Excerpt From "Woodrow Wilson - Not Too Good and Not Too Wise"

Excerpt From "Woodrow Wilson - Not Too Good and Not Too Wise"

Huston Thompson

WWP16608

1926 May 1

The article excerpt tells of the Navy’s premature celebration of the election results in 1916 due to its dislike of Joseph Daniels as Secretary of the Navy. Wilson’s response was to appoint Grayson an admiral.

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

English

The Presidential election of 1916 had just been held. On election night, when it was thought Hughes had beaten Wilson, a celebdration was held at the Army and Navy Club in Washington. The Navy was especially jubilant. Many Navy officers hated Secretary Daniels and they figured that, with Wilson beaten, they would get rid of Daniels on the fourth of the next March. It was in the pre-Volstead days, so the celebration was more or less wet. Along about midnight some of the Navy people opened up and reevealed the innermost secrets of their hearts as to Daniels and, to some extent, as to Wilson. All was quiet along the Potomac the next day, when it was discovered that Wilson had been elected after all, but the news of what had happened the night before reached the President’s ears. He said nothing, but a few days later he told Grayson he was going to appoint him an admiral.

"I don’t think you should do it, Mr. President," Grayson said to him. "It would jump me over a lot of fellows’ heads and cause criticism. I wouldn’t mind it, but they would criticize you as they did Roosevelt for jumping Leonard Wood to a general. I wouldn’t like to think you were being blamed for doing something for me.“

"Well, I’m going to appoint you, anyway," Mr. Wilson replied. "In the first place you are qualified. In the second place I want to do something for you to show my appreciation of all that you have done for me..."

Then he paused and smiled. A grin spread over his face and his eyes lighted up with fun.

“And besides," he added, "I’m not averse to drawing off a little of that hot Navy blood that was running so high at the Army and Navy Club on election night.”

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