Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17173
Date
1919 May 22
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
The President had an early breakfast and then took a walk, returning in time to sit in with the Council of Four, which took up the Syrian and Turkish questions. The Syrian question continued a source of serious cnonflict between the French and British. The French were very anxious to secure a settlement that would give them certain paramount rights, and this the British opposed. However, the President refused to take any part in the matter, because of the fact that it was one which should be settled entirely between the two parties involved. So far as the Turkish situation is concerned, the suggestion had been made to the President that the United States should assume a mandatory over the new Turkish state to be created out of what has been Turkey in Europe. The President has been loathe to make a decision on this subject, and the various suggestions relative to the division of Turkey were debated without any definite action.
The German delegation at Versailles sent a note criticising the reparations section of the Peace Treaty, and saying that while they admitted responsibility for all of the damage that had accrued to Belgium and northen France as a result of the violation of Belgian neutrality, it was unfair that they should be asked to pay for a lot of damage that had been done by the Allied armies in their advance. The Council of Four sent a note to Count Brockdorff-Rantzau stating that they could not furnish repatriated prisoners of war with a new civilian suits, underclothing and boots. The Allies have agreed to appoint a Reparation Commission as asked for by the Germans as soon as the Peace Treaty was actually signed.
After the President’s conference with the Big Four, he told me that it was Foch’s ambition to become the Hindenburg or the Ludendorff of the French Army. In this ambition he is backed by Poincare, and strongly opposed by Clemenceau. Foch seems to have further ambition of becoming the Military Dictator of the Allies and Associated Powers. General Bliss said that Foch’s attitude has changed materially, because he (General Bliss) was present when the Armistice was signed, and Foch was having a “duck fit” for fear that the Allies were making the Armistice terms so strong that the Germans would not agree to sign and stop fighting. The thought of the Germans renewing the war made Foch nervous and tremble with fear at that time. The contrast in his attitude today is most striking. The impression that I gather is that Poincare is a weak President. His function seems to be practically that of a rubber-stamp. Whatever his clique puts before him, he signs.
The President, Mrs. Wilson, and I had lunch, and after lunch we went for a long automobile ride out through the parks adjacent to the city of Paris. Returning to the temporary White House, the President resumed his conference with the Big Four. There was a continuation of a discussion of the questions involved in connection with the Turkish Empire. M. Andre Tardieu advocated as a solution that Constantinople and the greater portion of Anatolia should remain under the nominal rule of the Sultan, but that a commission, to be named by the League of Nations, and preferably composed of Americans, would act as the power behind the throne in directing the affairs of that section of Turkey. Allowing the Sultan, to remain in power would be for the purpose of satisfying the Mohammedans in Asia and in India, who are threatening serious trouble to the British Empire.
Lord Reading, the Lord Chief Justice of Great Britain, and the retiring Ambassador to the United States, called today to say good-bye to the President. The Earl was extremely solicitous and told the the President that there was something he would like very much to tell him but that he hesitated about doing so. Still, he said, he considered that it was his duty in view of his official status that he should be perfectly frank, and the President told him he hoped he would be so. The Earl told the President that it was such a rotten and unpatriotic condition in American politics - if not treason - that he believed it was necessary to tell the President all the facts, although he (Lord Reading) was not taking part in American politics. He said that just before he left the United States for England a very prominent Republican United States Senator, one of the party leaders, called upon him and told him that he wanted him to warn Lloyd George that unless he changed his attitude and refused longer to acquiesce in the President’s policies and methods in Paris, the Republican party would be compelled much against its will to turn against the British Empire and the present British government and to advocate in the Senate and House of Representatives the recognition of the Irish Republic. It was very plain that this threat had given serious concern to the Earl. The President listened very carefully and immediately took steps to get all of the facts dealing with the situation. Earl Reading later put all of the facts in writing and sent it to the President for his use.
The President spent a quiet evening considering matters that had been sent to him from the United States and retired early.
The German delegation at Versailles sent a note criticising the reparations section of the Peace Treaty, and saying that while they admitted responsibility for all of the damage that had accrued to Belgium and northen France as a result of the violation of Belgian neutrality, it was unfair that they should be asked to pay for a lot of damage that had been done by the Allied armies in their advance. The Council of Four sent a note to Count Brockdorff-Rantzau stating that they could not furnish repatriated prisoners of war with a new civilian suits, underclothing and boots. The Allies have agreed to appoint a Reparation Commission as asked for by the Germans as soon as the Peace Treaty was actually signed.
After the President’s conference with the Big Four, he told me that it was Foch’s ambition to become the Hindenburg or the Ludendorff of the French Army. In this ambition he is backed by Poincare, and strongly opposed by Clemenceau. Foch seems to have further ambition of becoming the Military Dictator of the Allies and Associated Powers. General Bliss said that Foch’s attitude has changed materially, because he (General Bliss) was present when the Armistice was signed, and Foch was having a “duck fit” for fear that the Allies were making the Armistice terms so strong that the Germans would not agree to sign and stop fighting. The thought of the Germans renewing the war made Foch nervous and tremble with fear at that time. The contrast in his attitude today is most striking. The impression that I gather is that Poincare is a weak President. His function seems to be practically that of a rubber-stamp. Whatever his clique puts before him, he signs.
The President, Mrs. Wilson, and I had lunch, and after lunch we went for a long automobile ride out through the parks adjacent to the city of Paris. Returning to the temporary White House, the President resumed his conference with the Big Four. There was a continuation of a discussion of the questions involved in connection with the Turkish Empire. M. Andre Tardieu advocated as a solution that Constantinople and the greater portion of Anatolia should remain under the nominal rule of the Sultan, but that a commission, to be named by the League of Nations, and preferably composed of Americans, would act as the power behind the throne in directing the affairs of that section of Turkey. Allowing the Sultan, to remain in power would be for the purpose of satisfying the Mohammedans in Asia and in India, who are threatening serious trouble to the British Empire.
Lord Reading, the Lord Chief Justice of Great Britain, and the retiring Ambassador to the United States, called today to say good-bye to the President. The Earl was extremely solicitous and told the the President that there was something he would like very much to tell him but that he hesitated about doing so. Still, he said, he considered that it was his duty in view of his official status that he should be perfectly frank, and the President told him he hoped he would be so. The Earl told the President that it was such a rotten and unpatriotic condition in American politics - if not treason - that he believed it was necessary to tell the President all the facts, although he (Lord Reading) was not taking part in American politics. He said that just before he left the United States for England a very prominent Republican United States Senator, one of the party leaders, called upon him and told him that he wanted him to warn Lloyd George that unless he changed his attitude and refused longer to acquiesce in the President’s policies and methods in Paris, the Republican party would be compelled much against its will to turn against the British Empire and the present British government and to advocate in the Senate and House of Representatives the recognition of the Irish Republic. It was very plain that this threat had given serious concern to the Earl. The President listened very carefully and immediately took steps to get all of the facts dealing with the situation. Earl Reading later put all of the facts in writing and sent it to the President for his use.
The President spent a quiet evening considering matters that had been sent to him from the United States and retired early.
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 May 22, WWP17173, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.