st stated above, about Mr.
Coolidge. I added that while Mr. Coolidge would be an excellent
person for the English Mission, which his uncle Mr. Stevenson
had held, yet, of course, I did not think, under the circumstances,
that it would be proper to make another important diplomatic
appointment from Massachusetts just then; but I hoped that
an opportunity might come later. President Harrison seemed
to be much impressed with the suggestion, and said that he
would bear it in mind.

When I went back to my room, it occurred to me that I had better
speak to Mr. Blaine about it. If he first heard of it from
the President he might think that I was trying to deal with
the President about matters in his Department over his head
and without consulting him. So I went round to the State
Department early the next morning, and told Mr. Blaine what
I had said to the President. I found that he knew all about
Mr. Coolidge. I inadvertently spoke of him as grandson of
Mr. Jefferson. Blaine immediately corrected me by saying,
"great-grandson." He seemed to like the plan very well.

Nothing came of the matter at that time. But later, when
the Pan-American Commission was appointed, the President,
of his own motion, appointed Mr. Coolidge as one of the American
representatives. Later, I happened to be one day at the White
House, and President Harrison told me that Whitelaw Reid had
announced his intention of resigning the French Mission before
long. I reminded him of our conversation about Mr. Coolidge,
and urged his name very strongly on him. He hesitated a good
deal. I got the approval of every New England Senator but
one to the proposal. The President still hesitated and seemed
inclined to appoint Mr. Andrew D. White. But he finally
yielded to the urgency for Mr. Coolidge. I should have been
sorry if anything I had done had resulted in depriving the
country of the service of Andrew D. White. I suppose him
to be one of the very best representatives we ever had abroad.
But an opportunity came soon after, to send him first to
Russia, and then to Germany, where he has represented what is
best in the character, ability, desire, interest and scholarship
of the American people.

So we had two first-rate representatives abroad instead of
one. Mr. Coolidge discharged his functions to the satisfaction
of the Administration, and to the universal approval of his
countrymen.

He received me when I visited Paris with a very cord