Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Victor Howard Metcalf
Subject(s): Battleships--Design and construction, Key, Albert L. (Albert Lenoir), 1860-1950, Naval War College (U.S.), United States. Navy, United States. Navy. General Board
Click on image to zoom in
President Roosevelt asks Secretary of the Navy Metcalf to submit a letter from Albert L. Key to the General Board and the Naval War College, and order the two bodies to make a joint report on the contents of the letter. Key had previously written addressing what he saw as defects in the design of the North Dakota class battleships, and Roosevelt requests an opinion about these comments, as well as whether they can be fixed. Roosevelt particularly requests input regarding the battleship’s armor, main guns, torpedo-defense guns, and torpedo tubes. Roosevelt also requests that Metcalf ask whether it would be good to have the commanding officer of each ship appoint a board to determine the draft of the ships at various stages of being loaded.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-06-30
Creator(s)
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Recipient
Metcalf, Victor Howard, 1853-1936
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
2
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 Victor Howard Metcalf. [June 30, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o203143. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Victor Howard Metcalf. [30 Jun. 1908]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 30, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o203143.
APA:
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1908, June 30]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Victor Howard Metcalf.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o203143.
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 30, 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.
