Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17206
Date
1919 June 24
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
After breakfast Tay Pay O’Connor, the Irish statesman and author, called for a moment to pay his respects to the President. He said that he did not want to take up his time, and told me that he did not know whether it would be wise for the President to see him or not, but that he simply had wanted to express to him his thanks and his appreciation for what the President was doing in the interest of peace. The President was engaged, and it was impossible for him to receive Mr. O’Connor, but Mr. O’Connor was well satisfied. I put him in the President’s car and sent him back to his hotel. He was accompanied by a Mr. McGuire. As Mr. O’Connor entered the car he turned to McGuire and said: “Suppose the Sinn Feiners could see me now.” He seemed to be well pleased and the episode of the car amused him.
The President met with the Council of Three, Lloyd George being present again for the first time. The President told me afterward that the British Premier was extremely warm in his praises of me and of appreciation for what I had done. The President said: “He spoke very affectionately of you to the Council.”
As the Council of Three was breaking up from the morning session, I went into the room with my pen in hand to get Clemenceau to sign a picture of the Big Four. He took me to one side and told me that he had signed an order directing that I be awarded with the decoration of Commander of the Legion of Honor. I was not only surprised but I really was shocked, as this was something that I did not desire and would not like to be placed in the position of either accepting or having to refuse. It was not that I had any particular feeling other than my general feeling of opposition to decorations generally. The President had heard what Clemenceau told me, and I asked him what I should do in the matter. He said: “By all means, you should accept it. In the first place, you should accept it because I believe you deserve it. In the second place, if you do not accept it your motives are apt to be misconstrued and there is a possibility that some one would believe that you declined it at my instigation, which might be embarrassing in existing circumstances.”
Mr. and Mrs. Dumont, the American Consul at Florence, Italy, and Mr. Henry White were luncheon guests. The Dumonts were extremely bitter against the Italian people generally, and especially against those with whom they have recently had dealings since the President refused to allow Italy to gobble the whole of Dalmatia. Mr. Dumont stated that the only thing that he could say about the Italians was that if the negroes of the South had white skins they would be perfectly comparable to the Italians generally. He said that he was completely disgusted with the manner in which the Red Cross and Y. M. C. A. workers had allowed the Italians to treat them. They had submitted to ill treatment and indignities and had failed to report them simply because they wanted to remain in that section of Italy, and they knew if they directed attention to the actual facts they would be ordered out by the State Department.
At two o’clock the President asked me to accompany him to Versailles. As soon as we arrived there we were met by Mr. Balfour, who took Lloyd George’s place. The object was to look over the arrangements made for the ceremony in connection with the signing of the treaty. After looking over the Hall of Mirrors and finding out how much space was available for the representatives of the press and officials, the President said: “We should admit some ladies. I would like to have Mrs. Wilson and my daughter witness the ceremony.” Mr. Clemenceau turned around and said: “Very well, that settles it. We will have the ladies present. Furthermore, I think it is nice to have them. If we did not have them present (winking his eye at the President) Mr. Balfour would not come.” Mr. Balfour, who was standing by, joined in the laughter.
After the arrangements had been completed, Mr. Balfour read a note which had been received from Germany saying that it would be impossible for the delegates to be present before . The German authorities seemed to treat lightly the matter as to who would come. Whereupon the President said that if they tried to send office boys or messengers he was in favor of the Council of Three insisting on having representative men sent, and not take any foolishness from them.
Clemenceau conducted the President around the Palace personally and showed him the points of interest. He took him into the Senate room and pointed out the seat which Victor Hugo occupied. Then pointing to the Rostrum, he said: “There is where I made my maiden speech in -- 47 years ago.” Passing through the various chambers and rooms, he showed the President the bed-room of Louis XIV. Mr. Balfour remarked that the bed faced the windows, which was something he disliked owing to the morning light. It was arranged like his bed here in Paris, which also faced the light, and which was a bad arrangement.
Going through another room, we faced a number of mirrors, so placed that you could see yourself at several angles. Clemenceau turned and said to the President and Mr. Balfour: “If you were to embrace one lady in this room, and then look in the mirrors, you would think that you had your arms around several ladies.” The President told him the story of a lady who was being kissed and who thought no one was present. Presently a little voice said: “Auntie, kiss me too.” She replied to her young niece by saying: “Eleanor, you are speaking incorrect English; you should say: ‘Kiss me twice.’ ” Both Clemenceau and Balfour laughed very heartily, the former saying: “She was a lady of experience.”
When the President walked out of the Palace a large crowd had gathered and they cheered: “Wilson and Clemenceau.”
Returning from Versailles the Council of Three reconvened and continued their conferences. The President urged his colleagues to expedite as much as possible all arrangements for the signing so that it could be disposed of without delay. The Council also considered a report which had been received dealing with the destruction of the German Fleet interned at Scapa Flow, which had been scuttled through the action of the German crews in opening the sea-cocks in the ships.
After dinner tonight Ambassador Jusserand came to the temporary White House to see the President. The President, however, was too busy to receive the Ambassador and told me to ascertain his mission. Jusserand informed me that the President of France was arranging a formal dinner to be held on night, and that he wished the President to attend as the guest of honor. I got in touch with the President and he told me that he simply could not go. He pointed out that there was still a possibility of the signing of the Treaty on afternoon, and he intended starting back for the United States the moment the signatures were affixed. He said that if he went to the dinner it would take up too much of his time, pointing out that if the dinner was held on the day of the signing, before he would be able to get through with the soup, it would be time to start for the train. As a matter of fact, the President did not want to go to the dinner at all.
Poincare had said a number of nasty things about the President during the latter’s sojourn here, and the President had no desire to accept any hospitality whatever at his hands. However, the demand that Poincare entertain the President at dinner was generally from the people of France, and it would be hard for the French President to explain why this had not been done. Although I had said nothing to Jusserand about our knowledge of the fact that Poincare had spoken disrespectfully of the President, the Ambassador emphasized again and again to me that Poincare thought a great deal of the President and had always spoken in the highest of terms of him. To my mind this was another clear case of a “guilty conscience being its own accuser.”
The President met with the Council of Three, Lloyd George being present again for the first time. The President told me afterward that the British Premier was extremely warm in his praises of me and of appreciation for what I had done. The President said: “He spoke very affectionately of you to the Council.”
As the Council of Three was breaking up from the morning session, I went into the room with my pen in hand to get Clemenceau to sign a picture of the Big Four. He took me to one side and told me that he had signed an order directing that I be awarded with the decoration of Commander of the Legion of Honor. I was not only surprised but I really was shocked, as this was something that I did not desire and would not like to be placed in the position of either accepting or having to refuse. It was not that I had any particular feeling other than my general feeling of opposition to decorations generally. The President had heard what Clemenceau told me, and I asked him what I should do in the matter. He said: “By all means, you should accept it. In the first place, you should accept it because I believe you deserve it. In the second place, if you do not accept it your motives are apt to be misconstrued and there is a possibility that some one would believe that you declined it at my instigation, which might be embarrassing in existing circumstances.”
Mr. and Mrs. Dumont, the American Consul at Florence, Italy, and Mr. Henry White were luncheon guests. The Dumonts were extremely bitter against the Italian people generally, and especially against those with whom they have recently had dealings since the President refused to allow Italy to gobble the whole of Dalmatia. Mr. Dumont stated that the only thing that he could say about the Italians was that if the negroes of the South had white skins they would be perfectly comparable to the Italians generally. He said that he was completely disgusted with the manner in which the Red Cross and Y. M. C. A. workers had allowed the Italians to treat them. They had submitted to ill treatment and indignities and had failed to report them simply because they wanted to remain in that section of Italy, and they knew if they directed attention to the actual facts they would be ordered out by the State Department.
At two o’clock the President asked me to accompany him to Versailles. As soon as we arrived there we were met by Mr. Balfour, who took Lloyd George’s place. The object was to look over the arrangements made for the ceremony in connection with the signing of the treaty. After looking over the Hall of Mirrors and finding out how much space was available for the representatives of the press and officials, the President said: “We should admit some ladies. I would like to have Mrs. Wilson and my daughter witness the ceremony.” Mr. Clemenceau turned around and said: “Very well, that settles it. We will have the ladies present. Furthermore, I think it is nice to have them. If we did not have them present (winking his eye at the President) Mr. Balfour would not come.” Mr. Balfour, who was standing by, joined in the laughter.
After the arrangements had been completed, Mr. Balfour read a note which had been received from Germany saying that it would be impossible for the delegates to be present before . The German authorities seemed to treat lightly the matter as to who would come. Whereupon the President said that if they tried to send office boys or messengers he was in favor of the Council of Three insisting on having representative men sent, and not take any foolishness from them.
Clemenceau conducted the President around the Palace personally and showed him the points of interest. He took him into the Senate room and pointed out the seat which Victor Hugo occupied. Then pointing to the Rostrum, he said: “There is where I made my maiden speech in -- 47 years ago.” Passing through the various chambers and rooms, he showed the President the bed-room of Louis XIV. Mr. Balfour remarked that the bed faced the windows, which was something he disliked owing to the morning light. It was arranged like his bed here in Paris, which also faced the light, and which was a bad arrangement.
Going through another room, we faced a number of mirrors, so placed that you could see yourself at several angles. Clemenceau turned and said to the President and Mr. Balfour: “If you were to embrace one lady in this room, and then look in the mirrors, you would think that you had your arms around several ladies.” The President told him the story of a lady who was being kissed and who thought no one was present. Presently a little voice said: “Auntie, kiss me too.” She replied to her young niece by saying: “Eleanor, you are speaking incorrect English; you should say: ‘Kiss me twice.’ ” Both Clemenceau and Balfour laughed very heartily, the former saying: “She was a lady of experience.”
When the President walked out of the Palace a large crowd had gathered and they cheered: “Wilson and Clemenceau.”
Returning from Versailles the Council of Three reconvened and continued their conferences. The President urged his colleagues to expedite as much as possible all arrangements for the signing so that it could be disposed of without delay. The Council also considered a report which had been received dealing with the destruction of the German Fleet interned at Scapa Flow, which had been scuttled through the action of the German crews in opening the sea-cocks in the ships.
After dinner tonight Ambassador Jusserand came to the temporary White House to see the President. The President, however, was too busy to receive the Ambassador and told me to ascertain his mission. Jusserand informed me that the President of France was arranging a formal dinner to be held on night, and that he wished the President to attend as the guest of honor. I got in touch with the President and he told me that he simply could not go. He pointed out that there was still a possibility of the signing of the Treaty on afternoon, and he intended starting back for the United States the moment the signatures were affixed. He said that if he went to the dinner it would take up too much of his time, pointing out that if the dinner was held on the day of the signing, before he would be able to get through with the soup, it would be time to start for the train. As a matter of fact, the President did not want to go to the dinner at all.
Poincare had said a number of nasty things about the President during the latter’s sojourn here, and the President had no desire to accept any hospitality whatever at his hands. However, the demand that Poincare entertain the President at dinner was generally from the people of France, and it would be hard for the French President to explain why this had not been done. Although I had said nothing to Jusserand about our knowledge of the fact that Poincare had spoken disrespectfully of the President, the Ambassador emphasized again and again to me that Poincare thought a great deal of the President and had always spoken in the highest of terms of him. To my mind this was another clear case of a “guilty conscience being its own accuser.”
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 June 24, WWP17206, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.