Letter from John Callan O’Laughlin to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Aoki, Shūzō, 1844-1914, Diplomatic negotiations in international disputes, Emigration and immigration law, Foreign workers, Japanese, France, Germany, Hayashi, Tadasu, 1850-1913, Immigrants--Legal status, laws, etc., International relations, Japan, Naturalization--Government policy, Philippines, Russia, United States. Navy. Atlantic Fleet. Battleship Force
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John Callan O’Laughlin, of the Chicago Tribune, describes an interview he had with the Japanese Ambassador Shūzō Aoki to President Roosevelt. Aoki said the Japanese government declined to exchange assurances with the United States about the situation in the Pacific unless the question of allowing Japanese workers into Hawaii and the United States mainland were settled at the same time. This attitude caused Aoki to consider resigning, but O’Laughlin urged Aoki not to resign and suggested that perhaps by refusing to negotiate, Hayashi wanted to restore Japanese prestige after the Great White Fleet was sent to the Pacific. O’Laughlin tells Roosevelt that it is obvious sending the Great White Fleet to the Pacific was the right thing to do, but asks why Japan would make assurances to France, Russia, and Germany that are not dependent on allowing the immigration and naturalization of Japanese workers, while assurances to the United States would require such an agreement.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1907-11-04
Creator(s)
O'Laughlin, John Callan, 1873-1949
Recipient
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
4
Production Method
Record Type
Multi-image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Letter from John Callan O’Laughlin to Theodore Roosevelt. [November 4, 1907]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o57370. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
O’Laughlin, John Callan, 1873-1949. Letter from John Callan O’Laughlin to Theodore Roosevelt. [4 Nov. 1907]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 22, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o57370.
APA:
O’Laughlin, John Callan, 1873-1949., [1907, November 4]. Letter from John Callan O’Laughlin to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o57370.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 22, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
