermic injections had been necessary to sustain life through the night.

On Monday evening, July 7, at 10:30 o'clock, the boy died. As best it could the Nation expressed its sympathy.