The Coolidge Week

P: "To the American People:

"Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.

Calvin Coolidge"

The above message, handwritten on White House notepaper and dated Dec. 25, was issued far enough in advance to let all enterprising U. S. newspapers reproduce it in facsimile on their front pages on the proper day.

P: The day before Christmas, while his son, John Coolidge. moved about Washington in a voluminous coonskin coat, and while Mrs. Coolidge did final wrappings and adjustments (there were five White House Christmas trees to trim), the President worked away in his office. Late in the afternoon he began dictating the speech he will deliver to the Pan-American Congress in Havana .next fortnight. After dark, he joined Mrs. Coolidge and drove to Sherman Square, behind the Treasury Building. Thousands of Washingtonians awaited them. While motors tooted and church bells rang and the Marine Band played Cantique de Noel, the President touched a button and lit up the Capital's Christmas tree. Soon after, the Washington throngs trooped into the White House grounds to sing Christmas carols around the lighted porte-cochere. President & Mrs. Coolidge, John Coolidge and a choir sent by the Interstate Commerce Commission, led the caroling . . . Christmas at the White House was quiet, with only one guest for dinner, Attorney General Sargent.

P: Another statement on Presidential jack-knives was found necessary and W. E. Fulton of Newark, Ohio, whose present to the President of a pearl-handled whittling instrument was accepted and acknowledged (TIME, Dec. 19), can feel justly proud. Last week President Coolidge received so many jack-knives from other people that he had to begin giving them away. All were a propos the President's remark that when his term ends he is going to whittle a while (TIME, Nov. 21). That remark having been meant figuratively, even humorously, its maker felt he was receiving jack-knives under false pretenses and so stated. The knives soon ceased to arrive. Their place in the Executive mailbag was taken by letters from small boys who could easily use any extra jack-knives any one had lying around.

Besides jack-knives, the White House had an abundance of turkeys (nine of them), ducks, partridges (many a brace), Michigan potatoes (one sack), giant beets (one bushel), South Dakota honey (ten pounds). From Louis Liggett, Bostonian friend of the President, came the millionth rifle manufactured by the Winchester Arms Corp.

P: During the week, President Coolidge, Premier Mussolini, Marshal Foch, General Pershing, Edward of Wales, Thomas A. Edison, Foreign Minister Stresemann of Germany, Admiral Lord Beatty of Britain, and many another, appeared in the East Room of the White House and made speeches--in a special Movietone performance.

P: The Deficiency Bill ($203,000,000 for Government expenses) received President Coolidge's signature.

P: The U. S. Chamber of Commerce received another Presidential frown. Rebuked for insisting on a tax cut nearly double what the Administration considers safe, Banker Lewis Eugene Pierson of Manhattan, president of the U. S. Chamber, announced last fortnight that three-fourths of all Chambermen favor the U. S. assuming the entire cost of Mississippi flood control instead of 80% of construction costs and 90% of realty costs as recommended by President Coolidge (TIME, Dec. 5, Dec. 26). Last week President Coolidge said that while some of the U. S. Chamber's activities are "helpful", others are not. He said he understood that this latest "vote" by the U. S. Chamber did not actually represent a referendum of all Chambermen. President Coolidge said he would leave it to Congress what percentage of flood control costs the flood region communities could bear without great hardships.

White House callers of the week included:

Belgian Ambassador Baron de Cartier de Marchienne, to present a bronze statute of Col. Lindbergh by a Mlle. Wilde of Belgium.

Hungarian Minister Count Laszlo Szechenyi, to present friends. British Ambassador Sir Esme Howard, to present friends.

Dr. Clarence Cook Little, biologist-president of the University of Michigan, to discuss Federal aid to State education.

Dr. Robert Russa Moton, president of Tuskegee Institute, to pay respects.