Cary T. Grayson Diary

Cary T. Grayson Diary

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

WWP17214

1919 July 2

An entry in Cary T. Grayson's diary from the Paris Peace Conference, dated 2 July 1919.

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

English

The President slept until 11:00 o’clock, and after he arose worked for a short time on the re-draft of his Message. He had as luncheon guests Mr. Charles T. Thompson of the Associated Press, and Mr. Lowell Mellett of the United Press. The President was very much interested in Mr. Thompson, who had three sone in the service. One of them is a graduate of Annapolis, and the other a graduate of West Point. Thompson had been four years acting as a war correspondent, having been on all fronts. He did splendid work with the Italian Army and also was one of the few men from the United States who was able to please the French with his newspaper stories. Thompson told the President a number of personal incidents and experiences and gave him the viewpoint which he (the President) had himself acquired. The President was much interested in what Mr. Thompson had to say but was more interested in the fact that three of his sons had participated actively in the war. The President utilized this to call attention to the fact that the war had itself been a great force for democracy, inasmuch as it had brought home to all of the people in the United States exactly what the war itself meant in its original effort on the part of Germany to overwhelm the world, and the alignment of the nations which prevented this. After Thompson and Mellett left the Presidentthey took occasion to declare that their viewpoint concerning him had been very much changed. They said that it was hard to realize how democratic he really was, especially when a person had not come into contact with him and found the man as he really was.

The dinner guest was Captain McCauley of the George Washington. The President attended the movies after dinner.

Today after luncheon the President said to me: “I will have to spend a little while on my message this afternoon. I am wondering whether I should address this message to the Senate alone or to a Joint Session of the Senate and House of Representatives. What do you think would be advisable?” I said: “You have been in the habit of addressing both Houses and I would do so in this case.” The President replied that he was inclined to the belief that in this instance he would be compelled to address the Senate alone. He finally decided inasmuch as it concerned the Treaty that he would ask Secretary Tumulty for an opinion on this subject before making a final decision.

Diary