Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17166
Date
1919 May 15
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
The President had breakfast and went to his study before the meeting of the Big Four at 11:00 o’clock. They took up the consideration of the Adriatic and of the new territorial assignments and boundary changes which must be made to reconcile the Italian and Jugo-Salav claims which are extremely conflicting. No announcement of a decision was made.
Just before lunch I spoke to Lloyd George about sending Lord Derby to America as the British Ambassador. I told him that he was sush such a good mixer and such a fine all-around man. I predicted that he would be the most popular Ambassador Great Britain had ever had in America after he had spent a couple of years there and got to know our people and they got to know him. Lloyd George said: “I agree with you and if you can persuade him to take it, you can count on my backing. It is a fine suggestion. But candidly, I am afraid you cannot get him to go owing to his business affairs in Liverpool. You know, he has horses and likes sport and racing.” I said: “We can satisfy him to his heart’s content on that line too. And we can guarantee him a good time.” Lloyd George replied: “Your arguments are unanswerable. I am with you. I leave it to you. But I think you will have to use some strong persuasion to get him to go to America.”
The President lunched with Mrs. Wilson alone. I had lunch in my room. After lunch the President called me up on the telephone in my room and asked if I felt like taking a ride with him. He discovered that Bernard M. Baruch was with me, and he asked him also to accompany him, which Mr. Baruch did. Mr. Baruch was seated on one side of the President and I on the other. We motored for 2-1/2 hours, passing St. Germain, the headquarters of the Austrian delegation. The President entertained us with light conversation. He told Baruch that he wished him to think over the matter of naming a member of the Reparation Board over here. It seems a man will have to remain here for some time in this capacity. Baruch named him right off: Eugene Meyer, of New York, who is now a member of the War Finance Board in the Treasury at Washington. He also suggested Judge Parker, a lawyer, who is here now, but formerly resided in Texas, as his second choice. Baruch praised Meyer as a business man and as being thoroughly honorable and brilliant. He said: “To be candid with you, he was a reival rival of mine in business in New York, and I think he is the smartest man I ever bucked up against. Finally, I went to him and said: ‘Why fight each other, why not form a partnership?’ And we did.”
In response to an inquiry made by Mr. Baruch as to why a railroad station was located apparently on an abandoned roadway with no evidences of any railroad operation in the vicinity, the President said: “Have you ever heard the story of an old negro who drove a bus from a little town about two miles away from the railroad station? The railroad station consisted only of a few buildings. There were two afternoon trains - one from the north and one from the south, and it was his habit to make one trip accommodate the passengers on both trains. One afternoon the southbound train was on time and a very quarrelsome drummer got off and got into the old colored man’s bus. The northbound train happened to be nearly an hour late. The drummer became very much irritated at waiting, and finally said to the old colored driver in a very abrupt manner: “Why did they put this station here?” The old colored man replied: “I don’t exactly know, boss, except for the fact that it is alongside the railroad track.” By this time we were close to the structure and saw evidences that tracks had been laid but had been removed probably due to the war-time conditions.
The President was very entertaining, and he and Baruch discussed the individual merits of available material for Presidential timber for the next election. He spoke of the disadvantages of the way many college courses are conducted.
I asked the President what teacher he got the best training from. He answered right away: “Why, my father.” He said: “I got ten times more from my father than I did at college. He was a rare exception as a teacher.”
There was no meeting of the Big Four in the afternoon owing to the fact that Lloyd George was anxious to spend Friday in Luxemburg saying good-bye to a Welsh Division that was being returned home to be mustered out of the British Army.
The President spent the evening with Mrs. Wilson, reading some private papers. He also prepared a cablegram to Secretary Tumulty.
Just before lunch I spoke to Lloyd George about sending Lord Derby to America as the British Ambassador. I told him that he was sush such a good mixer and such a fine all-around man. I predicted that he would be the most popular Ambassador Great Britain had ever had in America after he had spent a couple of years there and got to know our people and they got to know him. Lloyd George said: “I agree with you and if you can persuade him to take it, you can count on my backing. It is a fine suggestion. But candidly, I am afraid you cannot get him to go owing to his business affairs in Liverpool. You know, he has horses and likes sport and racing.” I said: “We can satisfy him to his heart’s content on that line too. And we can guarantee him a good time.” Lloyd George replied: “Your arguments are unanswerable. I am with you. I leave it to you. But I think you will have to use some strong persuasion to get him to go to America.”
The President lunched with Mrs. Wilson alone. I had lunch in my room. After lunch the President called me up on the telephone in my room and asked if I felt like taking a ride with him. He discovered that Bernard M. Baruch was with me, and he asked him also to accompany him, which Mr. Baruch did. Mr. Baruch was seated on one side of the President and I on the other. We motored for 2-1/2 hours, passing St. Germain, the headquarters of the Austrian delegation. The President entertained us with light conversation. He told Baruch that he wished him to think over the matter of naming a member of the Reparation Board over here. It seems a man will have to remain here for some time in this capacity. Baruch named him right off: Eugene Meyer, of New York, who is now a member of the War Finance Board in the Treasury at Washington. He also suggested Judge Parker, a lawyer, who is here now, but formerly resided in Texas, as his second choice. Baruch praised Meyer as a business man and as being thoroughly honorable and brilliant. He said: “To be candid with you, he was a reival rival of mine in business in New York, and I think he is the smartest man I ever bucked up against. Finally, I went to him and said: ‘Why fight each other, why not form a partnership?’ And we did.”
In response to an inquiry made by Mr. Baruch as to why a railroad station was located apparently on an abandoned roadway with no evidences of any railroad operation in the vicinity, the President said: “Have you ever heard the story of an old negro who drove a bus from a little town about two miles away from the railroad station? The railroad station consisted only of a few buildings. There were two afternoon trains - one from the north and one from the south, and it was his habit to make one trip accommodate the passengers on both trains. One afternoon the southbound train was on time and a very quarrelsome drummer got off and got into the old colored man’s bus. The northbound train happened to be nearly an hour late. The drummer became very much irritated at waiting, and finally said to the old colored driver in a very abrupt manner: “Why did they put this station here?” The old colored man replied: “I don’t exactly know, boss, except for the fact that it is alongside the railroad track.” By this time we were close to the structure and saw evidences that tracks had been laid but had been removed probably due to the war-time conditions.
The President was very entertaining, and he and Baruch discussed the individual merits of available material for Presidential timber for the next election. He spoke of the disadvantages of the way many college courses are conducted.
I asked the President what teacher he got the best training from. He answered right away: “Why, my father.” He said: “I got ten times more from my father than I did at college. He was a rare exception as a teacher.”
There was no meeting of the Big Four in the afternoon owing to the fact that Lloyd George was anxious to spend Friday in Luxemburg saying good-bye to a Welsh Division that was being returned home to be mustered out of the British Army.
The President spent the evening with Mrs. Wilson, reading some private papers. He also prepared a cablegram to Secretary Tumulty.
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 May 15, WWP17166, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.