Cary T. Grayson Diary

Title

Cary T. Grayson Diary

Creator

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

Identifier

WWP17114

Date

1919 March 24

Source

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

Language

English

Text

In the morning news arrived of the Soviet uprising in Hungary, which had centered at Budapest. As a result an emergency meeting of the President, and Premiers Lloyd-George, Clemenceau and Orlando was held, which preceded the meeting of the Council of Ten. The Council of Ten held its last meeting today. It had developed that it was unwieldy and that it was impossible to make any real speed with the open discussions that took place, generally aided and abetted by the French representatives. As a matter of fact, the name “Council of Ten” was a misnomer, inasmuch as, with secretaries, interpreters and other necessary attendants, the number was never less than thirty. This made it impossible for the use of the plain and direct language that has been required to reach any decision up to the present time. As a result, following today’s Council of Ten meeting, it was decided that hereafter the decisions would be promulgated by the President and Premiers Clemenceayu, Orlando and Lloyd-George. The reason that the Japanese representatives were not included was that they had no direct interest in any of the matters now to be settled growing entirely out of the war in Europe itself. Japan’s interests, as well as her participation in the war, have been entirely in the Pacific, and those matters already have been practically disposed of. The Council of Ten debated before it went out of existence today the question of the German cables and the reports on the Teschen Basin.

The President today saw George Lansbury, the British labor leader, who discussed rather frankly with the President the exact conditions prevailing in Great Britain. He told the President that the labor crisis had not been in any way exaggerated. It was most serious because the Railway Workers Union and the Coal Miners believe that they have not been given a square deal by the present government. Mr. Lansbury told the President that one of the great troubles so far as British labor and Lloyd-George were concerned was that labor distrusted the Premier because he had failed to keep many of his promises and also because he had a reputation of failing to maintain his position after publicly announcing it and stating what it would be. Lansbury told the President that he intended to tell Premier Lloyd-George so as a friend in order that he might know just what they were thinking in England and take such steps as he might desire to remedy the condition. Because of the extremely chaotic conditions which prevail in England, Mr. Lansbury told the President that a majority of the British workers looked to the President more than anywhere else for an adjustment which would bring about a permanent peace and speedily restore normal conditions to the British Isles.

In the evening the President presided over the 12th meeting of the League of Nations commission. This has been the second meeting at which amendments to the draft covenant were considered, and the amendments affecting Articles 9 to 16 were read over and carefully considered. Good progress was made, although there were two or three rather knotty problems which presented themselves. However, the President managed to prevent the usual outburst of oratory on the part of the French and Belgian representatives.

During the evening the French plan providing for the creation of a League of Nations International Police Force to be made up of an allied Army and Navy was definitely laid away. No vote was taken on it. The French representatives agreed, after solving the sentiment of the commission, to permit it to be tabled without a record vote.

I asked the President afterward what progress he had made. He said they were getting along well but that if he could get rid of Bourgeois and the Belgian representative half of the time could be saved.

Original Format

Diary

Files

http://resources.presidentwilson.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/PCST19190324.pdf

Citation

Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 March 24, WWP17114, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.