Cary T. Grayson Diary

Title

Cary T. Grayson Diary

Creator

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

Identifier

WWP17067

Date

1919 February 14

Source

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

Language

English

Text

FRIDAY, The plenary session of the Peace Conference was held in the afternoon at the Quai D’Orsay. President read the articles of the initial league covenant and made a speech explaining them. The entire document was laid on the table pending the President’s return from the United States. The President held a conference with Swope, Oulahan, Hood, Bender and other correspondents just before leaving home for train. In the morning he had a conference with the bulk of the correspondents from the United States.

The President saw the newspaper men in the morning and afternoon before leaving Paris, giving them his views of various subjects taken up during the conference and expressed himself as highly pleased with the completion of the League of Nations covenant. Among the anecdotes he told was one regarding a private conversation between himself and Clemenceau, in which Clemenceau accused him of having a heart of steel to which the President replied, “I have not the heart to steal”. He told of his difficulties with Premier Hughes of Australia, who is deaf, indicating plainly that he regarded Hughes as one of the troublesome obstacles at the conference—reactionary. Hughes always neglected to read the program of the next day’s events and when in conference he would be unfamiliar with the subject and no one could tell him what it was about. He said the whole conference problem, particularly that portion regarding territorial questions was interwoven with secret agreements entered into during the progress of the war by the large powers and involving a territory which since is claimed by smaller nationalities. For instance he said France and England had an understanding regarding Syria, and he mentioned also the pact of London, which involved the turning over to Italy of Dalmatia Fiume and other territories. This agreement he said should never have been entered into and now all the nations except the ones immediately interested are anxious to get out of them. He said the League of Nations was, of course, the biggest thing he had accomplished in his trip to France. In this connection he said he discovered, and described it as a joke on himself, that the freedom of the seas question was automatically disposed of with the formulation of the league, because freedom of the seas involved primarily the rights of neutrals during a war and with the establishment of the league there would be no belligerents and hence no neutrals. (See speech of President endorsing League of Nations).

We left on the train for Brest at 9:20 P.M. Among those at the station to bid us goodbye were Poincare, Clemenceau, Tardieu, Lord Derby, General Pershing, General Bliss, Colonel House and other prominent officials together with a big crowd. The station was decorated with flags and palms. Tardieu, Jusserand and General Leorat accompanied the President on the train.

DIARY ENTRY:W.
W. morning Conference—also saw the newspaper men—plans upset by Gordon Auchincloss—“too many cooks.” In the afternoon W.W. read the Covenant of the League of Nations—also made speech on the subject—about 14 speeches made. Mrs. Wilson present—only lady at Peace Conference.
That night after dinner saw other newspaper men—missed in A.M.
Left at 9.20 by special train to Brest Royal good bye at station—

Original Format

Diary

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/PCFT19190214.pdf
PCFT19190214A.pdf

Citation

Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 February 14, WWP17067, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.