Mr. Coolidge will no longer give handshakes

WASHINGTON, April 19. Reforming tradition, President Coolidge yesterday stopped shaking hands with his visitors. A thousand people, particularly schoolboys and girls, having come to visit the president, the doors of the study were opened and everyone filed in front of Mr. Coolidge who, seated at his desk, continued to work quietly.

Until now the custom was for the president to shake hands with all his visitors: it is even claimed that this habit would have shortened the lives of former presidents and in particular of Mr. Harding.