Cary T. Grayson Diary
Title
Cary T. Grayson Diary
Creator
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938
Identifier
WWP17146
Date
1919 April 25
Source
Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, Staunton, Virginia
Language
English
Text
The President had breakfast at eight o’clock, and immediately after went to his study. There was no meeting of the Big Three in the morning but the President had a number of engagements, a list of which follows:
A delegation of Slovenes, composed of Bogumil Vosnjak, Dr. Gustave Gregorin and Dr. Ivan Shvegal.
General Cherit Pacha, President of the Kurdish Delegation.
Committee from the Workmen’s Organization, “La Wilsonienne” - to present a valuable frame to the President.
Mr. F. W. Taussigm Chairman of the U. S. Tariff Commission.
Mr. H. Wilson Harris, of the London Daily News, to pay respects.
General Bliss.
Mr. B. M. Baruch.
Before the President started with his appointments I went intto see him and he read a telegram which he had received from Secretary Tumulty complimenting the President on the stand he had taken in the Italian situation, and assuring him that the American people would endorse that stand solidly. He also said to me: “I am constantly finding that England and France are bound by numerous secret treaties. Yesterday I found that England had a secret treaty with Japan against China. It seems they bind themselves up without any principle, thinking that they are strengthening themselves all the time. Every few days a new secret treaty seems to turn up. When I question them closely as to why a certain matter cannot be submitted, I am told that it is incon in conflict with a secret treaty of which nothing was known to the nations not involved. We are now in the midst of being enmeshed in a network of secret treaties. It is quite a proposition to unravel them.”
When the committee from the Workman’s Organization, “La Wilsonienne”, presented the picture they told the President that they had placed his picture in their sosciety hall because they looked upon him as the great man for justice and for peace and for guidance of all people, including the poor man; they looked upon him as the great man of the world who will do the right thing for all people. Their knowledge of English was quite limited. The President replied and thanked them for the picture and for the honor which they had paid him, and he expressed the hope that he might be instrumental in bringing about a better understanding between employer and employee. In many instances, he said, things go the wrong way between the employer and employee, and he hoped that in the future they could be gotten tcloser together and come to a better understanding and cooperate with each other. Both the President and the men seemed touched. As they were leaving they said to the President in English: “Good night; you are very dear to the hearts of the working people in France.” Before leaving they apologized for appearing in their working clothes, stating that they did not have time to change.
Colonel Tom Birch, the American Minister to Portugal, and a long-time admirer of the President, called after lunch to bid farewell before returning to his post at Lisbon. The Colonel presented a picturesque looking very much like a red rose in full bloom. His extremely florid face was flanked by grey side-burns and was set off by a veritable halo of grey hair. The Colonel wore a sky-blue suit, ox-blood socks spats, and a tie that matched, and carried a walking stick of unusual size. Altogether, he typified the rich man in American diplomatic life.
The President, Mrs. Wilson and I lunched informally. This afternoon at four o’clock there was a meeting of the Big Three, which took up with the economic experts the economic sections of the Peace Treaty, to be submitted to the German delegates next week. At five o’clock the naval experts headed by Admiral Benson were called in to present their report on the future of the Kiel Canal and on certain sections of Heligoland.
The President, Mrs. Wilson and I had dinner together. After dinner we sat around the fire. I read to the President extracts from editorials and newspaper comments on various international subjects, including the Italian situation. The President remarked that he feared the Italian situation would be only a tempest in a tea-pot compared with the coming controversy with Japan covering the Shantung Province in China. He said: “It worries me a great deal because I discovered today in conversation with Lloyd-George another secret treaty between England and Japan giving Japan another stronghold on China.” He discussed the question at length with me, saying that he felt his duty to stand by his principles as laid down in the Fourteen Points, but that he was confronted with a proposition which went against the “grain” of playing wordly worldly wise. He said: “England’s secret treaty with Japan would mean that when it came to a show down England would side with Japan. And don’t you see what that would mean? If Japan refused to stand by the Fourteen Points it would mean that she would withdraw from the Conference; England might follow, and with Italy already out, it would leave only America and France, which would defeat all the purposes of the Peace Conference, including the League of Nations. Japan has the strategic advantage of now occupying Kiao Chow, which was formerly occupied by the Germans, and if we demanded that she withdraw and she refused, it would mean that we would have to resort to arms. If I only had men of principle to stand by me. For instance, Lloyd-George and Clemenceau absolutely approved of my Italian statement and the stand which I took, and today they are straddling the issue. And now when the question arises of England standing with Japan or the United States, owing to these secret treaties, Lloyd-George, I feel sure, would side with Japan. That would leave only America and France - two against three - in the Peace Conference. It is a question of judgment as to what is the best course to pursue. If I follow out the principles of what is just and right it will mean that Japan, Italy and England will not sign the Peace Treaty, and I will have to shoulder the blame for obstructing the peace of the world. It is not that I care personally so much, but the question is what is the best course to pursue for the world in a crisis like this. My only hope is that I can find some outlet to permit the Japanese to save their face and let the League of Nations decide the matter later. It is a matter to which I will have to give profound study and attention between now and the middle of next week. The experts whom I have had study the matter seem only to give me one answer and that is to stand by the principles; but they do not seem to realize what the results might be at this crucial time in the world’s history.”
The President retired at about 11:00 o’clock.
A delegation of Slovenes, composed of Bogumil Vosnjak, Dr. Gustave Gregorin and Dr. Ivan Shvegal.
General Cherit Pacha, President of the Kurdish Delegation.
Committee from the Workmen’s Organization, “La Wilsonienne” - to present a valuable frame to the President.
Mr. F. W. Taussigm Chairman of the U. S. Tariff Commission.
Mr. H. Wilson Harris, of the London Daily News, to pay respects.
General Bliss.
Mr. B. M. Baruch.
Before the President started with his appointments I went intto see him and he read a telegram which he had received from Secretary Tumulty complimenting the President on the stand he had taken in the Italian situation, and assuring him that the American people would endorse that stand solidly. He also said to me: “I am constantly finding that England and France are bound by numerous secret treaties. Yesterday I found that England had a secret treaty with Japan against China. It seems they bind themselves up without any principle, thinking that they are strengthening themselves all the time. Every few days a new secret treaty seems to turn up. When I question them closely as to why a certain matter cannot be submitted, I am told that it is incon in conflict with a secret treaty of which nothing was known to the nations not involved. We are now in the midst of being enmeshed in a network of secret treaties. It is quite a proposition to unravel them.”
When the committee from the Workman’s Organization, “La Wilsonienne”, presented the picture they told the President that they had placed his picture in their sosciety hall because they looked upon him as the great man for justice and for peace and for guidance of all people, including the poor man; they looked upon him as the great man of the world who will do the right thing for all people. Their knowledge of English was quite limited. The President replied and thanked them for the picture and for the honor which they had paid him, and he expressed the hope that he might be instrumental in bringing about a better understanding between employer and employee. In many instances, he said, things go the wrong way between the employer and employee, and he hoped that in the future they could be gotten tcloser together and come to a better understanding and cooperate with each other. Both the President and the men seemed touched. As they were leaving they said to the President in English: “Good night; you are very dear to the hearts of the working people in France.” Before leaving they apologized for appearing in their working clothes, stating that they did not have time to change.
Colonel Tom Birch, the American Minister to Portugal, and a long-time admirer of the President, called after lunch to bid farewell before returning to his post at Lisbon. The Colonel presented a picturesque looking very much like a red rose in full bloom. His extremely florid face was flanked by grey side-burns and was set off by a veritable halo of grey hair. The Colonel wore a sky-blue suit, ox-blood socks spats, and a tie that matched, and carried a walking stick of unusual size. Altogether, he typified the rich man in American diplomatic life.
The President, Mrs. Wilson and I lunched informally. This afternoon at four o’clock there was a meeting of the Big Three, which took up with the economic experts the economic sections of the Peace Treaty, to be submitted to the German delegates next week. At five o’clock the naval experts headed by Admiral Benson were called in to present their report on the future of the Kiel Canal and on certain sections of Heligoland.
The President, Mrs. Wilson and I had dinner together. After dinner we sat around the fire. I read to the President extracts from editorials and newspaper comments on various international subjects, including the Italian situation. The President remarked that he feared the Italian situation would be only a tempest in a tea-pot compared with the coming controversy with Japan covering the Shantung Province in China. He said: “It worries me a great deal because I discovered today in conversation with Lloyd-George another secret treaty between England and Japan giving Japan another stronghold on China.” He discussed the question at length with me, saying that he felt his duty to stand by his principles as laid down in the Fourteen Points, but that he was confronted with a proposition which went against the “grain” of playing wordly worldly wise. He said: “England’s secret treaty with Japan would mean that when it came to a show down England would side with Japan. And don’t you see what that would mean? If Japan refused to stand by the Fourteen Points it would mean that she would withdraw from the Conference; England might follow, and with Italy already out, it would leave only America and France, which would defeat all the purposes of the Peace Conference, including the League of Nations. Japan has the strategic advantage of now occupying Kiao Chow, which was formerly occupied by the Germans, and if we demanded that she withdraw and she refused, it would mean that we would have to resort to arms. If I only had men of principle to stand by me. For instance, Lloyd-George and Clemenceau absolutely approved of my Italian statement and the stand which I took, and today they are straddling the issue. And now when the question arises of England standing with Japan or the United States, owing to these secret treaties, Lloyd-George, I feel sure, would side with Japan. That would leave only America and France - two against three - in the Peace Conference. It is a question of judgment as to what is the best course to pursue. If I follow out the principles of what is just and right it will mean that Japan, Italy and England will not sign the Peace Treaty, and I will have to shoulder the blame for obstructing the peace of the world. It is not that I care personally so much, but the question is what is the best course to pursue for the world in a crisis like this. My only hope is that I can find some outlet to permit the Japanese to save their face and let the League of Nations decide the matter later. It is a matter to which I will have to give profound study and attention between now and the middle of next week. The experts whom I have had study the matter seem only to give me one answer and that is to stand by the principles; but they do not seem to realize what the results might be at this crucial time in the world’s history.”
The President retired at about 11:00 o’clock.
Original Format
Diary
Files
Collection
Citation
Grayson, Cary T. (Cary Travers), 1878-1938, “Cary T. Grayson Diary,” 1919 April 25, WWP17146, Cary T. Grayson Papers, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.