Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17104
Date
1919 March 14
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
The President breakfasted in his car at nine o’clock, and after breakfast resumed his conference with Colonel House. The Colonel exhibited the various reports which had been prepared and acquainted his chief with all details in order that he might be able to cope with the situation that was to present itself immediately upon arrival at the Invalides Station in Paris.
The returning trip was noteworthy because of the large number of people who were out to see the train go by, despite the fact that this time the French authorities had very carefully guarded the schedule from the public. The outward reason for this naturally was one of safety, but it was remarked that a secondary reason, which in some official minds may have been the compelling one, was that they were none too anxious to have the popularity of the President with the French common people, especially the agriculturists, too much emphasized.
The guards about the various stations were for the most part women and children and old men, bringing home to us the fact that the French army was still being maintained on a war basis, and that the younger men who were so badly needed to restore normal conditions were being held in concentration camps.
The train was scheduled to arrive at 11:56 but it was 12:07 when the familiar strains of the National Anthem played by the French military band broke in our ears, and we slowly stopped in the Garde Invalides.
Awaiting the President on the station platform was President and Madame Poincare, Premier Clemenceau, and all of the other members of the French Cabinet who had not gone to Brest to participate in the official welcome. The usual salutations of welcome were exchanged but there was no formal speech-making, neither was there any formal parade through the streets of the character which had marked our original arrival in France.
Immediately after President Poincare and Madame Poincare had shaken hands with the President he turned to Premier Clemenceau, and, warmly shaking his hand, expressed concern over the attempted assassination, and said: “I hope you are not feeling any ill effect from your injury.” The reply of the “Tiger of France” emphasized probably more than anything else his absolute disregard for anything or anybody. Instead of expressing a sentiment of having suffered, he said: “On the contrary, I think it did me good.”
The President and Mrs. Wilson and the rest of the party were driven to the new White House, which had been prepared for their reception. The White House is located at No. 11 des Etats-Unis. The new quarters were by no means as commodious and were far less comfortable than the original home at the Murat Palace, but they, like the Murat Palace, had been selected by the French Government, although the President had earnestly requested that he be permitted to chose his own home and to pay for it himself. Premier Clemenceau, however, had insisted that the Republic must have the honor of continuing to entertain the President, so it was necessary to bow to his wishes. There was one advantage only in the new location and that was that the house is located just across the street from the headquarters of Lloyd-George, the British Premier, which made possible conferences between the President and Lloyd-George with a great saving of time. The arrangement of the house itself was very poor for the purpose. The private apartments of the President and Mrs. Wilson were located on the ground floor, and this at a time like the present was unfortunate. However, every one made the best of it.
A conference had been arranged between the President and Lloyd-George to take place immediately on the President’s arrival, and the British Premier came over from his home at once. It had been intended that this conference would only last a few minutes and that then the President would see Premier Orlando. However, the general situation facing Lloyd-George was such that the conference with the President was extended for more than an hour. Lloyd-George told the President that the general situation in England was very bad. He said that the railway workers were threatening a general strike intended to tie up every piece of transportation in Great Britain, while at the same time there was pending there a proposition on the part of the strong Mine Workers Union to force the Government to take over and operate the mines. Lloyd-George also discussed with the President the big problems that confronted the Peace Commission. He said also that he was very anxious to get back to England without delay because of the labor situation and of the general discontent and could not afford to remain in France much over another week. As a result of the extension of the conference between Lloyd-George and the President the meeting with Premier Orlando had to be put over until later, and the Italian Prine Minister simply welcomed the President back and agreed to defer his urgent business for a time.
Immediately after lunch the President proceeded to the Hotel Crillon, where all of the American Commissioners were waiting to see him. The conference was highly important inasmuch as each Commissioner did his best to acquaint the President with the matters that had been left to them, and it lasted until very late in the afternoon. One of the things which developed as a result of the conference was that the President found it necessary to criticise the Commission for apparently failing to keep the League of Nations covenant to the fore, and also for having failed to keep America’s position on the German territorial situation always definitely defined. The fact that the French had officially announced that one of the terms of peace would be the creation of a Rhinish Republic, which the French claimed was necessary as a buffer state to take in the territory between Alsace-Lorraine and the Rhine, presented an embarrassment and the President said so. As a result of the President’s frank criticism the American position was straightened out immediately.
The President returned to the house for dinner, and after dinner conferred with Premier Orlando of Italy. The Italian situation was admittedly fraught with grave danger, inasmuch as Orlando had been compelled to break with some of his ministerial associates, and the Italian campaign to force the Peace Commission to turn over Dalmatia to Italy was being pushed to an extent that already had threatened a clash with the Jugo-Slavs. It was understood that Orlando and the President talked over the situation freely, and that Orlando told the President that while he wanted to do everything possible to conciliate yet the Italians themselves had been aroused very much by the wide-spread belief that the United States was not prepared to be fair to them. The conference did not result in any definite plan, but had a good effect inasmuch as after Orlando left the President he sent for the Italian newspaper correspondents and told them that it would be very embarrassing to him personally and to Italy if they continued their propaganda against the United States.
After Orlando had left the President saw Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Operations of the Navy, who told him what had been done in connection with the naval terms that had been drafted for Germany.
The returning trip was noteworthy because of the large number of people who were out to see the train go by, despite the fact that this time the French authorities had very carefully guarded the schedule from the public. The outward reason for this naturally was one of safety, but it was remarked that a secondary reason, which in some official minds may have been the compelling one, was that they were none too anxious to have the popularity of the President with the French common people, especially the agriculturists, too much emphasized.
The guards about the various stations were for the most part women and children and old men, bringing home to us the fact that the French army was still being maintained on a war basis, and that the younger men who were so badly needed to restore normal conditions were being held in concentration camps.
The train was scheduled to arrive at 11:56 but it was 12:07 when the familiar strains of the National Anthem played by the French military band broke in our ears, and we slowly stopped in the Garde Invalides.
Awaiting the President on the station platform was President and Madame Poincare, Premier Clemenceau, and all of the other members of the French Cabinet who had not gone to Brest to participate in the official welcome. The usual salutations of welcome were exchanged but there was no formal speech-making, neither was there any formal parade through the streets of the character which had marked our original arrival in France.
Immediately after President Poincare and Madame Poincare had shaken hands with the President he turned to Premier Clemenceau, and, warmly shaking his hand, expressed concern over the attempted assassination, and said: “I hope you are not feeling any ill effect from your injury.” The reply of the “Tiger of France” emphasized probably more than anything else his absolute disregard for anything or anybody. Instead of expressing a sentiment of having suffered, he said: “On the contrary, I think it did me good.”
The President and Mrs. Wilson and the rest of the party were driven to the new White House, which had been prepared for their reception. The White House is located at No. 11 des Etats-Unis. The new quarters were by no means as commodious and were far less comfortable than the original home at the Murat Palace, but they, like the Murat Palace, had been selected by the French Government, although the President had earnestly requested that he be permitted to chose his own home and to pay for it himself. Premier Clemenceau, however, had insisted that the Republic must have the honor of continuing to entertain the President, so it was necessary to bow to his wishes. There was one advantage only in the new location and that was that the house is located just across the street from the headquarters of Lloyd-George, the British Premier, which made possible conferences between the President and Lloyd-George with a great saving of time. The arrangement of the house itself was very poor for the purpose. The private apartments of the President and Mrs. Wilson were located on the ground floor, and this at a time like the present was unfortunate. However, every one made the best of it.
A conference had been arranged between the President and Lloyd-George to take place immediately on the President’s arrival, and the British Premier came over from his home at once. It had been intended that this conference would only last a few minutes and that then the President would see Premier Orlando. However, the general situation facing Lloyd-George was such that the conference with the President was extended for more than an hour. Lloyd-George told the President that the general situation in England was very bad. He said that the railway workers were threatening a general strike intended to tie up every piece of transportation in Great Britain, while at the same time there was pending there a proposition on the part of the strong Mine Workers Union to force the Government to take over and operate the mines. Lloyd-George also discussed with the President the big problems that confronted the Peace Commission. He said also that he was very anxious to get back to England without delay because of the labor situation and of the general discontent and could not afford to remain in France much over another week. As a result of the extension of the conference between Lloyd-George and the President the meeting with Premier Orlando had to be put over until later, and the Italian Prine Minister simply welcomed the President back and agreed to defer his urgent business for a time.
Immediately after lunch the President proceeded to the Hotel Crillon, where all of the American Commissioners were waiting to see him. The conference was highly important inasmuch as each Commissioner did his best to acquaint the President with the matters that had been left to them, and it lasted until very late in the afternoon. One of the things which developed as a result of the conference was that the President found it necessary to criticise the Commission for apparently failing to keep the League of Nations covenant to the fore, and also for having failed to keep America’s position on the German territorial situation always definitely defined. The fact that the French had officially announced that one of the terms of peace would be the creation of a Rhinish Republic, which the French claimed was necessary as a buffer state to take in the territory between Alsace-Lorraine and the Rhine, presented an embarrassment and the President said so. As a result of the President’s frank criticism the American position was straightened out immediately.
The President returned to the house for dinner, and after dinner conferred with Premier Orlando of Italy. The Italian situation was admittedly fraught with grave danger, inasmuch as Orlando had been compelled to break with some of his ministerial associates, and the Italian campaign to force the Peace Commission to turn over Dalmatia to Italy was being pushed to an extent that already had threatened a clash with the Jugo-Slavs. It was understood that Orlando and the President talked over the situation freely, and that Orlando told the President that while he wanted to do everything possible to conciliate yet the Italians themselves had been aroused very much by the wide-spread belief that the United States was not prepared to be fair to them. The conference did not result in any definite plan, but had a good effect inasmuch as after Orlando left the President he sent for the Italian newspaper correspondents and told them that it would be very embarrassing to him personally and to Italy if they continued their propaganda against the United States.
After Orlando had left the President saw Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Operations of the Navy, who told him what had been done in connection with the naval terms that had been drafted for Germany.
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 March 14, WWP17104, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.