Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice
Subject(s): Australia, Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919, Depressions, England, France, Hawaii, International relations, Japan, Philippines, Political stability--Forecasting, Race relations, Roosevelt, Edith Kermit Carow, 1861-1948, Russia, Spring Rice, Florence, Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910, War and society
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President Roosevelt would like to have Cecil Spring Rice visit him, but advises him to not leave a run in diplomatic service unless necessary. Roosevelt has fundamentally the same philosophy as Spring Rice, and hopes to avoid a race conflict such as Spring Rice worries about in the Pacific. Australia’s population is growing slowly, which worries Roosevelt, but the United States and Canadian populations are growing quickly enough that Roosevelt does not fear the threat of Asian dominance in North America. He does worry, however, about ongoing racial tensions and the weakening of the United States’ navy, which could threaten peace. While European civilization has spread over the globe in the past, it is impossible to say what will happen in the future. Domestically, Roosevelt is having a difficult time with the panic and the resulting depression and stagnation. Roosevelt believes that while the movement against corruption will ultimately succeed, even while those who lead it may seem to fail at present. He sends a copy of his message so Spring Rice might read his thoughts on the army and navy. Roosevelt feels it is abhorrent that many in Spring Rice’s country, and his own, have internalized an idea of peace in which good men should not make war, and in which advancement means a weakening of the fighting spirit.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1907-12-21
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
7
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 Cecil Spring Rice. [December 21, 1907]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o201030. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice. [21 Dec. 1907]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 6, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o201030.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1907, December 21]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o201030.
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 6, 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.
