Cary T. Grayson Diary

Title

Cary T. Grayson Diary

Creator

Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938

Identifier

WWP17016

Date

1918 December 26

Source

Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia

Language

English

Text

TYPED MANUSCRIPT: The President’s special train halted thirty minutes outside of Calais for breakfast. While it lay on the side-track the regular passenger train went by and French soldiers and a number of American newspaper correspondents who were on board cheered the President. Calais was reached at 9:00 o’clock and the train ran directly to the dock where the British Hospital Ship BRIGHTON was in waiting to transfer the party across the Channel.

Outside of Calais, just before the city was reached, the President had his first sight of German prisoners of war. A score of them were working on the railroad and unloading supply cars stored on side tracks. It was very plain from their attitude that they had been warned to expect the President and they stopped work to watch as the train went by. There was no demonstration of any kind until the Calais dock was reached. Here a guard of French troops was in waiting, lined up at attention. The President inspected the guard as usual, and then met the British officers who had been sent over to escort him across the Channel. Among these was Sir Charles Cust, ADC, and Personal Equerry to King George, who had been especially detailed by the King to act as an Aide to the President. The BRIGHTON was proceeded all the way across the Channel by a British Cruiser Destroyer, which had been used as the flag-ship of the British monitor squadron that kept guard off the Belgian Coast during the war. Pulling out of Calais harbor a flotilla of eight French destroyers took positions to port and starboard of the BRIGHTON. From their signal mast they displayed the code signal of AU REVOIR; SAFE PASSAGE; SPEEDY RETURN. Above the heads of the party whizzed a squadron of British aeroplanes in battle formation, who maneuvered above the Channel all the way across to Dover. Two French dirigibles and half a dozen French aeroplanes accompanied the flotilla well into the Channel. Arriving at exact “mid-channel” the French destroyers circled out, dipped their flag in salute, and headed back towards the shores of France, while a flotilla of eight British destroyers took up the work of escorting from that point to land. It was just noon as the BRIGHTON headed in through the entrance to Dover Channel. The chalk cliffs shown white in a beautiful sun that had dissipated the mists that earlier in the day had overshadowed the Channel. As the bow of the BRIGHTON came abreast the Channel entrance the guns in Dover Castle—the same guns which had welcomed Drake—boomed out a Presidential salute.

As the President came down the gang-plank he was greeted the moment he set foot on British soil by the Duke of Connaught, who had been sent down as the personal representative of the King. The Earl of Reading, British Ambassador to the United States, and John W. Davis, American Ambassador to Great Britain, were in the welcoming party, which included a large number of officials of the British Government. The President inspected the guard, which was lined up along the docks, and then passed into the railway station, where the Lord Mayor of Dover, the High Sheriff of Dover and the Town Clerk, garbed in the scarlet robes of their office, wearing side arms and powdered wigs, were waiting. The Lord Mayor delivered an address of welcome, to which the President responded in a fitting manner. (SEE SPEECH).

In the station there was waiting King George’s own special train, which had been sent down to bring the President and his party to London. This train was exactly the same which the King used in all of his trips about Great Britain, with the exception of one car—a salon and drawing room equipage that had not been needed. The run to London was made in record time. Aeroplanes accompanied the train, soaring over the tracks, while occasionally some of the very adventurous of the birdmen essayed “hedge-hopping”, the latest sport of the British aviator, and which consisted of seeing how close one could get without touching the hedges that separated the various fields. It was a lively sport, inasmuch as a single miscue would have meant death to the bold aviator.

Charing Cross Station was reached at 2:30. The President was met as he alighted from the train by King George, Queen Mary and the Princess Mary, Premier Lloyd-George, and all of the members of the British Government. There was a brief exchange of greetings, the King formally welcoming the President to British soil, and the President explaining that he was very pleased to be there.

Outside in the station courtyard were waiting the semi-state equipage used by the King on the occasions when he formally opened Parliament. These were open carriages of the landau type, hung by leather straps from elliptical springs, with a box in front for the coachman and an assistant, and one behind for two grooms. The magnificent horses that I saw on the entire European trip were used to pull these vehicles. They were of solid color and the harness was tipped with gold, glistening in the sunlight.

From the railway station to Buckingham Palace the entire route was lined with soldiers. Behind them the sidewalks were literally jammed with men, women and children. The roof tops were covered, while every window held its complement. Massed about the Victoria Statue, which we passed enroute, were wounded veterans of the Great War. The enthusiasm was really surprising. We had been told by Britishers we met in Paris that the average Briton was phlegmatic and loathe to show his emotions. That warning, however, was not borne out by the facts. It was the warmest welcome ever accorded to any one in London, according to every official with whom I later talked. A rather peculiar feature of it was that at two places along the route, and again just in front of Buckingham Palace, the crowd yelled in unison—“We want Wilson!”

In the first carriage was the King and President Wilson; in the second, Queen Mary, Princess Mary and Mrs. Wilson. Passing through Pall Mall the Dowager Queen Alexandra, the widow of the late King Edward, and her sister, Queen Maude of Norway, came down to the sidewalk and waved a greeting, to which the President responded by rising to his feet in the carriage and waving his hat.

Entering the main entrance of Buckingham Palace the President was escorted through the various corridors up to the second floor and out on a balcony that looked down on the square below. Gathered in this square were soldiers and sailors, veterans of the war, many of whom had been wounded, a large number of children orphaned as a result of the struggle, and many people not in uniform. The wounded men were seated in the front ranks, and they cheered the President until he finally was forced to make a short speech. “I honor you men who have been wounded in this fight for freedom”, he declared, and then warmly thanked them for their friendly welcome. Mrs. Wilson first waved a small American flag at the crowd below, which simply rose to her, waving back small American flags. She then paid a very graceful tribute to her welcomers by taking from the corner of the balcony a small Union Jack and waving it to the people below. This started a fusilade of cheering, which lasted until the President and Mrs. Wilson finally withdrew into the palace proper.

King George, and Queen Mary escorted the President and Mrs. Wilson to that section of the palace that had been set apart for their use, and then retired, leaving them to rest for a very short time. About thirty minutes after he arrived at the palace, the President accompanied by myself entered a carriage and was driven to the home of Queen Alexandra, the Queen Mother, to pay his respects. She met him at the doorway, shook hands with him in a very democratic manner, and asked him for his photograph. Although quite old, the Dowager Queen had lost none of her vivacity and charm and retained that grasp on domestic affairs which made her conspicuous during the lifetime of King Edward. She chatted with the President for some few moments and asked him to send her an autographed photograph of himself, which he promised to do.

Returning to the palace, the President and Mrs. Wilson dined informally with King George and Queen Mary. The dinner was entirely without stiffness, and the President and King got along very nicely together. After dinner the President and King discussed men and events and told stories touching upon their own experiences. One story which the President told the King seemed to please His Majesty very much. It was to the effect that he had received a letter a short time before from a woman who was anxious to raise money through holding a charity bazaar. One of the booths in the bazaar was to sell aprons and in order to secure unique ones that would bring good money she had decided that they would be made of the shirt-tails of famous men. So she wrote the President asking him to send one of his shirt-tails to her, with a history of the state functions, etc., which he had attended while wearing it. The President did not say what action he took on the request. The King also had a number of amusing stories. One that plainly made a decided impression on him dealt with his inspection of a regiment of American soldiers, waiting in England to be transferred across the channel to the front. As he drove up to the regiment he heard one solider say to another—“Who’s that bug over there?” His comrade replied: “You darn fool, don’t you know that’s the King!” The first soldier looked at him for a minute in disgust, and then said: “Where do you get that stuff; if that is the King where in the hell is his crown?” The King laughingly told the President that as far as he was concerned he did not mind being called a bug but he did think it was at least ridiculous that any one should expect that he would inspect a regiment with a crown attached to his head.

DIARY ENTRY: —(Boxing Day) Arrived Callais at nine o’clock—Our first sight of German prisoners. Breakfast on train. Went aboard British Hospital ship—commanded by Admiral Sir Keys—Crossed channel to Dover, met at Dover by large crowd—including Ambassador Davis of USA. Admiral Sims & others—Welcomed in address by Lord Mayor of Dover—President replied— Boarded special train for London arriving there at 2:30 p.m met at the station by King George V and Queen Mary and Princess Mary—The Queen and Princess Mary said they hoped we had a pleasant passage.Driven to Buckingham Palace in carriages drawn by 4 bay horses—royal coaches—Rider on lead horse and left wheel horse. An out rider—1st carriage—The President & the King—2 Duce Conn Mrs. Wilson—Queen Mary.34 General John Biddle, Mrs. Benham—CTG.—Harts— Streets of London crowded with cheering crowds—pronounced to be the greatest ovation ever seen in London—“we want Wilson.” a cheer from the crowd.President & mrs W. dined—family dinner with King, Queen —Duke of Connaugh—QuPrincess Mary two boys— Called on Queen Alexandria—the Queen Mother—about 70 years old—Deaf—Introduced—Maud, Victoriawould and asked for my picture.The President thinks the King a genuine man— Story—the King tells on himself when visiting our soldiers— Who is the bug—another soldier—Why that is the King—where is crown.

Original Format

Diary

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/PCFT19181226.pdf
PCFT19181226A.pdf

Citation

Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1918 December 26, WWP17016, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.