Cary T. Grayson Diary

Cary T. Grayson Diary

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

WWP17190

1919 June 8

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

English

The President slept late and after breakfast the automobiles were summoned and he proceeded to the Tomb of Lafayette, where he placed upon it a bronze wreath, which was an exact replica of the original wreath he had put upon the tomb when he first came to France. This bronze wreath was a very beautiful creation, and attached to it was a permanent metal card, on which had been worked in wrought letters the President’s sentiments that were written on his visiting card which was attached to the natural wreath originally deposited here. The inscription was: “To the Great Lafayette -- From a fellow-servant of liberty.” This wreath attracted a great deal of attention, and, in the President’s own words, - “It had cost a pretty penny.” But all who saw it were highly delighted with it, and the French especially appreciated the sentiment behind it, which had caused the President to see that a permanent decoration should remain as a memento of the first visit of a President of the United States to France.The President went inside of the railing and placed the wreath with his own hands, stepping back to gaze at it, and then moving forward to change it until it finally satisfied him.

We returned to the house for luncheon, and afterwards went for a long motor ride, the trip extending to Rambouillet. Just before reaching there we came upon a small French automobile overturned by the roadside, with some people standing by. They stopped the President’s car and told us that two women and a man had been injured as a result of the accident. There was no doctor there, so I went into the house and gave assistance to the injured. One woman was unconscious but so far as I could see had no bones broken and seemed to be suffering from a concussion of the brain. I rendered aid to all three and then instructed them to get an ambulance from the nearest city, as the injured would be in need of attention on the part of a physician for a number of days. I suggested that they be moved to a hospital in the ambulance. While I was in the house, the President and Mrs. Wilson alighted from their automobile and solicitously inquired whether there was anything they could do.

The President returned to the house shortly after six o’clock and dined quietly with Mrs. Wilson, Dr. Axson and myself. After dinner Colonel House came up and talked with the President. Premier Clemenceau had called upon Colonel House during the day and it is understood had discussed with him the suggested amendments to the League of Nations Treaty which were designed to meet some of the German objections raised against that document. The League of Nations Committee was a unit in agreeing that certain modifications should be made whereby Germany would have access to the proceedings of the League of Nations, and her application for membership would be acted upon at the meeting of the League in Washington next October. Bourgeois, the French representative on the Committee, had agreed to this. But when Clemenceau was told about it he became very angry and declared that it would rob France of certain of the fruits of her victory. He took the position that he could not consent to it and went over and talked to Colonel House about it. The Colonel later reported the matter to the President but expressed the view that the French themselves could handle the situation very nicely.

Diary