Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17047
Date
1919 January 26
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
SUNDAY, The President left Paris at 8:00 A.M., to visit Chateau Thierry, Belleau Woods and the devastated districts between there and Rheims. We left the Murat Palace in seven motor cars, headed by a a French pilot car, while a special train was dispatched on the railroad to bring us back. The first stop was made on the highway overlooking Bellau Woods, where the Second Division held the line. The President and his party got out of the car and the positions during the battle were explained by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Watson, who had commanded the battery of regular artillery that supported the Fifth and Sixth Regiments of Marines. The President climbed the hill and visited a trench which the Marines occupied before advancing on the Germans. To the right of the spot where the President stood, was the first graveyard of Americans that he had seen since arriving in France. The President uncovered his head as he gazed over the row of crosses with the identification discs marking the name of the dead Marines. We then proceeded by motor to Chateau Thierry and crossed the bridge to the railroad station. The bridge we passed, had been blown up by the French retreating from Chateau Thierry killing many Germans, who were crossing at the time of the explosion. Entering the train, which was in waiting, the President and party had luncheon. It was now commencing to snow quite hard, giving promise of a nasty afternoon.
Luncheon consumed an hour, after which a start toward Rheims was made. The road wound through small villages, some of which had been completely, others partially, destroyed by either the German or American artillery. One singular feature, upon which most of the party commented, was the great tall chimneys of the factories, which, although the factories to which they belonged had been crushed into dust by the hammering of heavy guns, remained in their original state. Passing through one of the villages, a small boy tried to run across the road in front of one of the cars. Only the quick work of the chauffeur saved him from being killed. As it was, he was knocked down by the fender. We carried him into a house, where I examined him and found no injuries.
At Rheims, we visited the Hotel De Ville, where we were greeted by the Mayor and Members of the City Government. The Mayor, who had remained in the City during the entire siege, expressed his deep thanks for the thoughtfulness of the party in visiting the ruined city. In reply, the President made a touching little address, paying tribute to the good work of the French Garrison, which by the way, was made up almost entirely of Colonials and to the manner in which they had held out against successive heavy assaults. A number of Red Cross workers, who had given aid and assistance to the inhabitants, were on hand to see the President. Following the speech-making, the Mayor produced some excellent refreshments. Leaving the Hotel De Ville, we went direct to the Cathedral. Here the Cardinal of Rheims was waiting for us and a large crowd of sightseeing soldiers made it necessary literally to fight our way to get through and enter the Cathedral. The Cardinal personally escorted the party through the building, stopping at each point to show where the German shells had landed during the bombardment. He laid a special stress on the demolished windows. We did not know at that time that all but one of the windows had been taken out and sent to Paris for storage when the bombardment started. The Cardinal presented the President with what we had first thought was a priceless work of glass a centerpiece of a church window which later proved to be only a replica of one of the original windows. Still, it made a very interesting memento of the visit.
After inspecting the Cathedral from the inside, we were escorted around the outside, so that we could see the effect of the German shells and also had pointed out where a shell had shifted the base of the statue of Joan of Arc almost five inches. The Cardinal assured the President that he had been in the town during the entire bombardment and that the tower of the Cathedral had never been used for military purposes. The President listened attentively to all the Cardinal said on this subject but made no comment. Leaving the Cathedral, we were driven up and down through the various streets, along past the municipal gas works and then to the Red Cross Canteen, where American women had been doing most excellent work in feeding and caring for the homeless inhabitants of the city. Their work was described to the President by Miss Porter, an American woman in charge and an old friend and acquaintance of Mrs. Grayson. There was hardly a house that had not suffered somewhat from the bombardment, but many of them can be repaired. Explaining the systematic manner in which the Germans bombarded the town, it was stated that their plan was to shell it block by block daily. So methodical was their work, that it was stated to us that the inhabitants moved back each day as the bombardment progressed, until finally they were driven to the outskirts. After inspecting the City, we drove to the station, where the special train was in waiting. It was snowing very hard. This was the first real snow we had seen this winter. Before the war, Rheims had a population of approximately 250,000, but today it had been reduced to less than 3,000 who burrowed in the cellars, in a vain effort to keep warm. We were told that stored in the cellars under the City, were over 70,000,000 bottles of champagne. Ten millions were taken by the soldiers, French and Germans. The German soldiers in the original invasion stole the wine and drank it, becoming drunk and thus their capture was facilitated. A Frenchman said to me that it was a good thing that the American and French soldiers had not arrived first or the same thing might have happened to them. A Frenchman told me that when the Germans went through Rheims in 1914, they paid for all the wine they drank, but when the French reoccupied the town, they drank much but paid for none. One reason may have been that Baron Mumm, one of the big champagne producers in this region, was arrested as a German spy at the beginning of the war. While it was claimed that his guilt was conclusive, he was confined, but had never been punished. I asked a Frenchman why this was and he said it was due to the combination of politics in France and to the great wealth of the accused. It was accepted that he, Mumm, probably woud be released as soon as peace is declared. His property in France has been confiscated, but he is reported to have enormous resources elsewhere. We left Rheims for Paris by special train, at five o’clock, reaching Paris at 9:20; the President going direct to the Murat Palace. Enroute to Paris, when the President was asked for an expression of his feelings over what he had witnessed during the day, he said:
“No one can put into words the impressions received amid such scenes of desolation and ruin.”
DIARY ENTRY: Breakfast at 7.20 A.M. motored in company with the President & Mrs. Wilson—Miss Benham, Wilmer Bolling, to Manx—Chateau Thierry, also Belleau (wood)—Lunched at Chateau Thierry aboard train. Motored to Reims—met by mayor—city destroyed. Cathedral visit—the old cardinal as escort. Gift of glass to President. Met Miss Porter—friend or acquaintance of G A.G.G. in charge of Red Cross hut—Snowing—The President gave me following for newspapers—“No one can put into words the impressions received amidst such scenes of desolation and ruin.”Left Reims at 5 o’clock by train—tea—dinner on train; arrived inParis at 9.20 P.M.
Accompanied by Genl Harts. Col. Watson Captain KimballLieut Redmond—Close Hoover, Swem—Motor hit a little boy—
Luncheon consumed an hour, after which a start toward Rheims was made. The road wound through small villages, some of which had been completely, others partially, destroyed by either the German or American artillery. One singular feature, upon which most of the party commented, was the great tall chimneys of the factories, which, although the factories to which they belonged had been crushed into dust by the hammering of heavy guns, remained in their original state. Passing through one of the villages, a small boy tried to run across the road in front of one of the cars. Only the quick work of the chauffeur saved him from being killed. As it was, he was knocked down by the fender. We carried him into a house, where I examined him and found no injuries.
At Rheims, we visited the Hotel De Ville, where we were greeted by the Mayor and Members of the City Government. The Mayor, who had remained in the City during the entire siege, expressed his deep thanks for the thoughtfulness of the party in visiting the ruined city. In reply, the President made a touching little address, paying tribute to the good work of the French Garrison, which by the way, was made up almost entirely of Colonials and to the manner in which they had held out against successive heavy assaults. A number of Red Cross workers, who had given aid and assistance to the inhabitants, were on hand to see the President. Following the speech-making, the Mayor produced some excellent refreshments. Leaving the Hotel De Ville, we went direct to the Cathedral. Here the Cardinal of Rheims was waiting for us and a large crowd of sightseeing soldiers made it necessary literally to fight our way to get through and enter the Cathedral. The Cardinal personally escorted the party through the building, stopping at each point to show where the German shells had landed during the bombardment. He laid a special stress on the demolished windows. We did not know at that time that all but one of the windows had been taken out and sent to Paris for storage when the bombardment started. The Cardinal presented the President with what we had first thought was a priceless work of glass a centerpiece of a church window which later proved to be only a replica of one of the original windows. Still, it made a very interesting memento of the visit.
After inspecting the Cathedral from the inside, we were escorted around the outside, so that we could see the effect of the German shells and also had pointed out where a shell had shifted the base of the statue of Joan of Arc almost five inches. The Cardinal assured the President that he had been in the town during the entire bombardment and that the tower of the Cathedral had never been used for military purposes. The President listened attentively to all the Cardinal said on this subject but made no comment. Leaving the Cathedral, we were driven up and down through the various streets, along past the municipal gas works and then to the Red Cross Canteen, where American women had been doing most excellent work in feeding and caring for the homeless inhabitants of the city. Their work was described to the President by Miss Porter, an American woman in charge and an old friend and acquaintance of Mrs. Grayson. There was hardly a house that had not suffered somewhat from the bombardment, but many of them can be repaired. Explaining the systematic manner in which the Germans bombarded the town, it was stated that their plan was to shell it block by block daily. So methodical was their work, that it was stated to us that the inhabitants moved back each day as the bombardment progressed, until finally they were driven to the outskirts. After inspecting the City, we drove to the station, where the special train was in waiting. It was snowing very hard. This was the first real snow we had seen this winter. Before the war, Rheims had a population of approximately 250,000, but today it had been reduced to less than 3,000 who burrowed in the cellars, in a vain effort to keep warm. We were told that stored in the cellars under the City, were over 70,000,000 bottles of champagne. Ten millions were taken by the soldiers, French and Germans. The German soldiers in the original invasion stole the wine and drank it, becoming drunk and thus their capture was facilitated. A Frenchman said to me that it was a good thing that the American and French soldiers had not arrived first or the same thing might have happened to them. A Frenchman told me that when the Germans went through Rheims in 1914, they paid for all the wine they drank, but when the French reoccupied the town, they drank much but paid for none. One reason may have been that Baron Mumm, one of the big champagne producers in this region, was arrested as a German spy at the beginning of the war. While it was claimed that his guilt was conclusive, he was confined, but had never been punished. I asked a Frenchman why this was and he said it was due to the combination of politics in France and to the great wealth of the accused. It was accepted that he, Mumm, probably woud be released as soon as peace is declared. His property in France has been confiscated, but he is reported to have enormous resources elsewhere. We left Rheims for Paris by special train, at five o’clock, reaching Paris at 9:20; the President going direct to the Murat Palace. Enroute to Paris, when the President was asked for an expression of his feelings over what he had witnessed during the day, he said:
“No one can put into words the impressions received amid such scenes of desolation and ruin.”
DIARY ENTRY: Breakfast at 7.20 A.M. motored in company with the President & Mrs. Wilson—Miss Benham, Wilmer Bolling, to Manx—Chateau Thierry, also Belleau (wood)—Lunched at Chateau Thierry aboard train. Motored to Reims—met by mayor—city destroyed. Cathedral visit—the old cardinal as escort. Gift of glass to President. Met Miss Porter—friend or acquaintance of G A.G.G. in charge of Red Cross hut—Snowing—The President gave me following for newspapers—“No one can put into words the impressions received amidst such scenes of desolation and ruin.”Left Reims at 5 o’clock by train—tea—dinner on train; arrived inParis at 9.20 P.M.
Accompanied by Genl Harts. Col. Watson Captain KimballLieut Redmond—Close Hoover, Swem—Motor hit a little boy—
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 January 26, WWP17047, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.