Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Harding Davis
Subject(s): Belgium, Condolence notes, Davis, L. Clarke (Lemuel Clarke), 1835-1904, Diplomatic and consular service, American, Griscom, Lloyd Carpenter, 1872-1959, Hardy, Arthur Sherburne, 1847-1930, Hay, John, 1838-1905, Japan--Tokyo, Loomis, Francis B. (Francis Butler), 1861-1948, Riddle, John Wallace, 1864-1941, South America, Spain, Townsend, Lawrence, 1860-1954, Townsend, Natalie, 1866-1962, White, Henry, 1850-1927, Wilson, Henry Lane, 1857-1932
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President Roosevelt shares his concerns about some of the members of the American diplomatic and consular service with Richard Harding Davis. Minister to Belgium Lawrence Townsend and Minister to Spain Arthur Sherburne Hardy are two examples of men who are the “pink-tea type,” hosting dinners instead of doing “hard work.” By contrast, Roosevelt admires Ambassador to Japan Lloyd Carpenter Griscom, Consul General to Egypt John Wallace Riddle, and Henry White. Roosevelt wants Davis to tell him about any men who are not doing their job, as the president wants to remove them when he makes changes on March 4.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1905-01-03
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Davis, Richard Harding, 1864-1916
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
3
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 Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Harding Davis. [January 3, 1905]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o187090. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Harding Davis. [3 Jan. 1905]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 13, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o187090.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1905, January 3]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Harding Davis.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o187090.
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. February 13, 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.
