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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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{begin inserted text}On{end inserted text} President-elect Hoover's second tour of the city of Buenos Aires he was accompanied by the city manager, Senor Cantillo, and by the Director General of Navigation, concluding their tour with a visit to the port facilities, including the big canals which had enabled Buenos Aires to receive ocean-going vessels right at her door. Continuing the quote from Rex Collier's article, as published in the Washington EVENING STAR of February 19, 1929:

"Situated on the La Plata River, 172 miles inland from its mouth, the city had expended many millions of dollars in providing deep channels to her great docks.

"He visited the big cathedral and placed a wreath on the tom g {begin inserted text}b{end inserted text} of Gen. Jose de San Martin, the famous hero-liberator of Argentina, and he viewed the imposing statue of George Washington in the Parque 3 de Febrero.

"He lunched on the first day of his visit in the state dining room of the Palacios de Congreso as guest of the presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. The parliament builsing is suggestive somewhat of the Capitol in Washington, except that its dome is smaller and of narrower proportions."

I had met President-elect Hoover and his party at the station upon their arrival in Buenos Aires. My friend, Commander Harry H. Lane, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy, who was the senior medical officer of the MARYLAND, having crossed the Andes with the presidential party, directed to stand relieved upon my reporting to the President-elect,

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and has been recorded in these memoirs earlier when the UTAH departed from Hampton Roads and Old Point Comfort, Virginia, Commander Lane was to return by the Andes railroad and rejoin his ship, the MARYLAND, at Valparaiso and assume his regular duties as senior medical officer of that vessel.

In all the social activities in Buenos Aires for the President-elect, I was included in all of them as one of the guests and I accompanied the President-elect wherever he went while he was in Argentine and from then on until he returned to Washington.

To continue some excerpt quotes from Rex Collier's article to which I have been referring:

"That night (of President-elect Hoover's arrival in Buenos Aires) he was tendered a brilliant banquet in the presidential palace, to which less than a hundred guests had been invited. This function was one of the highlights of the entire trip. Undoubtedly it was one of the most lavish affairs of its kind ever held in South America."

When I walked into the banquet room, I was so overcome by the brilliance and beauty of it that I thought it was the most beautifully appointed and decorated room that I had ever seen in my life.

"After the banquet the guests adjourned to an adjoining salon and smoked and chatted for half an hour. The Argentine President ended the party with the novel suggestion that a nocturnal sightseeing tour of the capital be made. Accordingly, he conducted Mr. Hoover and Allan, son of the President-elect, on an extensive automobile ride through the brightly-lighted avenues and boulevards.

"These democratic courtesies, unheard of in the republic

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prior to Mr. Hoover's visit, were convincing the Americans that the Argentine President did not deserve his nickname of 'The Mole', popularly assigned to him because of his retiring disposition. Senor Irigoyen even allowed himself to be photographed with Mr. Hoover, an act that caused widespread astonishment among the ranks of newspaper photographers in Buenos Aires. It was claimed that this was the first time the President ever had faced a camera voluntarily.

"While her husband was being entertained by President Irigoyen, Mrs. Hoover was enjoying a busy round of festivities arranged in her honor by the sister of the President and the wives of high government officials. Senor Irigoyen is a bachelor, so the duties of hostess devolved upon Senora Marcelina Irigoyen de Rordigue s {begin inserted text}z,{end inserted text} his sister. Mrs. Hoover was shown the points of interest in the capital and was taken through one of the women's hospitals. While Mr. Hoover was dining at the palace she was being entertained at dinner by the President's sister.

"Meanwhile the good-will correspondents were not neglected. Many parties were held in their honor and numerous sight-seeing trips were arranged. Some of them investigated the night life of the gay South American 'Paree'.

"They were impressed by the institutional character of the pretentious La Prensa building, housing one of South America's leading dailies....

"They were toasted at the Argentine Press Club, given a luncheon at the American Club and conducted through the clubhouse of the Jockey Club.... It is a temple of pleasure, extravagantly designed and

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sumptuously fitted. Its paneled halls are hung with rare paintings, its staircases flanked with sculpture and its many ballrooms, private dining rooms, game rooms and library ornately decorated and furnished.

"Moreover, the visitors were shown through the great cellar beneath the building, where is preserved one of the world's most valued collections of wines and liquors. Champagnes of the Napoleonic period were proudly pointed out by one of the many guards."

To quote from Rex Collier, another article, which among other things referred to the departure of President-elect Hoover and his party from Buenos Aires (published in THE EVENING STAR, Washington, D.C., Feb. 20, 1929):

"North American business sagacity, flavored with Just the right amount of diplomacy, is opening up profitable marts of trade in gentina and, most important of all, dispelling the prejudice that long existed against goods 'made in the U.S.A.'

"Apparently the unpopularity of American manufactures was attributable to the virtual stranglehold which Europe e long maintained on the east coast markets of South America.

"The idea once obtained, and quite naturally was encouraged by European prop {begin inserted text}a{end inserted text} ganda, that left-hand drive American automobiles could not be operated safely or conveniently under Buenos Aires' English 'keep to the left' system of traffic.

"American motor car salesmen demonstrated that this was an utter falacy and now nine out of ten of the automobiles dashi {begin inserted text}n{end inserted text} g through the streets of the Argentine capital (they really dash down there, too)

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bear the familiar nameplates of American manufacturers.

"Another handicap which the Americans had to face was the lack of American distrib y {begin inserted text}u{end inserted text} ting agencies in the re b public. Most of the wholesale houses were in the hands of the British. I . . .

"This problem {ILLEGIBLE} {begin inserted text}gradually{end inserted text} is being solved by the establishment of American distributing organizations in the Argentine....

"The restaurant business in one thing that has not become Americanized, however. Efforts of members of the press to get an American-style meal in Buenos Aires were fruitless. They found that breakfast is served at lunch time, and it does not consist of ham and eggs. A roll and a cup of coffee is considered sufficient for the early risers....

"The motor car interests have led the way in introducing Argentina to American methods of doing business. Leading American car manufacturers have built up effective sales organizations there, and are advertising their products on a large scale.

" A Argentina's seeming lack of interest in a national highway problem has proved an obstacle in the way of further development of the automobile market.

"Her railroads are so many and so efficient that little thought has been given to the automobile and truck as competitors of railway transportation. Railroad interests are powerful in the republic and they cannot be expected to give encouragement to highway development....

"Members of the Hoover party learned that Argentina is spending large sums for schools and playgrounds.... Educational methods are progressive, and English is a popular elective subject....

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"...horse racing is the biggest attraction, and the Jockey Club at Buenos Aires has provided an excellent track for followers of the turf. The Argentine breed of race horse is famous for its speed and stamina, despite its apparently small build.

"President-elect Hoover's time was taken up so fully by luncheons, dinners and receptions that sightseeing had to be curtailed, but he learned much of Argentina's social and economic progress in conferences with officials of the country. He also learned of American trade developments in informal chats with members of the American colony. The Americans have formed several progressive business and pa rt {begin inserted text}tr{end inserted text} iotic societies in Buenos Aires....and the American Society of the River Plate.

"The last-named organization embraces members from all the other societies, and under its auspices there was held a pretentious reception in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Hoover in the ballroom of the Plaza Hotel....

"The climactic event of the two-day program was the grand opera performance (of "Aida") on the eve of Mr. Hoover's departure. A lover of the arts, the Argentine is an enthusiastic supporter of the opera, and most of the world-famous operatic artists have performed in Buenos Aires at one time or another.

"The special performance in honor of the American President-elect was, moreover, an extraordinary social event, the limited supply of tickets for which were in great demand among the ultra-elite of the capital's social set. The bo . . .

"President Irigoyen personally escorted Mr. and Mrs. Hoover to the opera. As they entered the presidential box the entire audience

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arose in salute, and the orches b {begin inserted text}t{end inserted text} ra played the national anthems of Argentina and the United States.

"The gala performance provided a thrilling climax to the Argentina visit."

(At {begin inserted text}t{end inserted text} ending the opera with the President-elect and his party and the President of Argentina and his official group was one of the highest points of my life. It was one of the most magnificent performances in that very magnificent structure that I ever possibly expect to see.)

"Early the next morning the members of the good-will mission were snatching hasty breakfasts at their hotels, by special arrangement with the cafe managers, and then were on their way to the wharves, where the Argentine cruiser, 'Buenos Aires', waited to carry them 70 miles down the La Plata River to Montevideo.

"The cruiser had been provided graciously by President Irigoyen. The U.S.S. Utah had been unable to make the trip up the river because of the warship's deep draft, and anchorage had been effected in the harbor of the Uruguayan capital.

"President Irigoyen accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Hoover to the dock. Several troops of lancers escorted the presidential automobiles through the city. At the dock the Argentine President assisted his guests from their cars and then walked down the gangplank with them, consenting to pose for the photographers on the cruiser.

"Final farewells were exchanged, the President returned to the dock, the gangplank was drawn ashore and the cruiser moved out in the river, enroute to the sea.

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"Touched by the sincerity of the Argentine welcome, Mr. Hoover was moved to send a special radio message of appreciation from the Buenos Aires as the vessel churned its way down the river.

"Addressing the message to President Irigoyen the President-elect said: 'It is a source of deep satisfaction to have had this opportunity of discussing with your excellency in a frank and friendly manner the forces in progress in our respective countries.

"'I believe that from this visit and from our interchange of ideas there will result a better understanding of the problems facing each of us.'"

{begin inserted text}On{end inserted text} The trip down the river from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, the presidential party relaxed on the deck or some, as we call it, "Hit the sack", went to sleep, for the period in Buenos Aires was very busy and fatiguing one, but highly enjoyable and, we felt, successful. While Mrs. Hoover and Miss Fessler were sitting on the deck enjoying the scenery and the placid cruise down the river, and while I was standing beside them, Allan Hoover came up a ladder from the deck below the main deck. Mrs. Hoover looked at him, saw he was very pale, and said, addressing me: "Doctor, Allan always feels any slight motion of a ship. See how pale he is, going to become sick. Take him down below and get him to lie down on one of the beds."

I did as I was directed to do by Mrs. Hoover, but I was amused because I the ship was not making one slight motion. Placid river. I also knew that Allan had bean out with George Baker, President's special guests, very late the night before, making the rounds of the

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town, as it were, to see the sights. In other words, some of the night life of very attractive Buenos Aires, which in that as in other respects seemed so much like Paris. I later learned from George Baker he and Allan had not returned to the hotel until the early morning hours, just in time to get some coffee and a piece of toast or a roll before it was time to Join the President-elect's party for the formal departure from Buenos Aires and go aboard the Argentine cruiser for the trip down the La Plata to Montevideo. Allan knew that I knew the cause for his paleness. He was a very attractive, tall, handsome, appealing young man. Buenos Aires night life, as provided by the various wonderful eating places, would have a great appeal to him, and also in the company of such a fascinating and widely traveled host as George Baker.

After the 70-mile trip down the La Plata River, which consumed most of the day, we arrived at the beautiful city of Montevideo. We were greeted by the President of Uruguay and the top officials of that republic. Taken on a sightseeing trip early, entertained at luncheons and dinner, President-elect Hoover had many opportunities for conferences with the President of Uruguay and many of his counsellors and advisers. United States Ambassador accredited to Uruguay, Minister Hugh Grant Smith , . Military Attache was Major Charles C. Richardson. Naval Attache was Captain Clarence L. Arnold, who was accredited to both Argentine and Uruguay Naval Attache.

Dinner that evening was a very beautiful affair with 90 in attendance. I had an excellent seat near the center of one of the arms of a U-shaped table, so that I was looking right across the hollow

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