Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP16999
Date
1918 December 9
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
MONDAY.
The President worked in his study during the morning cleaning up a batch of papers that he had brought with him and which up to the present time had not been touched. He had fully recovered from his cold and was in splendid shape. The general treatment and course of action which I recommended had been followed rigorously and I was proud of the fact that the President seemed physically able to cope with any task that he might encounter when our voyage was ended.
In the afternoon he went for a long walk about the deck with Mrs. Wilson, and in the evening we all attended the moving picture display in the dining salon.
At dinner the President told me what he characterized as one of his favorite stories. It was of two Irishmen who met on the evening of election day. The first asked the other what ticket he had voted. Pat replied that he had voted the Socialist ticket because, he explained, Socialism meant common ownership, and he went into some detail to explain to his colleague just what the Socialist party stood for. The latter listened in amazement and said: “Do you mean to say that if you had two houses you would give me one of them?” Pat replied: “Of course, I would.” “Yes, and if you had two automobiles would you give me one of them?” “Sure”, was Pat’s reply. “Well, then, if you had two hogs would you give me one of them?” “You go to hell”, said Pat; “you know damn well I have two hogs.”
Continuing the conversation, the President said that Roland S. Morris, the American Ambassador to Japan, had sent him the clearest and most concise despatches of any of the Americans in the diplomatic service. I asked the President whether he thought Mr. Morris had any special training in this line. “Oh, yes,” the President replied to me, “you know, he was a student of mine at Princeton.”
The President worked in his study during the morning cleaning up a batch of papers that he had brought with him and which up to the present time had not been touched. He had fully recovered from his cold and was in splendid shape. The general treatment and course of action which I recommended had been followed rigorously and I was proud of the fact that the President seemed physically able to cope with any task that he might encounter when our voyage was ended.
In the afternoon he went for a long walk about the deck with Mrs. Wilson, and in the evening we all attended the moving picture display in the dining salon.
At dinner the President told me what he characterized as one of his favorite stories. It was of two Irishmen who met on the evening of election day. The first asked the other what ticket he had voted. Pat replied that he had voted the Socialist ticket because, he explained, Socialism meant common ownership, and he went into some detail to explain to his colleague just what the Socialist party stood for. The latter listened in amazement and said: “Do you mean to say that if you had two houses you would give me one of them?” Pat replied: “Of course, I would.” “Yes, and if you had two automobiles would you give me one of them?” “Sure”, was Pat’s reply. “Well, then, if you had two hogs would you give me one of them?” “You go to hell”, said Pat; “you know damn well I have two hogs.”
Continuing the conversation, the President said that Roland S. Morris, the American Ambassador to Japan, had sent him the clearest and most concise despatches of any of the Americans in the diplomatic service. I asked the President whether he thought Mr. Morris had any special training in this line. “Oh, yes,” the President replied to me, “you know, he was a student of mine at Princeton.”
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1918 December 9, WWP16999, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.