The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1927-08-04
DOES NOT 'CHOOSE
TO BE CANDIDATE"
President Coolidge Makes
Simple Statement to
Correspondents.
WORLD IS SURPRISED
Supporters Astounded As
Momentous Move is Made
Without a Conference.

Rapid City, S. D., Aug. 2
President Coolidge announced at
the summer White House this af-
ternoon that he would not be a
candidate for reelection in 1928.
The announcement was made
without warning at noon, noun
tain time. The president made
only this brief statement.
"I do not choose to run for
president in 1929"
AT regular press conference
earlier, Mr.. Coolidge said he would
have an announcement to make at
noon. No intimation came from
the temporary White House as to
what it would be.
Indications were that the presi-
dent had waited until the market
had closed in New York so that
his statement would have no in
f1uence upon the market. ~
When newspaper men assemb-
led in his school room office at
noon, he said: i1
"Are you all here?"
The door was locked and Ever
EFT Sanders, the presidents secre-
tary, stood guard there.
Mr.. Coolidge held half dozen
slips of paper in his right hand.
They were folded over so that they
could not be read. IA.
The newspaper men passed in
H. tLofo-o hs,,o orl ,sonoIuoH
a copy of the typewriter state
ment.
Mr.. Coolidge's face was drawn
and serious. He did not smile to
newspaper men as he usually does.
When the statements had all been
handed out, the United Press cor
respondent asked the president if
he had anything additional to say.
He merely shook his head.
~ Just what prompted the state
ment at this time is problematical.
His political position is now as
strong as it ever has been. Lead
ers coming here from all parts of
the west have assured him that
people generally were strong for
him. His stay here has been
pleasant and tho he is in good
health, furrowed lines of worry
could be noticed some mornings
around his eyes. Major James F.
Coupal, his physician, however,
SAYS his health is much improved
since he came from Washington.
1t is known that apparent col
lapse of the Geneva disarmament
conference was a deep disappoint-
ment to the president. He indi-
Gated last Friday that he had no
hope that a successful conclusion
could be reached at Geneva.
of course, failure of the disar-
mament meeting and implied
warning that Great Britain is con-
templating a much larger navy
than she now has may result in
curtailment of Mr.. Coolidge's
economy program. This govern
ment may have to build up its
navy instead of cutting down,
thereby absorbing some of the
funds that have during the last
few years gone into debt retire
ment and tax reduction.
However, the conference has
not yet formally broken up altho
MIR. Coolidge made known earlier
that he had no intention of per-
hitting the Geneva discussions, to
be smoothed over by an adjourn
ment until fall. 1t has been re
ported that Mr.. Coolidge cabled
Hugh Gibson, head of the Ameri-
can delegation at Geneva, that he
would countenance no such action,
and that the conference would
stand or fail at this time.
Mr.. Coolidge's deep interest in
Geneva is founded not alone upon
his; desire to carry forward his
economic program, but also be-
cause. he himself called the confer
enee and considers himself some
what personally responsible for its
success.