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Prosperity and Thrift: The Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy, 1921-1929

Boone Papers. Chapter on President Coolidge from the Memoirs of His Physician, Joel T. Boone.

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and 4JAN65)

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Excerpt from Captain Wilson's book in relation to President Coolidge's visit to Havana:

"The sea was never kind to Calvin Coolidge. The morning we embarked at Key West we had a high wind and choppy sea, instead of the dead calm which usually holds through the early morning. To get from the tug to the TEXAS we all had to choose our time to cross a rather insecure gangplank, but when the two vessels rolled in opposite directions, there was risk that the plank might be pulled away from the TEXAS deck in spite of holding lines. Mrs. Coolidge skipped across without help and without the slightest hesitation; but Calvin balked. After several false starts, he crossed at just the right moment and caused us all deep concern until he was safely over. After that all was plain sailing."

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uniform and holding a hymnbook, of course, with cap off and resting on his knee; on his left was Mrs. Coolidge with mouth wide open and singing lustily the hymn ; . Behind in the second row were from left: Secretary of State Kellogg, then Mrs. Kellogg, singing; then, a little masked by the head of Admiral Wiley, was Mrs. Charles Evans Hughes; then back of Mrs. Coolidge was Mrs. Curtis D. Wilbur, the wife of the Secretary of the Navy; there is a glimpse of Senator Walter Edge of New Jersey and of former Secretary of State, Charles Evans Hughes; and also a glimpse, singing, of Everett Sanders. Everyone in the presidential party enjoyed the church service immensely.

We had lunch aboard the TEXAS enroute from Key West to Havana. Everybody was in a gay sp {begin inserted text}i{end inserted text} rit; rather in a holiday atmosphere prevailed. As we approached Havana harbor, there was much excitement aboard the ship. We were all entranced with the magnificent view of the harbor and the city lying to the south. To the north, sticking way out on the point of land, was the historic old Morro Castle, which in years before was looked upon as the defend ing {begin inserted text}er{end inserted text} of Havana harbor and that portion of Cuba, as now we recognized as obselete. It was used more for barbaric {begin inserted text}barrack{end inserted text} purposes for, in any sense, defense measure. We were told that Havana looked forward most enthusiastically to having the Pan American Conference held in that city and with an intensified interest in the anticipated speech of President Coolidge, one that was expected to mark a newer epoch of cordiality in the relations between the United States and Latin America. It was stated to be accepted in advance that President Coolidge would stress America's friendship for all the countries of Central and South America. That

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That was the great hope.

As the TEXAS steamed into the harbor, headed to a designated as anchorage {begin inserted text}as{end inserted text} close to the presidential palace , as would be possible, a tremendous outpouring of humanity on all the waterfronts and far back as the eye could see.

The President did not have very far to travel in a motor launch from the gangway of the TEXAS to the dock designated on which he was to land, where, truly, there was the red carpet {begin inserted text}(glory ever carpet?){end inserted text} , laid down upon which for him to stand step. He looked very fine in his cutaway and high hat and carrying gloves, broad grin on his face as he stepped off the launch and was greeted very graciously and with a wonderful smile on his face of President Machada of Cuba. Colonel Winship and Captain Brown had accompanied him ashore and the cabinet representatives and the official party following along.

The streets were packed with human beings , . Very difficult to get the presidential car through the mass of humanity, and, as the streets are narrow in C a uba and with the balconies covered with people, one might well have been apprehensive that something might happen to our President. The people were very friendly and there was no evidence of injury being inflicted upon President Coolidge and his party. Of course, the President rode in a car with President Machada, the President sitting on President Machada's right and, obviously, an interpreter had to accompany them. In this instance it was one of the military staff members of the Cuban President.

The reception was tumultuous. I had never seen such wild enthusiasm prior to this time. It was a never-to-be-forgotten sight.

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The parades through the streets of great crowds, composed of soldiers and civilians, seemed to occupy every that the human being could stand.

I rode in a car with two Cuban Ambassadors, named Farrar and Chuda. Also in the car with us was a secretary named Pendergrast. After we arrived at the presidential palace, President Coolidge went out on a balcony and was greeted with another tumultuous reception.

Photographs in the newspapers of the President in the rotogravures of the NEW YORK TRIBUNE and TIMES and PHILADELPHIA LEDGER showed Mr. Coolidge looking very well and seemingly {begin inserted text}in a{end inserted text} very happy frame of mind. He responded jovially to the reception.

Mrs. Coolidge, as always, was her charming, happy self. Mrs. Coolidge rode in the car to the palace with Madame Machada, the President's {begin inserted text}of Cuba{end inserted text} wife. Some of us in the presidential party, besides the President and the First Lady, were guests palace. Coupal and I were assigned very beautifully room on one of the upper floors of the palace. {begin inserted text}In{end inserted text} Another room not far from us were Colonel Blanton Winship and Captain Brown. In the hallway on the floor that we occupied there was a very large , beautifully stocked with all kind of food for snacks, eating between meals or at night, and righ richly supplied with all sorts of beverages for our use at any time of day or night.

A servant was assigned to Coupal and me to look after our wardrobe and to serve us at any time as we wanted.

At 5 o'clock on the afternoon we arrived at the palace, Cuban officials were presented to the President of the United States.

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President Machada also presented, about the same time, the Chiefs of the Diplomatic Missions accredited to the D Cuban Government. Then the President of the United States, accompanied by the Secretary Kellogg called on other Presidents of the American States of the North American continent who were in Havana, the call being returned on the President within a half an hour. Then there was a rest period provided for the rest of the afternoon until the dinner hour at 8.

The dinner given by President Machada was a very magnificent affair. I have never such {begin inserted text}small/tall{end inserted text} decorations on the table. The food was delicious and liberally washed down.

I should have said when the President ti Coolidge first arrived at the palace, he went up to the balcony and stood out to greet the tumult and the shouting from the streets. It wa ? {begin inserted text}r{end inserted text} med his heart, I know, h very much to have such a reception, and he responded cheerfully and graciously and with enthusiasm.

After the dinner Coupal and Bill Starling of the Secret Service and I went to the Casino for a while; then, before we retired to the palace, we visited the Seville Hotel, very beautiful.

The next morning after breakfast, the Secretary of the Navy sent for me as he needed some medication.

On Monday, January 16, the President and his official party left the palace at 10:45 a.m. to drive to the new National Theatre where the Sixth Pan American Conference was to be opened. As we walked into this great and beautiful building and the hall in which the Conference was held, it was a marvelous sight to behold. President Coolidge

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seemed in particularly good form. President Machada first addressed the Conference which began at 11 o'clock, and he was followed by President Coolidge making his set address, which was very well received and with such enthusiasm that the President just beamed, and I have rarely seen him as happy.

President and Madame Machada had arranged for a luncheon at their country place some miles outside of Havana. President Machada called it his farm. Fifty guests for luncheon. It was avery pleasant ride out into the country by automobile. We were in a land where there was no prohibition, so cocktails were served before the luncheon began and wine and champagne with the luncheon. The luncheon was served in a tent, very large tent. The table was perfectly beautiful. I had never seen such a high, magnificent floral centerpiece. It was so high and so bushy, as it were, that the President could not see Mrs. Coolidge across the table where she sat on President Machada's right, Madamd Machada having Mr. Coolidge on her right at opposite sides of the tables. I sat down at one end on a curve of the table. I had a good view of President Coolidge and of, across the table, Mrs. Coolidge. At one point Mrs. Coolidge looked around to see if the President could look through the massive centerpiece. When it was obvious that there was no vision between one to the other, she raised her cocktail glass, leaned over, and saluted me so I raised my cocktail glass and {begin inserted text}in{end inserted text} salute to her; and as far as I know, that was the first cocktail she and I had had together. She beamed. She was having a happy time. I knew that President Machada was enjoying

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her vivacity and charm. The luncheon was one of the most delightful entertainments that I had ever experienced, then , or on other presidential occasions when we were out of the country.

The President, when he rose to drink a toast to President and Madame Machada, raised his champagne glass and only touched it to his lips. I was not able to see how much of the champagne he might have taken. Then the President having so saluted President and Madame Machada of Cuba, Mrs. Coolidge drank her champagne and seemed to be enjoying doing so as I watched her across the table. They both enjoyed their visit to Havana and to Cuba immensely.

After luncheon we drove through the country for a while. Roads and trees semmd {begin inserted text}seemed{end inserted text} to be decked with many flags of not only the United States and Cuba, but of other Latin American countries, and there were innumerable posters of President Coolidge. We saw a Cuban native game at one of our stops.

I forgot to mention that after the banquet given by President Machada, I accompanied Colonel Winship with some Cubans to the Casin e {begin inserted text}o{end inserted text} . The Cubans never seemed to want to go to bed, perfectly willing to spend the whole night in revelry. They kept Winship and me out so late that I only had an opportunity to sleep an hour a u {begin inserted text}n{end inserted text} d a half that particular night. I had to be up really early because the presidential party was scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. for the TEXAS. We had to have our breakfast before that time.

There were already a great flock of people on the streets but mostly of the working cal class as we motored from the palace to the

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dock to go out to the TEXAS. All the delegates attending the Conference were on hand to see President Coolidge and the First Lady and the rest of us in the United States presidential party set sail.

We did not go direct to the TEXAS, but we went to the cruiser MEMPHIS, which, instead of the TEXAS, was going to take us back to Key West. MEMPHIS, as will be remembered by my readers, was the ship on which Colonel Lindbergh sailed from France back to the United States, landing at the Washington Navy Yard.

Breakfast had been prepared for us on the MEMPHIS so some of our party who had not had any g breakfast {begin inserted text}unprepared{end inserted text} ; as a matter of act, those of us who had had a snack of breakfast at the palace participated in the MEMPHIS breakfast.

President Coolidge was tired and as soon as there was a bit of a roughness as we cruised out of the harbor into the open sea, he disappeared into his cabin and missed the demonstration of a catapult being launched from the MEMPHIS.

We arrived at Key West at 2 o'clock in the afternoon of the 17th. The President and his party motored through the city, leaving Key West on the Florida East Coast Railroad on our special train at 4 p.m. It was a very lovely and beautiful trip as we traveled over the railroad line from key to key before we got on the Florida mainland. I had a very pleasant and interesting chat with President and Mrs. Coolidge in his observation car after we left Key West. He was full of enthusiasm, as was Mrs. Coolidge, with their visit to Havana. He didn't find anything that went awry and he was delighted with

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his reception and as he traversed through the streets and also when he completed his stated address to the Sixth Pan American Conference. He wished us all to talk about it and he entered into the conversations and seemingly very content with the visit that he had made to Cuba.

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