Evening star., 1925-04-22
COOL|DGE'S QUERY
ON SHIPS REVEALED
Spokesman Says Policy Re-
garding Sale Was Not
Questioned.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


The. White House has not yet shed
light on the controversy going on in
side the Shipping Board with respect
to the pending sale of ships, and there
is no copy, available for publication of
the letter written by President Cool
idge to Chairman O'Connor, which has
been interpreted as an intervention In
Shipping Board procedure.
What the spokesman for the PreSl-
dent told the press as to this and
other matters at the semi-weekly con-
ference follows almost verbatim:
/. That the President made an in
quiry Of the Shipping Board not in
relation to the sale of ships that Is
contemplated, but he made an inquiry
as to whether part of the Shipping
Board were going to appear in court
in opposition to the rest of the board,
and he was informed that some OF
them were appearing IN court.
The President did not know whether
the idea was that 1t was in opposition
to the rest of the board, but the IN
formation consisted of filing with him
the personal answers, the individual
answers made by the different mem
bers of the board. These are on hle
in court; they are public, and that is
all the information he has about It,
He was not making an inquiry-he
wanted that made elear-about the
sale of ships His inquiry was as to
the administration OF the Shipping
Board affairs-as to whether part OF
the board was in conflict with the
other part of the board and If mem
bers of the board were in conflict gen
orally against the board or against
the Government. He was told the
court complaint was against each OF
the members individually and they
were making individual answers.
Those are on file, and the President
does not know exactly what their con-
tents are.
Kellogg Action Routine.
Q. The President understood that the
statement issued by Secretary Kellogg
with respect to Russia had no par
ticular significance. He understood 1t
came about this way;
When Ambassador Kellogg became
Secretary of State there were rumors
that he might change the attitude
of the State Department towards Rus
sia and in response to several inquiries
of that kind the Secretary sent notice
there was not any change at the pres
ent time-more as a matter OF. or
binary detail.
8. The, President is advised that
marines were landed in Honduras
from one of our was vessels that
are in that territory. There is
no definite information available
as yet as to the nature of the
able as yet as to the nature of the
difficulties in Honduras. The COM
manders of the United States battle
ships have general authority, when in
foreign waters and understand that
American lives or property are in
jeopardy; to land marines for their
protection. That is what has taken
place in this instance. 1t is not known
that any lives have been lost. He
was referring not only to American
lives, but to lives of the natives of
Honduras. He understood, however.
that there is some threat of revolution
and disorder in some parts of the
country, but SO far as information has
been received it does not appear to
be serious.
Appointments Uncertain.
(. The President didn't know just
when an appointment would be made
to fill vacancies in Rumania, or Fin
land or Siam. Mr.. Jay is in Rumania
conducting some negotiations that
are pending there and he may be kept
there until these negotiations are in
such shape that he can turn them
over to his successor.
8. Most of the questions of the day
were in relation to Russia and the
Shipping Board, which he thought he
had answered in way that members
of the press understood. He didn't
think the President would be going
to Boston on the >17th Of June and it
was possible he might be at Cam
bridge, Mass, on the Sd of July.
8. That the President has no ne
gotiations at the present time rela-
tive to the arms conference and that
he already has given all the informa-
ton there is about that and that the
matter is being looked up by the State
Department.
The spokesman did not volunteer
am information as to Government ac-
tiVfties or the cabinet sessions nor
was there any way of determining
under the rule just what inquiries
were made of the President which he
decided not to answer.
Copyright. 1925.)