Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17153
Date
1919 May 2
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
The President arose early and had breakfast at 8:15. He then disposed of a good deal of correspondence, and at 10:30 he saw a delegation of Congressmen - mostly members of the House of Representatives Military Affairs Committee. He frankly explained to them some of the complications of the Italian and Chinese situations. They left the President fully satisfied that he was handling a very dielicate situation in an able manner and they so declared when seen by the newspapermen later.
At 11:00 o’clock the Big Three met here. They continued their discussion of the cable question.
The President had lunch at 1:00 o’clock, Sir William Wiseman, the British Government’s personal publicity representative, being the guest. I had lunch with Ambassador Wallace, who was entertaining the Congressmen who had just called on the President. The aAmbassador was anxious for me to help him out, as it was a stag lunch.
The President and Mrs. Wilson went for a ride after lunch, and the President then went to the Crillon Hotel. At four o’clock he went to the Quai d’Orsay to attend a meeting of the Big Three. This meeting was devoted to the consideration of the form that the treaty shall take when submitted to the Germans should Italy fail to announce her desire to resume her part in the negotiations. It was necessary to arrange a double form - one dwhich would be in effect should Italy remain away from Paris and unrepresented, and another should she finally decide that the exigencies of the situation should make it necessary for her representatives to return here and resume their place in the negotiations. The question naturally was whether there should be four powers, the United States, France, Great Britain and Japan, or five, with Italy added. Arrangements were made to handle the situation no matter how it may develop.
At seven o’clock, the President, as usual, saw Ray Stannard Baker, and told him some of the things that transpired during the day, with a view to having the information conveyed to the press.
I spent the morning at the French Brazilian Hospital to witness an operation in plastic surgery on a French soldier. It called for the trans-planting of a bone from the tibia (shin-bone) to the lower jaw bone, which had been destroyed by a shell fragment. The operation was performed by Major Fernand Lemaitre, of the French Army Medical Corps. I have been fortunate enough to witness a number of operations of this kind during my stay here in France. Dr. Lemaitre is a wonderful surgeon and is performing a great service to humanity in this line of surgery. Think what it means to a man in good physical condition with his nose shot away or part of his face. Once can easily realize how timid a man with a face mutilated in this way must feel in associating with his fellow-beings. Dr. Lemaitre with his wonderful skill is able to make a new nose or bring about a practically normal appearance by his operative technique in surgery.
The President, Mrs. Wilson, Miss Margaret, Dr. Axson and myself had dinner at seven o’clock. After dinner I asked the usual question: “What progress did you make today, Mr. President?” He said: “Most of the forenoon was consumed by Lloyd-George making erratic flights over Italy. Every day he seems to have a different view on the Italian situation, notwithstanding the fact that he approved of my statement when we discussed it. He is the most unsteady individual you can imagine. He takes one view today and settles on it. Then tomorrow he goes off on another tack. He is unstable. He is constantly turning somersaults. He is an impossible, incalculable person to do business with. Some days he is nothing more than a sentimental Tommy.”
The President continued: “Today when Lloyd-George was in the midst of giving expression to his rambling ideas and uttering his fear concerning the outcome of a certain decision, I told him the following story: A young man was going along the road and he saw a young lassie milking a cow when he stopped and engaged in conversation with her. Suddenly the young man noticed a bull coming across the field with his head down, his tail up in the air, bellowing furiously, every now and then stopping and pawing the ground, and all the time approaching closer and closer to the young girl. Whereupon the young fellow said: ‘Please run, my lassie, the bull is coming.’ She seemed to be perfectly unconcerned and kept on in her conversation with him. He implored her again and again to leave as the angry bull was approaching. But she would not move. Finally, he said: ‘My dear lassie, aren’t you afraid of the bull?’ She calmly said: ‘Why should I be afraid of him? I am milking his mother-in-law.’ ” The President’s object in relating this story was to calm the fears of Lloyd-George.
Tonight he discussed the characteristics of the French people - how simple they were in their thoughts. They often acted like little children. He said: “I have frequently been told that there is such a marked difference in the people of France since the armistice. Shortly after the armistice the people were most grateful and expressed their appreciation of what American had done in helping to win the war and of the warm feeling that the American people had for France. But now they show a reversal of this feeling. There seems to be a lack of appreciation and they assume the attitude that France did it all. It is really distressing when you know the French people to see how greedy they are for the material things in life. Their only feeling towards Americahnow is one not alone ungrateful but they also appear to want money and aid of some kind form them. This applies to the rich and influential rather than to the poorer class. It is more noticeable in Paris than in rural France.”
I told the President that certain American officers had told me that the feeling in Germany for the President was extremely fine; that they expressed the belief that he was the one man who would see that Germany was not looted and destroyed; that she would get justice at his hands. The President predicted that there will be intense feeling in Germany against him when the contents of the Peace Treaty are revealed. He said: “The terms of the treaty are particularly severe, but I have striven my level best to make them fair, and at the same time compel Germany to pay a just penalty. However, I fully realize that I will be the one on whom the blame will be placed. In their hearts the Germans dislike me because if I had kept America from entering the war Germany would have defeated the Allies. So I know that they blame me for their defeat. While thy may be flattering me now, a reaction will set in when they read the treaty.”
A day or two ago I sent to Mr. Venezelos, the Prime Minister of Greece, a photograph with the request that he autograph it for me. I had a very pleasant acquaintance with him and a great admiration for him. The President said that he considered Mr. Venezelos the greatest statesman in Europe. In response to my request, I received the following letter from Mr. Venezelos:
At 11:00 o’clock the Big Three met here. They continued their discussion of the cable question.
The President had lunch at 1:00 o’clock, Sir William Wiseman, the British Government’s personal publicity representative, being the guest. I had lunch with Ambassador Wallace, who was entertaining the Congressmen who had just called on the President. The aAmbassador was anxious for me to help him out, as it was a stag lunch.
The President and Mrs. Wilson went for a ride after lunch, and the President then went to the Crillon Hotel. At four o’clock he went to the Quai d’Orsay to attend a meeting of the Big Three. This meeting was devoted to the consideration of the form that the treaty shall take when submitted to the Germans should Italy fail to announce her desire to resume her part in the negotiations. It was necessary to arrange a double form - one dwhich would be in effect should Italy remain away from Paris and unrepresented, and another should she finally decide that the exigencies of the situation should make it necessary for her representatives to return here and resume their place in the negotiations. The question naturally was whether there should be four powers, the United States, France, Great Britain and Japan, or five, with Italy added. Arrangements were made to handle the situation no matter how it may develop.
At seven o’clock, the President, as usual, saw Ray Stannard Baker, and told him some of the things that transpired during the day, with a view to having the information conveyed to the press.
I spent the morning at the French Brazilian Hospital to witness an operation in plastic surgery on a French soldier. It called for the trans-planting of a bone from the tibia (shin-bone) to the lower jaw bone, which had been destroyed by a shell fragment. The operation was performed by Major Fernand Lemaitre, of the French Army Medical Corps. I have been fortunate enough to witness a number of operations of this kind during my stay here in France. Dr. Lemaitre is a wonderful surgeon and is performing a great service to humanity in this line of surgery. Think what it means to a man in good physical condition with his nose shot away or part of his face. Once can easily realize how timid a man with a face mutilated in this way must feel in associating with his fellow-beings. Dr. Lemaitre with his wonderful skill is able to make a new nose or bring about a practically normal appearance by his operative technique in surgery.
The President, Mrs. Wilson, Miss Margaret, Dr. Axson and myself had dinner at seven o’clock. After dinner I asked the usual question: “What progress did you make today, Mr. President?” He said: “Most of the forenoon was consumed by Lloyd-George making erratic flights over Italy. Every day he seems to have a different view on the Italian situation, notwithstanding the fact that he approved of my statement when we discussed it. He is the most unsteady individual you can imagine. He takes one view today and settles on it. Then tomorrow he goes off on another tack. He is unstable. He is constantly turning somersaults. He is an impossible, incalculable person to do business with. Some days he is nothing more than a sentimental Tommy.”
The President continued: “Today when Lloyd-George was in the midst of giving expression to his rambling ideas and uttering his fear concerning the outcome of a certain decision, I told him the following story: A young man was going along the road and he saw a young lassie milking a cow when he stopped and engaged in conversation with her. Suddenly the young man noticed a bull coming across the field with his head down, his tail up in the air, bellowing furiously, every now and then stopping and pawing the ground, and all the time approaching closer and closer to the young girl. Whereupon the young fellow said: ‘Please run, my lassie, the bull is coming.’ She seemed to be perfectly unconcerned and kept on in her conversation with him. He implored her again and again to leave as the angry bull was approaching. But she would not move. Finally, he said: ‘My dear lassie, aren’t you afraid of the bull?’ She calmly said: ‘Why should I be afraid of him? I am milking his mother-in-law.’ ” The President’s object in relating this story was to calm the fears of Lloyd-George.
Tonight he discussed the characteristics of the French people - how simple they were in their thoughts. They often acted like little children. He said: “I have frequently been told that there is such a marked difference in the people of France since the armistice. Shortly after the armistice the people were most grateful and expressed their appreciation of what American had done in helping to win the war and of the warm feeling that the American people had for France. But now they show a reversal of this feeling. There seems to be a lack of appreciation and they assume the attitude that France did it all. It is really distressing when you know the French people to see how greedy they are for the material things in life. Their only feeling towards Americahnow is one not alone ungrateful but they also appear to want money and aid of some kind form them. This applies to the rich and influential rather than to the poorer class. It is more noticeable in Paris than in rural France.”
I told the President that certain American officers had told me that the feeling in Germany for the President was extremely fine; that they expressed the belief that he was the one man who would see that Germany was not looted and destroyed; that she would get justice at his hands. The President predicted that there will be intense feeling in Germany against him when the contents of the Peace Treaty are revealed. He said: “The terms of the treaty are particularly severe, but I have striven my level best to make them fair, and at the same time compel Germany to pay a just penalty. However, I fully realize that I will be the one on whom the blame will be placed. In their hearts the Germans dislike me because if I had kept America from entering the war Germany would have defeated the Allies. So I know that they blame me for their defeat. While thy may be flattering me now, a reaction will set in when they read the treaty.”
A day or two ago I sent to Mr. Venezelos, the Prime Minister of Greece, a photograph with the request that he autograph it for me. I had a very pleasant acquaintance with him and a great admiration for him. The President said that he considered Mr. Venezelos the greatest statesman in Europe. In response to my request, I received the following letter from Mr. Venezelos:
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 May 2, WWP17153, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.