Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17077
Date
1919 February 24
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
MONDAY.
This was a crowded day. About 10:30 the official reception committee, headed by Mayor Peters, General Clarence R. Edwards, Commanding the Department of the Northeast, Governor Coolidge and Rear Admiral Wood, with their respective staffs came on board to escort the President to the shore. They met him in his office on C deck.
Before the President left the ship he went down among the returning troops to say good bye to them. The President told the men the deep satisfaction it had given him to have them accompany him home. He said that while they might have lost a day through his coming to Boston he had no doubt their welcome home would be all the warmer because of that fact. His appearance among them was apparently very pleasant to the soldiers.
We left the GEORGE WASHINGTON at 11:30 on the Coast Guard Cutter Ossipee. As we steamed towards the South Boston dock a large fleet of excursion vessels circled about but were driven back to a respectful distance by our escorting destroyers and submarine chasers. Every steam craft we passed in the harbor had its whistle tied down and the din at times was deafening. Approaching Commonwealth Pier, where we landed, an enormous crowd which had gathered at every point of vantage cheered the President. The landing was made just at noon. The President was escorted to a freight elevator and taken to the street level of the pier, where automobiles were in waiting. There were more than fifty automobiles in the procession which passed through the heart of Boston en route to the Copley Plaza Hotel. The President’s welcome was far more enthusiastic than had been thought possible. The streets were jammed with people. The arrangements, however, were perfect. Some twelve thousand troops, aided by blue jackets and marines from the Boston Navy Yard, lined the entire route. All streets were roped off, while two blocks of narrow streets through which the procession had to pass were completely closed, no one being allowed in the streets or the houses adjacent. As a precautionary measure soldiers with loaded rifles were stationed on the roof of every block of buildings over the entire route from Commonwealth Pier to the Hotel. There were no incidents however. The police made one arrest, that of a Polish subject on whom they found a revolver, a box of cartridges and a black jack. He was simply a crank however and it is doubtful if he had any evil designs. One of the features of the parade was the massing on the temporary grandstand in front of the capitol, on the Beacon Street side, of four hundred wounded soldiers brought over from the receiving hospital to have a look at the Commander-in Chief as he went by. It was noticeable that at least a score of them wore the American Distinguished Service Cross, while others had the French War Cross. They applauded very warmly as the President passed by.
Following luncehon at the hotel the President was driven to Mechanics Hall, where he delivered his first address since leaving France. In it he accepted the challenge of the opponents of the league of nations and announced that if America did not lead the way in adopting this plan for permanent peace the world would be deeply disappointed. (See Speech)
The demonstration was altogether a very pleasing one. John McCormack, the noted tenor, sang the Star Spangled Banner with a vim and touch that wellnigh carried the audience off its feet. Mayor Peters made a flamboyant address directed chiefly at the President. Governor Coolidge, who followed, pledged himself to any plan or scheme which the President would devise or design to end war for all time. This was rather remarkable in view of the fact that the Governor is a republican, but it could be explained when it was remembered that the Governor entertained senatorial ambitions and Senator Lodge was an opponent of the league plan as well as a fellow republican.
Following the speech we were escorted to South Station where a special train was in waiting to take us to Washington. The exit from Boston was marked by very friendly demonstrations from people of every class who gathered along the route to cheer the passing train.
The first stop was Providence, Rhode Island. Here a large and happy crowd gathered to cheer the President until he finally was compelled to make a few remarks of appreciateion of the warm welcome. Again he assured his hearers that the whole world was waiting on America and would be disappointed should America fail in her duty at this critical time.
Another brief halt at New London found another large crowd that cheered and applauded wildly. At New Haven an enormous crowd had gathered up the main street just before the depot was reached. The Mayor and the City Council, who were at the station, were not anxious that the President should greet this crowd so they caused the train to be run by some distance down into the station yard. Fortunately, however, Secret Service Agent Murphy saw the crowd waiting and tole the President who at once asked the conductor to back the train. The Mayor, discovering that his little scheme was known then volunteered to the President to tell the crowd that the President was sorry the train had run past. I told the conductor to back the train up, which was done, and the President was able to wave greetings to the many people who had waited in the cold for a long time to cheer him as he passed. There were at least ten thousand people in this crowd. It is needless to say that the Mayor and Council were republicans.
At 6:55, just before the train reached New London the President affixed his signature to the six billion revenue bill, the biggest tax measure ever enacted in the United States and probably the greatest in the history of any nation in the world.
The signing of the Revenue Bill carried with it a rider which made the District of Columbia bone-dry. Word of the signing, while not officially given out from the President’s train, was telegraphed ahead to Washington and the authorities seized very large quantities of liquor in shipment to residents in the District of Columbia.
The President was asleep when the train passed through New York, and although there was a good crowd in the Pennsylvania Station he was not awakened.
This was a crowded day. About 10:30 the official reception committee, headed by Mayor Peters, General Clarence R. Edwards, Commanding the Department of the Northeast, Governor Coolidge and Rear Admiral Wood, with their respective staffs came on board to escort the President to the shore. They met him in his office on C deck.
Before the President left the ship he went down among the returning troops to say good bye to them. The President told the men the deep satisfaction it had given him to have them accompany him home. He said that while they might have lost a day through his coming to Boston he had no doubt their welcome home would be all the warmer because of that fact. His appearance among them was apparently very pleasant to the soldiers.
We left the GEORGE WASHINGTON at 11:30 on the Coast Guard Cutter Ossipee. As we steamed towards the South Boston dock a large fleet of excursion vessels circled about but were driven back to a respectful distance by our escorting destroyers and submarine chasers. Every steam craft we passed in the harbor had its whistle tied down and the din at times was deafening. Approaching Commonwealth Pier, where we landed, an enormous crowd which had gathered at every point of vantage cheered the President. The landing was made just at noon. The President was escorted to a freight elevator and taken to the street level of the pier, where automobiles were in waiting. There were more than fifty automobiles in the procession which passed through the heart of Boston en route to the Copley Plaza Hotel. The President’s welcome was far more enthusiastic than had been thought possible. The streets were jammed with people. The arrangements, however, were perfect. Some twelve thousand troops, aided by blue jackets and marines from the Boston Navy Yard, lined the entire route. All streets were roped off, while two blocks of narrow streets through which the procession had to pass were completely closed, no one being allowed in the streets or the houses adjacent. As a precautionary measure soldiers with loaded rifles were stationed on the roof of every block of buildings over the entire route from Commonwealth Pier to the Hotel. There were no incidents however. The police made one arrest, that of a Polish subject on whom they found a revolver, a box of cartridges and a black jack. He was simply a crank however and it is doubtful if he had any evil designs. One of the features of the parade was the massing on the temporary grandstand in front of the capitol, on the Beacon Street side, of four hundred wounded soldiers brought over from the receiving hospital to have a look at the Commander-in Chief as he went by. It was noticeable that at least a score of them wore the American Distinguished Service Cross, while others had the French War Cross. They applauded very warmly as the President passed by.
Following luncehon at the hotel the President was driven to Mechanics Hall, where he delivered his first address since leaving France. In it he accepted the challenge of the opponents of the league of nations and announced that if America did not lead the way in adopting this plan for permanent peace the world would be deeply disappointed. (See Speech)
The demonstration was altogether a very pleasing one. John McCormack, the noted tenor, sang the Star Spangled Banner with a vim and touch that wellnigh carried the audience off its feet. Mayor Peters made a flamboyant address directed chiefly at the President. Governor Coolidge, who followed, pledged himself to any plan or scheme which the President would devise or design to end war for all time. This was rather remarkable in view of the fact that the Governor is a republican, but it could be explained when it was remembered that the Governor entertained senatorial ambitions and Senator Lodge was an opponent of the league plan as well as a fellow republican.
Following the speech we were escorted to South Station where a special train was in waiting to take us to Washington. The exit from Boston was marked by very friendly demonstrations from people of every class who gathered along the route to cheer the passing train.
The first stop was Providence, Rhode Island. Here a large and happy crowd gathered to cheer the President until he finally was compelled to make a few remarks of appreciateion of the warm welcome. Again he assured his hearers that the whole world was waiting on America and would be disappointed should America fail in her duty at this critical time.
Another brief halt at New London found another large crowd that cheered and applauded wildly. At New Haven an enormous crowd had gathered up the main street just before the depot was reached. The Mayor and the City Council, who were at the station, were not anxious that the President should greet this crowd so they caused the train to be run by some distance down into the station yard. Fortunately, however, Secret Service Agent Murphy saw the crowd waiting and tole the President who at once asked the conductor to back the train. The Mayor, discovering that his little scheme was known then volunteered to the President to tell the crowd that the President was sorry the train had run past. I told the conductor to back the train up, which was done, and the President was able to wave greetings to the many people who had waited in the cold for a long time to cheer him as he passed. There were at least ten thousand people in this crowd. It is needless to say that the Mayor and Council were republicans.
At 6:55, just before the train reached New London the President affixed his signature to the six billion revenue bill, the biggest tax measure ever enacted in the United States and probably the greatest in the history of any nation in the world.
The signing of the Revenue Bill carried with it a rider which made the District of Columbia bone-dry. Word of the signing, while not officially given out from the President’s train, was telegraphed ahead to Washington and the authorities seized very large quantities of liquor in shipment to residents in the District of Columbia.
The President was asleep when the train passed through New York, and although there was a good crowd in the Pennsylvania Station he was not awakened.
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 February 24, WWP17077, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.