Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17010
Date
1918 December 20
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
Friday.
The President had a number of engagements today. He had conferences in the morning with Orlando and Sonnino; he received the Ambassadors and Ministers from foreign countries to France as well as the President and the committee of the French Senate and he made a call on the King of Italy.
His first caller was the Spanish Premier who had made a special trip from Madrid in order to ask the President what the attitude of the Peace Conference would be towards the neutrals, and especially to assure the President that charges that Spain had unduly favored Germany during the war were unfounded. The President took no positive position, regarding the question of the neutrals, explaining to his caller that inasmuch as a League of Nations was to be organized it would be impossible to determine what participation any nation would be given in that League until a constitution actually had been framed. The Spanish Premier told the President that Spain’s economic position was none too good and said that it had suffered very much in the war because of its remaining and continuing neutral to the end.
In the afternoon the President and Mrs. Wilson were the guests of honor at the meeting of the Academy of Sciences, the occasion being the conferring of membership on Marshal Joffre. The veteran French soldier made a very remarkable speech, which greatly impressed the President. Joffre paid the highest tribute to the French Army and declared that it was the soldier of France that had saved France rather than the leaders of the soldiers. The Field Marshal had prepared his speech in advance and read it very carefully, sticking closely to his manuscript. The President in commenting on Joffre’s speech afterwards told me that in addition to being a soldier he had given evidences of being a good scholar.
The President had a number of engagements today. He had conferences in the morning with Orlando and Sonnino; he received the Ambassadors and Ministers from foreign countries to France as well as the President and the committee of the French Senate and he made a call on the King of Italy.
His first caller was the Spanish Premier who had made a special trip from Madrid in order to ask the President what the attitude of the Peace Conference would be towards the neutrals, and especially to assure the President that charges that Spain had unduly favored Germany during the war were unfounded. The President took no positive position, regarding the question of the neutrals, explaining to his caller that inasmuch as a League of Nations was to be organized it would be impossible to determine what participation any nation would be given in that League until a constitution actually had been framed. The Spanish Premier told the President that Spain’s economic position was none too good and said that it had suffered very much in the war because of its remaining and continuing neutral to the end.
In the afternoon the President and Mrs. Wilson were the guests of honor at the meeting of the Academy of Sciences, the occasion being the conferring of membership on Marshal Joffre. The veteran French soldier made a very remarkable speech, which greatly impressed the President. Joffre paid the highest tribute to the French Army and declared that it was the soldier of France that had saved France rather than the leaders of the soldiers. The Field Marshal had prepared his speech in advance and read it very carefully, sticking closely to his manuscript. The President in commenting on Joffre’s speech afterwards told me that in addition to being a soldier he had given evidences of being a good scholar.
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1918 December 20, WWP17010, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.