Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17020
Date
1918 December 30
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
Monday,
The President was the guest of Manchester most of the day. Leaving the Town Hall at nine o’clock he was driven through the streets to the Manchester Ship Canal. En route the President had a first-hand view of the effects of child labor. Hundreds of stunted children, boys and girls, illy clad and under-nourished, lined the streets to see him. The route took in a good bit of the poorer section of Manchester and the entire people thus seen were for the most part plainly suffering from under-nourishment. It was a rather pitiable sight.
The President boarded a White Star tender and was taken several miles down the Manchester Ship Canal in order to witness this great triumph of engineering. The canal is deep enough to allow ocean ships to proceed directly to the docks in Manchester. It connects Liverpool with Manchester and has reduced costs very materially, inasmuch as cotton-laden vessels can load directly from Galveston and other American ports and discharge into the mills here without transfer at Liverpool. Passing down the Canal the President had a view of a captured German submarine, on which the American and British flags flew above that of the Imperial German Navy. He aslo saw the Hydrebad, a decoy vessel which had been used with great success to combat the submarine. Outwardly the ship presented the appearance of an ordinary ocean tramp, dingy and dirty, and with no distinguishing characteristincs. When the tender came directly abreast a whistle sounded on the vessel; her sides dropped down, revealing gun crews at their posts, with guns ready to sink any submarine that might be seen. Officials of the port explained that until the Germans finally learned of this method a large number of their best submarines had been destroyed by decoy ships of this character.
Returning to Manchester the President was escorted through the streets back to the Town Hall, where he changed his attire, and then proceeded to Free Trade Hall, where he delivered his chief address of the day. It was a remarkable coincidence that the President declared in this speech that “America is not interested in European politics but is interested in the partnership of right between America and Europe.” He also declared against any combination of powers which was not a combination of all nations. This was accepted as a direct reply to the previous day’s address of Premier Clemenceau, although the President had not previously been apprised of what Clemenceau had said. (SEE SPEECH).
When the President entered Free Hall every inch of space in the building was filled. As he settled back in his seat the Lord Mayor arose to call the assemblage to order. Simultaneously and apparently without any pre-arrangement the audience struck up—“For he is a jolly good fellow”. Everyone in the building joined in the singing, while the President smiled, plainly very happy, at the unexpected and spontaneous tribute. It developed afterwards that this was in no way a part of the program. It was as much a surprise to the Lord Mayor and the committee in charge as it was to the President and ourselves.
From Free Trade Hall the party passed, escorted by soldiers and police, to the Royal Exchange, where the President entered the visitors gallery and looked down upon the Stock Exchange in operation. From the Exchange he proceeded to the Midland Hotel, where he was the guest of honor at a public luncheon given by the Manchester business men. The President’s reception in Manchester was a very hearty one. Probably nowhere on his trip up to date had the personal element entered as largely into the welcome as it did here. This was commented on because of the century-old saying that “as Manchester thinks today, so all England will think a month from now.” This quotation had been repeated to the President by Editor Scott of the Manchester GUARDIAN the night before, and it was again emphasized several times by the speakers at the luncheon and other public men who met the President.
The President had not expected to make any address whatever at the luncheon. When he was told that he would be expected to respond to the sentiments expressed thereat, he became somewhat nervous, as he always does before speaking. Finally, he leaned over to the Lord Mayor, who was sitting on his left, and asked him what he (the President) would speak about. The Lord Mayor in reply said to him: “As you are responsible for the unity of command of the military forces that won the war, it might be well to tell us something about that.” The President took this as his theme and made a speech which was the subject of newspaper editorial comment all over the world. (SEE SPEECH)
Manchester was left in the late afternoon and a speedy run made to London, which was reached at 7:15. The King and Queen again met us at the station and accompanied us to Buckingham Palace, where we dined informally with the King and Queen and about thirty guests, and spent the night.
Upon my arrival in the Palace I found my trusty retainer attired in his wonderful palace livery, waiting to look out for my comfort. And his attentions were fully as assiduous as on my previous visit.
Our entry into Buckingham Palace this night was as formal as only a British function can be. The King and Queen and the President and Mrs. Wilson preceded us, escorted by liveried wand-bearers and other palace attaches—lords and ladies-in-waiting, etc. As we passed through the public reception room and on up the steps, I was amazed to see over to the right of the entrance seated in front of a fire-place, in his stocking-feet, calmly toasting his toes at the open grate, my friend, Jesse H. Jones, of Houston, Texas. He had arrived in London that day and finding that we were expected back at the palace, he had come directly there and demanded to see me. He was told to take a seat and wait after he had “worked” his way into the building through a dozen guards of various character, all of whom subjected him to a severe interrogation as to who and what he was, and what his mission actually was. Jones, however, is a very plausible talker and he accomplished a task that very few had been able to do. Finding when he at last got inside that his feet were a trifle damp, he had removed his shoes and was drying his socks when the royal party escorting the President put in their appearance. He jumped to his feet, pushed his shoes behind him, and pulled his trousers down as far as possible in a frantic effort to hide the stockings. Meanwhile, he stood at attention facing the King and Queen and the President and Mrs. Wilson. It was rather fortunate for Mr. Jones that the attention of the President and Mrs. Wilson and the King and Queen was attracted elsewhere, and he was able to prevent any one noticing the fact that he was not in strict court attire. I went over and chatted with him and found that he was as much embarrassed as a Texan could be under the circumstances. I asked him what he was doing in his stocking-feet with the royal party about to put in an appearance, and he replied: “Well, it was the first fire I had been able to see in four or five days, and my feet were very cold, and I did not think that these folks hereabouts would object to a man warming his feet when they were cold”—a typical Texas explanation. Jones accompanied me to my room after putting his shoes back on and inspected the quarters assigned to me very closely. Discovering some Buckingham Palace stationary with the King’s crest on the envelope on a desk, he sat down and wrote a letter to a friend in Texas, which read as follows:
“Dear Fred:
Here I am.
Yours,
Jesse H. Jones."
Jones had expected that because he wrote the letter on Buckingham Palace stationary it would escape the attentions of the censor. His expectations were not realized, however, as the censor opened the letter and it was later published.
At the dinner that night I had a place between Mrs. Waldorf Astor and Lady Acheson. Mrs. Waldorf Astor was a Miss Langhorne of Virginia. Lady Acheson was a Miss Mildred Carter of Virginia—a rather remarkable coincidence that three natives of the Old Dominion State should be found seated together at a dinner in a royal palace. Mrs. Astor did not know anything about my antecedents, although I knew all about her. After she had criticised to some extent certain American and British customs, I turned to her and quietly asked: “Don’t you think this is rather a long jump from Albemarle County, Virginia, to Buckingham Palace; I realize it is a long jump from Culpeper here.” She looked at me for a moment in apparent utter-amazement and then said: “Do you mean to say that you also are poor white trash from Albemarle?” Smilingly I replied: “Well, if you leave out the trash; I am poor all right.” From that moment we were very good friends and enjoyed a delightful chat about people we knew in our native Virginia.
DIARY ENTRY: —Monday 1918. Breakfast 8.30—Lord & Lady Mayoress—President & Mrs. Wilson—Miss Benham—CTG—Drove in carriage drawn by two horses to inspection of canal—saw mystery ship.—torpedoes—gun crews etc Manchester Hall of Trade—W W made great speech—to 4000—All crowd seemed to be with him—Sang He is a jolly good fellow—Universal praise of speech except it was too short.Big luncheon at Willards HotelI Fine Speech—Visited stock Exchange B Few words from balcony—Drove to R.R. Station—1st carriage1stPresident & Lord Mayor2ndMrs. Wilson—Lady Mayoress3Miss Benham—C T. G.—Sir Charles Cust. Lt Corcoran4General Harts—Captain Garfield—J A Inspected the Guard—Lord Mayor—Confused—Introduced the Sir Charles to Lady Mayoress—He—Sir Charles—dined with her the night before. Train departed at 2.45 for London—P. slept most of the way—Aboard Kings train. Arrived, London. AtBuckingham Palace at 7.30—Dined 8.30 with the King & Queen at small dinner about 30 guests— I sat between Mrs. Astor—(nee Langhorne) the Viscountess Acheson nee Mildred Carter of Va. 11.30 went to Hyde Park Hotel to see Ambassador David R. Francis—Russia—Hugh H Young—Jesse H Jones “Me name is McTeage? but now they call me the Lady Mayoress”
The President was the guest of Manchester most of the day. Leaving the Town Hall at nine o’clock he was driven through the streets to the Manchester Ship Canal. En route the President had a first-hand view of the effects of child labor. Hundreds of stunted children, boys and girls, illy clad and under-nourished, lined the streets to see him. The route took in a good bit of the poorer section of Manchester and the entire people thus seen were for the most part plainly suffering from under-nourishment. It was a rather pitiable sight.
The President boarded a White Star tender and was taken several miles down the Manchester Ship Canal in order to witness this great triumph of engineering. The canal is deep enough to allow ocean ships to proceed directly to the docks in Manchester. It connects Liverpool with Manchester and has reduced costs very materially, inasmuch as cotton-laden vessels can load directly from Galveston and other American ports and discharge into the mills here without transfer at Liverpool. Passing down the Canal the President had a view of a captured German submarine, on which the American and British flags flew above that of the Imperial German Navy. He aslo saw the Hydrebad, a decoy vessel which had been used with great success to combat the submarine. Outwardly the ship presented the appearance of an ordinary ocean tramp, dingy and dirty, and with no distinguishing characteristincs. When the tender came directly abreast a whistle sounded on the vessel; her sides dropped down, revealing gun crews at their posts, with guns ready to sink any submarine that might be seen. Officials of the port explained that until the Germans finally learned of this method a large number of their best submarines had been destroyed by decoy ships of this character.
Returning to Manchester the President was escorted through the streets back to the Town Hall, where he changed his attire, and then proceeded to Free Trade Hall, where he delivered his chief address of the day. It was a remarkable coincidence that the President declared in this speech that “America is not interested in European politics but is interested in the partnership of right between America and Europe.” He also declared against any combination of powers which was not a combination of all nations. This was accepted as a direct reply to the previous day’s address of Premier Clemenceau, although the President had not previously been apprised of what Clemenceau had said. (SEE SPEECH).
When the President entered Free Hall every inch of space in the building was filled. As he settled back in his seat the Lord Mayor arose to call the assemblage to order. Simultaneously and apparently without any pre-arrangement the audience struck up—“For he is a jolly good fellow”. Everyone in the building joined in the singing, while the President smiled, plainly very happy, at the unexpected and spontaneous tribute. It developed afterwards that this was in no way a part of the program. It was as much a surprise to the Lord Mayor and the committee in charge as it was to the President and ourselves.
From Free Trade Hall the party passed, escorted by soldiers and police, to the Royal Exchange, where the President entered the visitors gallery and looked down upon the Stock Exchange in operation. From the Exchange he proceeded to the Midland Hotel, where he was the guest of honor at a public luncheon given by the Manchester business men. The President’s reception in Manchester was a very hearty one. Probably nowhere on his trip up to date had the personal element entered as largely into the welcome as it did here. This was commented on because of the century-old saying that “as Manchester thinks today, so all England will think a month from now.” This quotation had been repeated to the President by Editor Scott of the Manchester GUARDIAN the night before, and it was again emphasized several times by the speakers at the luncheon and other public men who met the President.
The President had not expected to make any address whatever at the luncheon. When he was told that he would be expected to respond to the sentiments expressed thereat, he became somewhat nervous, as he always does before speaking. Finally, he leaned over to the Lord Mayor, who was sitting on his left, and asked him what he (the President) would speak about. The Lord Mayor in reply said to him: “As you are responsible for the unity of command of the military forces that won the war, it might be well to tell us something about that.” The President took this as his theme and made a speech which was the subject of newspaper editorial comment all over the world. (SEE SPEECH)
Manchester was left in the late afternoon and a speedy run made to London, which was reached at 7:15. The King and Queen again met us at the station and accompanied us to Buckingham Palace, where we dined informally with the King and Queen and about thirty guests, and spent the night.
Upon my arrival in the Palace I found my trusty retainer attired in his wonderful palace livery, waiting to look out for my comfort. And his attentions were fully as assiduous as on my previous visit.
Our entry into Buckingham Palace this night was as formal as only a British function can be. The King and Queen and the President and Mrs. Wilson preceded us, escorted by liveried wand-bearers and other palace attaches—lords and ladies-in-waiting, etc. As we passed through the public reception room and on up the steps, I was amazed to see over to the right of the entrance seated in front of a fire-place, in his stocking-feet, calmly toasting his toes at the open grate, my friend, Jesse H. Jones, of Houston, Texas. He had arrived in London that day and finding that we were expected back at the palace, he had come directly there and demanded to see me. He was told to take a seat and wait after he had “worked” his way into the building through a dozen guards of various character, all of whom subjected him to a severe interrogation as to who and what he was, and what his mission actually was. Jones, however, is a very plausible talker and he accomplished a task that very few had been able to do. Finding when he at last got inside that his feet were a trifle damp, he had removed his shoes and was drying his socks when the royal party escorting the President put in their appearance. He jumped to his feet, pushed his shoes behind him, and pulled his trousers down as far as possible in a frantic effort to hide the stockings. Meanwhile, he stood at attention facing the King and Queen and the President and Mrs. Wilson. It was rather fortunate for Mr. Jones that the attention of the President and Mrs. Wilson and the King and Queen was attracted elsewhere, and he was able to prevent any one noticing the fact that he was not in strict court attire. I went over and chatted with him and found that he was as much embarrassed as a Texan could be under the circumstances. I asked him what he was doing in his stocking-feet with the royal party about to put in an appearance, and he replied: “Well, it was the first fire I had been able to see in four or five days, and my feet were very cold, and I did not think that these folks hereabouts would object to a man warming his feet when they were cold”—a typical Texas explanation. Jones accompanied me to my room after putting his shoes back on and inspected the quarters assigned to me very closely. Discovering some Buckingham Palace stationary with the King’s crest on the envelope on a desk, he sat down and wrote a letter to a friend in Texas, which read as follows:
“Dear Fred:
Here I am.
Yours,
Jesse H. Jones."
Jones had expected that because he wrote the letter on Buckingham Palace stationary it would escape the attentions of the censor. His expectations were not realized, however, as the censor opened the letter and it was later published.
At the dinner that night I had a place between Mrs. Waldorf Astor and Lady Acheson. Mrs. Waldorf Astor was a Miss Langhorne of Virginia. Lady Acheson was a Miss Mildred Carter of Virginia—a rather remarkable coincidence that three natives of the Old Dominion State should be found seated together at a dinner in a royal palace. Mrs. Astor did not know anything about my antecedents, although I knew all about her. After she had criticised to some extent certain American and British customs, I turned to her and quietly asked: “Don’t you think this is rather a long jump from Albemarle County, Virginia, to Buckingham Palace; I realize it is a long jump from Culpeper here.” She looked at me for a moment in apparent utter-amazement and then said: “Do you mean to say that you also are poor white trash from Albemarle?” Smilingly I replied: “Well, if you leave out the trash; I am poor all right.” From that moment we were very good friends and enjoyed a delightful chat about people we knew in our native Virginia.
DIARY ENTRY: —Monday 1918. Breakfast 8.30—Lord & Lady Mayoress—President & Mrs. Wilson—Miss Benham—CTG—Drove in carriage drawn by two horses to inspection of canal—saw mystery ship.—torpedoes—gun crews etc Manchester Hall of Trade—W W made great speech—to 4000—All crowd seemed to be with him—Sang He is a jolly good fellow—Universal praise of speech except it was too short.Big luncheon at Willards HotelI Fine Speech—Visited stock Exchange B Few words from balcony—Drove to R.R. Station—1st carriage1stPresident & Lord Mayor2ndMrs. Wilson—Lady Mayoress3Miss Benham—C T. G.—Sir Charles Cust. Lt Corcoran4General Harts—Captain Garfield—J A Inspected the Guard—Lord Mayor—Confused—Introduced the Sir Charles to Lady Mayoress—He—Sir Charles—dined with her the night before. Train departed at 2.45 for London—P. slept most of the way—Aboard Kings train. Arrived, London. AtBuckingham Palace at 7.30—Dined 8.30 with the King & Queen at small dinner about 30 guests— I sat between Mrs. Astor—(nee Langhorne) the Viscountess Acheson nee Mildred Carter of Va. 11.30 went to Hyde Park Hotel to see Ambassador David R. Francis—Russia—Hugh H Young—Jesse H Jones “Me name is McTeage? but now they call me the Lady Mayoress”
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1918 December 30, WWP17020, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.