As Donald Trump set foot on British soil this week his itinerary will keep him in the Home Counties and will not venture north never mind venturing into Manchester
For the only time an American President set foot in Manchester you have to go back over one hundred years to the end of the First World War
The President was a certain Woodrow Wilson who had travelled to Europe to attend the Versailles Peace Conference armed with his eighteen points for keeping a European piece, an aim which would sadly never come to fruition
But to Manchester where he was welcomed by the Lord Mayor of Manchester John Makeague
Wilson had landed in England on December 16th, visiting London and Carlisle, and meeting with King George V and British Prime Minister David Lloyd George
He arrived in Manchester on the 28th December and his programme would include visit the Town Hall, Free Trade Hall, and Manchester Ship Canal Docks .
The highlight would be the presentation of the Honorary Freedom of the City award to Wilson, where he also delivered a short speech that morning on the morning of the 29th
In the speech, Wilson emphasized a policy of mutual trust and friendship between the United States and Great Britain so that principles could be upheld in a world newly imbued with a “keen international consciousness”. Wilson said: “You know that the United States has always felt from the very beginning of her history that she must keep herself separate from any kind of connection with European politics, and I want to say very frankly to you that she is not now interested in politics”. As this sentiment seemed a little contradictory — considering that Wilson went to France to negotiate the six-month-long Treaty of Versailles the next month — he clarified that the United States was, however, interested in keeping peace in Europe and in the world.
He also flattered Manchester:
“I feel – I felt before I came here – at home in Manchester, because Manchester has so many of the characteristics of our great American cities… We are enabled to see international processes perhaps better than they can be seen by others.”
