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Show -1 i. . i i ir 7V' 7 If , t i , jr ' ' G0QLID9E IS NOWPRESIQENT Oath of Office Administered by His Father in Early Morning Morn-ing Hours. TO FOLLOW HARDING'S PLANS New Executive Makes Statement In Which He Promises to Carry Out Pollclee of Predecessor-Roused Predecessor-Roused From Bed to Take the Oath. Washington, President Calvin Coo-lidge Coo-lidge Is now thirtieth president of the United States, succeeding Warren G. Harding under the provisions of the Constitution. He has retained the cabinet, cab-inet, at least for the present, asking the co-operation of those associated with his predecessor In office. Calvin Coolldge took the oath as President of the United States at Plymouth, Vt., at 2:47 a. ni. Friday, August 3. The ceremony took place In the living room of the residence of the new President's father, John C. Coolldge. The oath of office was administered ad-ministered hy the father, who Is a notary no-tary public. The text of the presidential presiden-tial ontli had been telephoned to Mr. Coolldge at Plymouth from the White Mouse. of the President was as follows: "Palace hotel, San Francisco, Cat, Aug. 3, 1023. Mr. Calvin Coolldge, Plymouth, Vt : The President died. Instantaneously In-stantaneously and without warning, while conversing with members of his family, at 7:30 p. m. His physicians report that death was apparently due to some brain embolism, probably aa apoplexy. "GEORGE B. CHRISTIAN, JR., ' "Secretary." This telegram was brought to the Coolldge home at Plymouth Notch by W. A. Perkins of Brldgewater, who owns the telephone line running from Brldgewater to Plymouth. About five minutes later newspaper men arrived la Ludlow. A drive of thirty miles through the mountains brought them to the Coolldge Cool-ldge summer home. Mr. Coolldge and Mrs. Coolldge had retired about an hour before the death messages were received. Ten minutes after the arrival of the newspaper men Mr. and Mrs. Coolldge came downstairs Into the sitting room of the Coolldge home. Mr. Coolldge was dressed In a black sack suit and wore a black necktie. neck-tie. Mrs. Coolldge wore a black and white gown, white shoes and stockings. Mr. Coolldge was very pale and showed deep regret for President Harding's death. He seated himself at a hible, while Mrs. Coolldge brought a lamp and rend the telegrams he had received. re-ceived. lie then called his assistant secretary, secre-tary, Irwin Geisser, and dictated to lilm ills statement and the telegram to .Mrs. Harding. Mrs. Coolldge Weeps. In the meantime people Were arriving arriv-ing from all directions. Mr. Coolldge, seeing the house becoming crowded, gave orders that an adjoining house he oiK'iied for use as press hcadiuar- Statement by New Chief. President Coolldge received the news of the death of President Harding and of his own elevation to the presidency at ten minutes before midnight, standard stand-ard time. Thursday. Mr. Coolldge received the first news through telegrams from George C. Christian, Jr., seiretary to President Harding. Mr. Coolldge Issued the following statement : "Reports have renched me, which 1 four are correct, that President Harding Hard-ing Is gone. The world has lost s great and good mnn. I mourn his loss. He was my chief and my friend. It will he my purpose to carry out the policies which he has begun for the service of the American people and for meeting their responsibilities wherever they may arise. "For this purpose, I shall seek the co-operation of all thoe who have been associated with the President during his term of office. Those who have given their efforts to assist him I wish to remain In office, that they nmy assist me. "I have faith that God will direct the destinies of our nation." The following telegram was sent to Mrs. Harding: "Plymouth. Vt. Aug. 8, 1923. "Mrs. Warren CI. Harding, Knn Fnanclsco, Cal. : We offer you our deepest sympathy. May God bless you and keep you. "CALVIN COOLIDGK. "GKACK COOI. IDG n." Message Tells of Death. The telegram announcing the death ters. Meanwhile, the new first lady of the land sat weeping softly and exclaiming exclaim-ing In sympathy for the bereaved first lady In San Francisco. "What a blow what a terrible blow to poor Mrs. Harding," she said. "She hnd bad such a heavy burden, In her own Illness, to bear up under and now this!" Finally Secretary Geisser returned with the press copies of the statements, state-ments, and pushing back the old I photograph album and the family Bible on the center table, Mrs. Coolldge busied herself with the work of helping help-ing distribute them. The newspaper men hnd scnrcely gotten out of sight when another telegraph tele-graph messenger arrived with a copy of the presidential oath from Washington. Wash-ington. In the same sitting room with Its harid bralded rugs, Its clutter of venerable colonial furniture. Its old wood stove and Its family Bible Calvin Cal-vin Coolldge received the oath of office from his father. President Coolldge left Plymouth early Friday morning by automobile for Rutland to catch a train for New York, where he Immediately boarded a train for Washington. He was accompanied ac-companied by Mrs. Coelldge. He was mentioned as a possibility for the presidential nomination prior to the 10'JO campaign, but he made a public announcement that he would not consider the nomination. His atminatlon and election to the vice prt'Vdncy followed. |