Evening star., 1925-03-04
Presidents Character Shown i'm Actions
Little First Way of People

Mr. Coolidge. At a dinner party the
only words volunteered by Mr.. Coolidge
sometimes are Eyes" or no"
This may be embarrassing and dis
concerting to the newly initiated, but
when you see more of Calvin Coolidge
and feel as II you know him better,
you cease to be bothered. Those who
are in a position to know say he
will frequently go through an entire
meal at his own table with only men,
bers of his family or one or two very
intimate friends present. without say
ing a word. On his walks about the
streets, whether he Is accompanied
by Frank w. Stearns of Boston, his
most intimate friend, or by secret
service men. or when he walked with
his son, he seldom talked. Once in
a while he will make some comment
about q passing object or inquire
about something that interests him.
But on the whole these walks are
not turned into chats. They are for
exercise.
Likes Good Takers.
The President enjoys listening to
somebody else talk-that is, II the
talk is not merely prattle. This is
shown by his Mayfiower cruises, his
White House breakfast conferences
and other White House gatherings, on
which occasions Mr.. Coolidge has
carefully selected his company for
the purpose of learning their views
or opinions
In this latter connection President
Coolidge has the rare gift of being
able to elicit information, generally
the information he is seeking. with
out volunteering any himself. He is
a good questioner, and in this re-
spect he has the happy faculty of be-
Ing able to ask a question, the an
swer to which may be very greatly
desired by him, without giving any
outward evidence of his eagerness.
In other words, he does not betray
himself by any word of mouth nor
facial expression.
II Is readily seen that this is, in
deed, a valuable accomplishment for
one in his position. His now famous
breakfast conferences are typical of
this. These informal gatherings were
for the purpose Of learning the view s
Of his guests, upon certain impor-
tant matters that were paramount at
the time. OF course, these gather
ings served as a means Of getting
better acquainted. and with the lay
ing, probably, of a foundation of
action. But they were first of all de-
signed by Mr.. Coolidge to get at the
bottom Of things. He selected his
company with care, and those who
are in a position to speak authori-
tatively, say he generally found out
what he wanted. Whether or not IL
was the buckwheats and sausage. and
the choice cigars that followed the
morning meal, or whether his guests
known, but 1t is known that on each
OF these memorable occasions Presi-
dent Coolidge learned something he
specially wanted to know.
1t is essentially true that none of
these guests upon leaving had any
real idea of the impression his con-
versation made upon his host. Nor
did any of them go away from the
White House with a full understand
ing OF the reason why he had been in
vited or what the President pro-
fast discussion.
His manner of announcing impor-
tant conclusions and decisions, too, is
a further characteristic of this New
Englander.
Some consider his method of an
nouncing very important things as
distracting. This is not a trait or
habit he has developed since he has
been President and has been han
ding very big things. His friends
say he always has been that way.
After he has thrashed out a problem
in his mind and has gone over all the
evidence in the case, SO to speak, ne
frequently summons a group who
may be directly or indirectly inter-
csted in the decision he has reached,
or who may have been helpful to him
in arriving at a conclusion. This
subject very likely had occupied a
prominent place in the newspapers
for days. There had been the usual
was likely to do. In other words.
every one is in state OF expectancy.
This is intensified when the summons
from the White House arrives. At
last they are to learn what the Presi-
dent is going to do. The veil of mys-
terry will be lifted.
1t is in this high-pitched state the
company hurries to the White House.
There is nothing about the serene ex-
terror of the big mansion to indicate
anything out Of the ordinary. The
same Is the case when they cross the
threshold. Mr.. Coolidge greets them
in his usual calm, unruffied and
matter-of-fact way. There Is moth
ing about his appearance or his
voice or movements to suggest that
he has anything more important to
impart than that the first cherry
blossoms have appeared in the White
House grounds. There follows con-
versation of general and unim-
portant sort. Nothing suggesting the
subject in question is mentioned.
Takes His Time Always.
All are waiting for the President
to open up.
His calmness and his failure to re-
veal anything becomes virtually
White House etiquette prohibits one
from prodding the President on such
occasions. There is an uncomfor-
table wait. Finally, when every one
present has come to the conclusion
that 1t must have been a mistake
about the President having some
thing important to announce, the
latter in the most casual and unim-
pressive manner imaginable, makes
his announcement. 1t Is in this
casual manner that he makes i'm
portant announcements during hts
conferences with the newspaper
men.
Many Senators and Representatives
and others high in Government and
the councils Of the Republican party
have gone through experiences such
as this. Following the resignation
Of Attorney General Daugherty in
the Winter of 1924, there was great
speculation regarding his successor.
Careers Of COOL