Excerpts of the President's News Conference

An inquiry about Senator [Royal] Copeland [Dem.] of New York, suggesting that in a series of speeches he is urging the calling of an international economic conference, and inquiring whether I have given any consideration to this subject. I haven't given any particular consideration to it. It is a matter that has been up for discussion in Washington now and then for two years. But, up to the present time, there hasn't seemed to be a condition existing abroad that made action of that kind practicable; and, of course, it is fundamental that while you might like to do something in this direction, or that direction, or the other, there isn't any use of starting in on it unless there is at the outset a good reason to expect that it might be successful, and that is the condition in this respect. The matter that they are discussing in Europe, and about which they are moving armies, is an economic question in a way, and with the present condition of mind over there, it hasn't seemed that it could be decided at a conference. They have had various conferences in Europe, and had up this matter, especially, for discussion and consideration, and they haven't been able to reach any conclusion.