Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17197
Date
1919 June 15
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
The President slept very late, and it was nearly lunch time before he finally came out of his room. He was very tired as the result of his work of the last week.
Mr. Bernard M. Baruch was a luncheon guest. I did not go with the President on his motor ride, as I had a boil on my neck. The motor party was composed of the President,Mrs. Wilson,Mr. Baruch and Dr. Axson. The party returned to the house late in the afternoon, and I got back in time for dinner with the President and Mrs. Wilson.
After dinner we sat in the reception room, and the President, talked with me about many matters. He took up especially the resemblance of Lloyd George to Theodore Roosevelt. He said: “Lloyd George reminds me very much of Roosevelt. He is a typical politician and is more or less superficial. He would start, for instance, to reform big interests, but after he got started, when the political pressure was brought to bear against hm, his initiative would cease and his efforts would become inactive. Roosevelt was active in controlling the trusts of the United States in public, but his private acts did not always square with his public attitude. In this respect, Lloyd George resembles him. He loves to play to the public. I have found, however, that very frequently he will say: ‘We will decide this in this manner but we will not say anything about it to the people.’ He is ever alert when there is any financial interest involved concerning Great Britain. It is hard for him to speak for any length of time. He seems to love to change his course. He campaigned in his election last Fall demanding that Germany be made to pay all of England’s war debt, and he was very harsh in his terms against Germany when he came over here. Then when a number of Members of Parliament demanded that Lloyd George live up to this pledges and force Germany to pay all the expenses of the war, Lloyd George endeavored to follow their request. When the terms were published, there was a reaction in England because of their severity, and then Lloyd George endeavored to change what he had been standing up for in the Council of Four. With it all he is most attractive personally. At times he has a boyish whimsicality. For instance, when he is speaking in the Council of Four he will address Clemenceau and speak to him as if he were the whole audience; then he will turn around to Orlando and myself and smile appealingly, as if he expects us to applaud and agree with him. He has a keen political sense and keeps his ear to the ground to learn what the masses are actually saying. He resembles Roosevelt in this way, and when he finds that things are not going right for him, he quickly changes his policy. He does not characterize as did Roosevelt every public utterances as “My Policies”, but the result is inevitably the same in his case.”
Mr. Bernard M. Baruch was a luncheon guest. I did not go with the President on his motor ride, as I had a boil on my neck. The motor party was composed of the President,Mrs. Wilson,Mr. Baruch and Dr. Axson. The party returned to the house late in the afternoon, and I got back in time for dinner with the President and Mrs. Wilson.
After dinner we sat in the reception room, and the President, talked with me about many matters. He took up especially the resemblance of Lloyd George to Theodore Roosevelt. He said: “Lloyd George reminds me very much of Roosevelt. He is a typical politician and is more or less superficial. He would start, for instance, to reform big interests, but after he got started, when the political pressure was brought to bear against hm, his initiative would cease and his efforts would become inactive. Roosevelt was active in controlling the trusts of the United States in public, but his private acts did not always square with his public attitude. In this respect, Lloyd George resembles him. He loves to play to the public. I have found, however, that very frequently he will say: ‘We will decide this in this manner but we will not say anything about it to the people.’ He is ever alert when there is any financial interest involved concerning Great Britain. It is hard for him to speak for any length of time. He seems to love to change his course. He campaigned in his election last Fall demanding that Germany be made to pay all of England’s war debt, and he was very harsh in his terms against Germany when he came over here. Then when a number of Members of Parliament demanded that Lloyd George live up to this pledges and force Germany to pay all the expenses of the war, Lloyd George endeavored to follow their request. When the terms were published, there was a reaction in England because of their severity, and then Lloyd George endeavored to change what he had been standing up for in the Council of Four. With it all he is most attractive personally. At times he has a boyish whimsicality. For instance, when he is speaking in the Council of Four he will address Clemenceau and speak to him as if he were the whole audience; then he will turn around to Orlando and myself and smile appealingly, as if he expects us to applaud and agree with him. He has a keen political sense and keeps his ear to the ground to learn what the masses are actually saying. He resembles Roosevelt in this way, and when he finds that things are not going right for him, he quickly changes his policy. He does not characterize as did Roosevelt every public utterances as “My Policies”, but the result is inevitably the same in his case.”
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 June 15, WWP17197, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.