Evening star., 1925-01-07
ELABORATE PLANS
. FOR INAUGURATION
GOING TO COOLIDGE
GaIIiher's Ideas to Be Laid
Before Executive Today.
Gala Nature Stressed.
CURTIS SEES PRESIDENT
ON CAPITOL CEREMONY
Erection of Huge Stand for Spec
tators at Inaugural Address
Is Among Proposals.

The ceremonies attending the in
auguration of President Coolidge will
be the most pretentious since the days
of William Mckinley and Theodore
Roosevelt, according to William T.
Galliher, chairman of the inaugural
| committee, who will lay plans for the
ceremonies before the President today.
Although the committees in charge
viii not depart from the dignity that
/ is considered beftting the induction
into office of a President of the United
State. Mr.. Galliher declared, he hopes
to sec the greatest parade that ever
passed down Pennsylvania avenue
when President Coolidge takes the
oath Of Office March 4.
Instead of the severely simple"
ceremonies that attended the ad-
mfnistering Of the oath to Presidents
Wilson and Harding, a great stand
stretching from the Senate to the
House wings of the Capitol, covering
| the entire east steps and capable of
seating at least 5000 dignitaries OF
state, official guests, diplomatic rep
resentatiyes and other spectators
may be erected.
Mr.. Galliher said that 1t is his idea
to make the inauguration of Presi-
dent Coolidge an occasion for Joy, to
! be participated in by the people of
America rather than shrouding 1T in
an overabundance of forbidding dignity.
Curtis Sees Coolidge.
Senator Curtis of Kansas. Republj-
can leader of the Senate and chair
man of the joint congressional in
| augural committee, had breakfast
with the President in the White
House today. and discussed with Mr.
Coolidge the plan for the inaugural
ceremonies.
Later Senator Curtis said that he
had asked the architect of the Capt.
tol and other officials to compare
| three different plans. The first similar
to the plan adopted for the Harding
inauguration, at which the guests
| stood, with the exception of a few
! who had places on the small stand
| from which the President delivered
his address; second, by calling for the
erection of a stand to seat about 5000
/ people, and a third, to seat $500 peo-
| pie
When these plans have been prepared
Senator Curtis said that he would
call his committee together again to
determine which should be adopted.
| 1t is understood that the President
! has left the matter of arrangements
/ for the inaugural ceremonies at the
! Capitol largely in the hands of the
| joint committee, although the COM
mittee will follow such wishes in the
matter as the President may express.
May Decide Today.
| 1t is believed possible that the
question of what form the Inaugural
| tion ceremonies will take-that is.
whether they will carry out the idea
| of simplicity such as marked the
| Wilson and Harding inductions-
! will be decided this afternoon when
President Coolidge sees Mr.. Galliher.
! That the President wishes to allow
! himself considerable time for this
! meeting was indicated when he sent
word to Mr.. Galliher, who was wait
| ing to see him shortly before noon,
| that unexpected engagements had
made it impossible for him to allot
| the conference sufficient time at that
hour and requested the inaugural
| chairman to return at $3.50 o'clock.
One of the issues to be decided will
| be the question of the inaugural ball.
| Heretofore the President has firmly
| vetoed all suggestions for an official
inaugural ball. On the other hand
| every plan submitted has called for
! entertainment of that character on
| the evening of the Inauguration, and
|
collation. of any kind of ball would
| necessarily curtail the days program.
Seen as DIscourteOus.
He has pointed out that it would be
/ discourteous to invite large numbers
/ of persons here merely to see the pa
rade, and then leave them with no
! means of entertainment in the
| evening.
So far as can be learned, however,
the committees in charge have not
| specified what kind of a ball should
be held. They have, it is said, merely
suggested that some such fete be ar
ranged. On this basis there is a pos
| sibility that the President may not
disapprove OF holding a charity ball
such as marked the evening of Pres
| ident Harding's inauguration.
| If he vetoes an official inaugural
ball and does not offer objection to
| the charity event, it is regarded as
certain that the latter will be held.
President Harding did not attend
the charity ball in 1921. There is an
| open question, however, as to wheth
/ er President and Mrs. Coolidge might
| appear at such an event for short
| time in view of the fact that it would
| not necessitate the erigors of stand
| ing in a receiving line for long and
| tiresome hours, such as would be nee
| eSSary at an onnclal reception
Want Coolidge to Decide.
Neither Mr.. Galliher nor Senator
| Curtis have committed themselves
one way or the other on this subject.
| Both wish to let the President decide
| the matter for himself without being
embarrassed by any intimation of
| choice on their part.
Mr. Galliher said that the ball Is
probably one of the subjects to be
| discussed when he meets President
| Coolidge this afternoon.
| In case 1t is decided to have a mill
| tary and civic parade, 1t is said at the
War Department. that the general
plan of parade of previous inaugura-
| tions undoubtedly would be followed
If precedent is followed. Maj. Gen.
| John L. Hines, chief of staff of the
1 Army, the highest ranking officer
| available, naturally would serve as
| grand marshal, and Brig. Gen. Samuel
| D. Rockenbach, commanding the Dis
| trict of Washington, would be his
| chief of staff and attend to all the de-
tails of the organization of the pro-
| cession. At the Wilson Inauguration
|