Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur James Balfour
Subject(s): Books and reading, Civilization, History, Japan, Lee of Fareham, Viscount (Arthur Hamilton Lee), 1868-1947, Rome, Rome (Empire), South America, Spain
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President Roosevelt has recently received a copy of Arthur James Balfour’s book Decadence through Viscount Arthur Hamilton Lee, and he writes to thank Balfour for it and offer his thoughts. Roosevelt believes that Balfour is essentially right about there being something that can lead to the downfall of nations, races, and so forth, and also that it is difficult to properly explain it. He discusses many examples, including that of Spain, the Roman Empire, and South America, and how he sees them fitting in to Balfour’s theories.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-03-05
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Balfour, Arthur James, 1848-1930
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 Arthur James Balfour. [March 5, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o201878. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur James Balfour. [5 Mar. 1908]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 6, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o201878.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1908, March 5]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur James Balfour.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o201878.
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. March 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.
