Herbert Hoover photo

The President's News Conference

May 31, 1929

THE PRESIDENT. I have three categories of questions today.

SPECIAL SESSION ON FARM AND TARIFF LEGISLATION

First, with regard to the recess or sessions of the Congress. The majority. leaders, both Senator [James E.] Watson and Congressman [p.168] [John Q.] Tilson, are united in their recommendations to me that there should be no recess in the special session until farm legislation is complete, and that there should be no recess after that except for a few weeks to accommodate the Senate Finance Committee in its hearings on the tariff bill unless there is a completely fixed agreement in the Senate as to an early date upon which a vote will be taken on the bill, with a further agreed period for debate on the conference reports, which would assure a final vote in the Senate as early as possible. The interest of the country obviously necessitates the rapid determination of both these questions, and I am entirely in accord with their views.

GERMAN REPARATIONS

On the question of the settlement of German reparations, my only comment that I could properly make is that it is a very notable contribution to stability and to progress, and I think the American people should be gratified at the contribution which Messrs. [Owen D.] Young, [John Pierpont] Morgan and [Thomas W.] Lamont have made to bring it to a successful conclusion.

RESIGNATION OF HERBERT M. LORD

My third questions are in respect to General Lord. I have not yet found his successor. I do regret greatly to see General Lord go out of public service. He has been an extraordinarily able Budget Director, and he only leaves because of the opportunity that has been given to him to take a position where he can make a little money for his family and his old age.

VOTE ON TARIFF BILL

Q. Mr. President, I don't suppose you care to give an approximate date as to the vote in the Senate. You said "early."

THE PRESIDENT. No, I don't think I want to comment on that. That is a matter that the leaders have to deal with, and I don't care to intervene in their particular problems.

Note: President Hoover's twenty-sixth news conference was held in the White House at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 31, 1929.

The White House also issued texts of the President's statements on farm and tariff legislation (see Item 98) and on German reparations (see Item 99).

Herbert Hoover, The President's News Conference Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/210442

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