Tasker Bliss letter to Nellie Bliss
1 May 1919

Blue Bar

Source: Bliss, Personal Correspondence, Box 244, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress

There was a great Labour demonstration staged for today but yesterday the Government forbad it. All the same, a great crowd assembled at 3 P.M. on the Place de la Concorde where we had a good view of it. It was just a noisy demonstration until a French Cavalryman ran his horse into the crowd. Then they became angry and there was a good deal of a row, but I believe nobody hurt. The police finally cleared the Square and now (4:30 P.M.) Everything is quiet.

I send you four more bundles of papers under separate covers.

I also enclose in this envelope a letter to Mr. Hamilton Holt of the Independent. Please mail it for me by first mail you can.

I also enclose some copies of letters which I wish you could carefully preserve for me. Please note the one dated April 29. This morning we were all mortified and angry at learning that the President had yielded the Japanese claims. Last Saturday he talked to us about it, being evidently disposed to yield then. He is influenced solely by Mr. H. who is a trimmer. He said he would ask our advice but didn't, evidently seeing from the attitude of Mr. L., Mr. W., and myself that we were not disposed to yield. On the morning of the 29th I expressed my views quite strongly to my colleagues (L. and W.) And they fully concurred with me. They asked me to write a letter to the President and convey to him these views. The enclosed of the 29th is a copy of it. How he can reconcile his attitude to the one he took on Italian claims on the east coast of the Adriatic we do not see. Now this must go.