6 Statement About Appointments to the Interstate Commerce Commission. I REGRET to say that Commissioner Campbell's resignation has been received. He has been a distinguished public servant. I shall appoint someone from the Intermountain States to the vacancy. At the request of Mr. Jones, of Tennessee, I shall withdraw his name, as upon reconsideration he has concluded that he does not wish to accept the appointment. It will again be made from the Southern States. NOTE: Johnston B. Campbell was a Commissioner on the Interstate Commerce Commission from 1921 to 1930 and served as Chairman from 1928 to 1930. Robert M. Jones was a lawyer from Knoxville, Tenn. The President nominated William E. Lee, of Idaho, on January 9, 1930, and Hugh McCall Tate, of Tennessee, on February 8 to be Interstate Commerce Commissioners. In connection with the nominations, the White House issued, on January 18 and February 10, brief biographical data on the nominees and lists of individuals endorsing them. 7 Statement About Repair of the Executive Offices. IT IS our intention to repair the present executive offices, making them as fully fireproof as possible. This can be accomplished in 2 or 3 months. A number of Members of Congress and others have suggested that a new and more imposing executive office should be erected on some other site. That is a matter that would require 2 or 3 years for the development of thought and design. The present offices will serve all purposes for the next few years, and I am much more anxious to expedite the erection of the departmental buildings, which are so urgently needed. The time will undoubtedly come when a larger and more dignified executive office should be erected. 53-315 76-4 NOTE: A fire on Christmas eve, 1929, did extensive damage to the executive office wing. See 1929 volume, Item 328. 8 New Year's Message to King George V of Great Britain. January 4, 1930 [Released January 4, 1930. Dated January 3, 1930] I AM happy to receive Your Majesty's message of new year wishes. The resolve to advance world peace by mutual good will and by the limitation of naval armaments is the earnest purpose of the British and the American peoples and of their governments and it is my hope, as it will be the endeavor of the American Government, to see this great object attained during the year which has just commenced. I also desire to reciprocate all Your Majesty's good wishes for the new year. HERBERT HOOVER [His Majesty George V, Buckingham Palace, London, England] 9 Message to the Congress Recommending Payment of a Claim Presented by the Government of China. January 6, 1930 To the Congress of the United States: I transmit herewith a report of the Secretary of State requesting the submission to the Congress of a claim presented by the Government of China against the Government of the United States, arising out of a collision in Chinese waters on June 2, 1927, between the United States naval vessel Bittern and a Chinese junk, resulting in the drowning of Chang Hsi Ying, a citizen of China, and a member of the crew of the junk. I recommend that, as an act of grace and without reference to the question of the legal liability of the United States, an appropriation in the amount of $500 be made to effect settlement of this claim in accordance with the recommendation of the Secretary of State, in which the Secretary of the Navy concurs. The White House, January 6, 1930. HERBERT HOOVER NOTE: The message and accompanying report are printed as Senate Document 59 (71st Cong., 2d sess.). 10 The President's News Conference of January 7, 1930 THE PRESIDENT. I have a question or two as to whether I had anything to say on the departure of the commission, so I have prepared a little statement, and will give it to you in a minute. LONDON NAVAL CONFERENCE I am sure the whole Nation bids Godspeed to the American delegation that leaves tomorrow for the London Naval Conference. The people and the governments of the five nations assembling at this meeting are genuinely desirous that agreement shall be brought about by which competition in construction of naval arms is brought to an end, and by which an actual reduction in naval burdens shall be accomplished. The difficulties in finding a basis are very great, but they are not insuperable. The conclusions of the Conference must be such as to give a sense of security and satisfaction to each of the nations. We cannot base anything in the nature of permanent peace on any feeling of insecurity or having taken advantage of or having created a situation of prejudice to any one government. The technologies of the problem are very considerable. I do not think we need to hope for any immediate results. To complete the Conference in 3 or 4 months would be an accomplishment. It is, in fact, the most important international conference that has been held for many years and probably for many years to come. The progress of peace in the world rests to a very great degree on the success of this Conference. There is a very great feeling of good will not only on the part of the people of the different countries but on the part of the governments themselves to the success of the Conference. That has been outstanding in all of our discussions right from the beginning and right up to as late as last night. The importance and the gravity of the occasion have been recognized by the appointment of leading men of every government to attend this Conference, and I believe that men of that character and caliber, with that weight of responsibility, will succeed. I do not believe it is possible to bring together men of such character and with the fundamental backing of good will and responsibility such as this Conference convenes under without success. I am in hopes that the people of this country will show patience and give encouragement and keep free from criticism. We go to London in a fine atmosphere and with a good spirit on the work of the commission, and we must preserve it, if we can, through the period of negotiations. So that again I repeat that it is my belief that the whole American people wish Godspeed and success to this effort. And that is all I have today. Q. Mr. President, was that along the lines of what you said to your breakfast guests this morning? THE PRESIDENT. It was. Q. Mr. President, could you tell us something about it? I think the others have hesitated about telling about it. THE PRESIDENT. The discussion was very general. I gave no instructions to the commission at all. I did not go into any detail, and we had no discussion of details. We merely discussed the general setting, the favorable character of the evidences that we had from each one of the governments of their desire to come to conclusions and, in fact, more or less, of an expansion of the ideas that are here. The American delegation, as you know, is not only a strong one, but composed of men who understand the problem. I do not think that we have ever sent a delegation abroad that has had such a grasp on the essentials of what they are to undertake as this group of men have. So that it was not necessary for me to thrash out details with that group. What is more, our delegates have been engaged for the last month in a study of the problem which they have to undertake, and they have become technologists on the subject, each one of them himself. So that it is unnecessary for me to discuss tons, et cetera, with those men. They know as much about it today as I do and more. The whole occasion was merely to give them encouragement and the assurance of complete support from this side in any conclusions which they may come to. NOTE: President Hoover's eightieth news conference was held in the State, War, and Navy Building at 12 noon on Tuesday, January 7, 1930. The President breakfasted with delegates and advisers who were leaving for London. Ambassadors Charles G. Dawes and Hugh S. Gibson were already in Europe. The White House also issued a text of the President's statement on the London Naval Conference (see Item 11). 11 Statement on the London Naval Conference. THE PRESIDENT said: "I am sure the whole Nation bids Godspeed to the American delegation that leaves tomorrow for the London Naval Arms Conference. The people and the governments of the five nations assembling at this meeting are sincerely desirous that agreement shall be brought about by which competition in construction of naval arms is brought to an end, and by which actual reduction in naval burdens of the world shall be accomplished. The difficulties of finding a basis that will be acceptable to five different nations are great, but they are not insuperable. |