Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17212
Date
1919 June 30
Description
An entry in Cary T. Grayson's diary from the Paris Peace Conference, dated 30 June 1919.
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
Early this morning I was awakened by an announcement that the Transport Great Northern was in sight. The reason for my being awakened was that I had been notified while in Paris that the Great Northern had on board a mail pouch from the White House, and I sent orders for her to transfer it to the George Washington enroute. In order to avoid hurting any one’s feelings I transferred the orders through the various official channels so that they went to a number of people with the result that as soon as the Great Northern was located, Captain McCauley saw that I was personally notified with the result that my early morning beauty sleep was seriously encroached upon. This early morning beauty sleep was a habit that had been contracted only in France. When I first arrived I was in the habit of getting up at my usual early hour. After having done this two mornings in succession, and having had the French help at the temporary White House look at me in a most reproachful manner, I decided that it was unfair to them interfere with the custom of the country of sleeping late, and I remained in bed myself.
The mail bag was transferred and delivered to me. It was tied with cords of rope and then re-tied, and I with a small pen knife started a surgical operation to extricate the bag from its casing. After I got the rope off I found underneath a canvas-bag. I managed to cut it, although the stout canvas resisted my small knife to a very material extent. Feeling, however, that my task was ended after I had slit the bag across, I dumped it out only to find that there was still another canvas-bag. I got that off after awhile, and with a smiling countenance over duty well performed, started to open the leather bag. However, I encountered three locks on the pouch and no key with which to open them, so I was finally compelled to call in a locksmith to finish the job. In the pouch were a number of letters, including one from Mrs. Grayson, which naturally I was more than delighted to receive. There were also two bills that had been sent from the White House for the President’s signature. They were the Indian Bill and the Urgent Deficiency Bill. They were placed upon the President’s desk, and at 11:15 this morning he signed them. In signing these bills the President broke another precedent, inasmuch as it was the first time in the history of the United States that national legislation had been completed upon the high seas.
The weather was fine and calm, and the President spent a great part of the day resting. He worked for a while on an introduction to his Message to Congress, which he intended to deliver soon after his arrival in Washington.
In the evening after dninner the President and Mrs. Wilson attended a moving picture performance.
The mail bag was transferred and delivered to me. It was tied with cords of rope and then re-tied, and I with a small pen knife started a surgical operation to extricate the bag from its casing. After I got the rope off I found underneath a canvas-bag. I managed to cut it, although the stout canvas resisted my small knife to a very material extent. Feeling, however, that my task was ended after I had slit the bag across, I dumped it out only to find that there was still another canvas-bag. I got that off after awhile, and with a smiling countenance over duty well performed, started to open the leather bag. However, I encountered three locks on the pouch and no key with which to open them, so I was finally compelled to call in a locksmith to finish the job. In the pouch were a number of letters, including one from Mrs. Grayson, which naturally I was more than delighted to receive. There were also two bills that had been sent from the White House for the President’s signature. They were the Indian Bill and the Urgent Deficiency Bill. They were placed upon the President’s desk, and at 11:15 this morning he signed them. In signing these bills the President broke another precedent, inasmuch as it was the first time in the history of the United States that national legislation had been completed upon the high seas.
The weather was fine and calm, and the President spent a great part of the day resting. He worked for a while on an introduction to his Message to Congress, which he intended to deliver soon after his arrival in Washington.
In the evening after dninner the President and Mrs. Wilson attended a moving picture performance.
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 June 30, WWP17212, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.