The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-10
What Becomes of
Presidents
GntSp

tA4G AHOSIAOA w nat DOCOII10S
of the gifts that are thrust
upon our Presidents?" is one to
start the imaginative off on a fine
round Of speculation. The car
load of things, for example, that
were presented to President Hard
ing on his Inflated Alaskan Jour-
ney, and the motley collection
which has poured in on his sue
cessor.
The query is answered in part
in a story published recently in
the New York Herald, which says:
THE President probably rejects
more offers Of gifts than any one
else in the United States. Every
week Mr.. Coolidge turns down
scores of offers of almost every
thing ranging from animals of all
sorts to specially prepared foods.
Sometimes Mr.. Coolidge accepts
the gifts Offered, when he can use
them to good advantage. But he
does not believe that it would be
right for. him to receive the pres
ents and then give them. to some
one else. He has been compelled
recently to refuse acceptance of
hundreds of valuable dogs because
there is no place: at the White
House to keep them.
Since Mr.. Coolidge has been in
the White House he has accepted
six presents in the way of pets.
Two were kittens, two dogs, one
peacock and the other a grizzly
bear. The cats. dogs and peacock
are at the White House now. The
President probably decided that in
order to maintain peace in the ami.
NAL family at the White, House
It would be better to keep the bear
in some other place. At any rate
he had it taken to the Washington
Zoo.
ssMR. COOLIDGE probably re-
eeiyes more books than any
other single article. Nearly every
mail carries to the White House
a book that some admirer of the
President has read and liked and
decided to send on to the Chief
Executive. Often these books are
sent to the President by the au-
thors. Some OF the books he keeps
while others he sends to the Con-
gressional or other city Libraries.
Mr.. Coolidge accepts most of the
books sent him.
Small gifts of vegetables, fruits
OF all kinds and flowers are re
ceived daily at the White House.
Often when a farmer raises a par
ticularly fine crop of peaches, he
sends "a basket of them to the
White House. probably on the
theory that the best is none too
good for the President.
Sometimes the gift is onions,
lettuce, or other vegetables. If
the gift is not too bulky, the Pres
ident usually accepts 1t and uses
it on the White House table.
Parcels of flowers come to the
President from all parts of the
country, chiefly from the growers,
who are so proud of them that
they desire them to grace the
White House, even if only for a
short time.
but there are many persons
who offer gifts to the President
for the sole purpose Of advertis-
ing themselves or the article. This
is true of some manufacturers of
food products. But gifts are sell
dom sent to the White House.
The President is asked by letter II
he would accept the gift. In al
most every case Mr.. Coolidge de.
clines.
"'Every Thanksgiving the Presi.
dent, wherever he is, receives a
fine turkey for his dinner. Usually
the turkey is one that has won
high honors for the good quail
ties, breeding, etc. OF course,
each year there are offers made
of more than one turkey to the
President. He accepts only one"
3
Mr.. and Mrs Hills, who have
been guests at the White House
have left for their home in North