Thomas W. Lamont to Cary T. Grayson
Title
Thomas W. Lamont to Cary T. Grayson
Creator
Lamont, Thomas W. (Thomas William), 1870-1948
Identifier
WWP15795
Date
1919 June 13
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
Dear Admiral Grayson
I have just received a long cable message from my partner Davison, giving in some detail the testimony at Washington. Perhaps the President has already seen this, but, on the chance that he has not, I will quote one or two interesting paragraphs from the cable:
"Elihu Root stated to the Committee, however, that it was not legally incumbent upon the President to send the Treaty to the Senate before it became an accepted document and that the President was the sole judge of the time to transmit it to the Senate.”
“No line of Treaty was read by any member of our firm or by anybody else except Senator Elihu Root to whom I gave it in strict confidence because I knew that his advice had been sought and given to the American Mission, that he was in their confidence, that he had contributed a number of wise suggestions, and that I thought it wholly proper that he should have a copy of the Treaty. My further reason, although I did not so testify, was that I was astounded at the bitterness of feeling existing here against the League and against the Treaty. I believed there was no man who could do more to help secure the ratification of the Treaty than Senator Elihu Root and I therefore deemed it of paramount importance that he, having been in the confidence of the American Mission, should see a full copy of the Treaty. However, even then, I did not know that there was any later embargo put upon the Treaty, in fact I only learned it through the publicity emanating from the Senate action.”
“The Committee were entirely friendly in their attitude and many of them said privately that they perfectly understood my having possession which was beyond criticism, as was my giving it to Senator Elihu Root. During the hearing, 4 members of the Committee, 2 Democrats, 2 Republicans, voluntarily expressed the opinion that it was highly proper for me as the Head of the Red Cross to have the copy and no dissent from this was expressed by anyone. Case, who went to Washington the day before the hearing to fully inform the State Department of all the facts, was told by Frank Polk that in his opinion there was nothing inappropriate or improper either in you giving me a copy or in your having it or giving it to Senator Elihu Root, he said that he believed when he told the story that all of the mystery would disappear and that it would be seen that the incident was of no importance.”
TW Lamont
I have just received a long cable message from my partner Davison, giving in some detail the testimony at Washington. Perhaps the President has already seen this, but, on the chance that he has not, I will quote one or two interesting paragraphs from the cable:
"Elihu Root stated to the Committee, however, that it was not legally incumbent upon the President to send the Treaty to the Senate before it became an accepted document and that the President was the sole judge of the time to transmit it to the Senate.”
“No line of Treaty was read by any member of our firm or by anybody else except Senator Elihu Root to whom I gave it in strict confidence because I knew that his advice had been sought and given to the American Mission, that he was in their confidence, that he had contributed a number of wise suggestions, and that I thought it wholly proper that he should have a copy of the Treaty. My further reason, although I did not so testify, was that I was astounded at the bitterness of feeling existing here against the League and against the Treaty. I believed there was no man who could do more to help secure the ratification of the Treaty than Senator Elihu Root and I therefore deemed it of paramount importance that he, having been in the confidence of the American Mission, should see a full copy of the Treaty. However, even then, I did not know that there was any later embargo put upon the Treaty, in fact I only learned it through the publicity emanating from the Senate action.”
“The Committee were entirely friendly in their attitude and many of them said privately that they perfectly understood my having possession which was beyond criticism, as was my giving it to Senator Elihu Root. During the hearing, 4 members of the Committee, 2 Democrats, 2 Republicans, voluntarily expressed the opinion that it was highly proper for me as the Head of the Red Cross to have the copy and no dissent from this was expressed by anyone. Case, who went to Washington the day before the hearing to fully inform the State Department of all the facts, was told by Frank Polk that in his opinion there was nothing inappropriate or improper either in you giving me a copy or in your having it or giving it to Senator Elihu Root, he said that he believed when he told the story that all of the mystery would disappear and that it would be seen that the incident was of no importance.”
TW Lamont
Original Format
Letter
To
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Files
Collection
Citation
Lamont, Thomas W. (Thomas William), 1870-1948, “Thomas W. Lamont to Cary T. Grayson,” 1919 June 13, WWP15795, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.