President Roosevelt tells Arthur Hamilton Lee about an interview between German Emperor William II and the American journalist William Bayard Hale, which has been suppressed. In the interview, the Emperor expressed bitterness toward England and said he believed that Japan was preparing for war on the United States. He also stated that war between Germany and England was inevitable. To avoid any bitterness between Germany and the United States, Roosevelt called The New York Times and asked that the interview not be printed. Lee should destroy the letter when he is finished with it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-10-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

Lee of Fareham, Viscount (Arthur Hamilton Lee), 1868-1947

Language

English

Period

U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)

Repository

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Page Count

4

Production Method

Typed

Record Type

Multi-image

Resource Type

Letter

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 Hamilton Lee. [October 17, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o204599. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur Hamilton Lee. [17 Oct. 1908]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 30, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o204599.

APA:

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919., [1908, October 17]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur Hamilton Lee.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o204599.

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.