Theodore Roosevelt shares his thoughts with Anna Roosevelt Cowles about the military preparations for the impending war. He suggests that William Sheffield Cowles should enlist at Plattsburgh, where Archibald Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. have completed their two years of training and are now available for deployment in the case of war. Roosevelt states that all young men are duty-bound to serve the country in this way. He has volunteered his own services to the Secretary of War. Roosevelt and his wife Edith are planning an eight-month trip to Polynesia the following year. He mentions an article he has written about Canada’s lesson to the United States in the current issue of Metropolitan.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917-02-03

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

Cowles, Anna Roosevelt, 1855-1931

Publication Date

2012-07-16

Language

English

Period

Post-Presidential Years (1913-January 6, 1919)

Original Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Collection

Repository

Harvard College Library

Page Count

3

Production Method

Handwritten

Record Type

Multi-image

Resource Type

Letter

Rights

Electronic copy sponsored by the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University. For reproduction or publication permission, contact the Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Houghton Library. See the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library Terms of Use for further copyright information.

Citation

Cite this Record

Chicago:

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Anna Roosevelt Cowles. [February 3, 1917?]. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o285163. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Anna Roosevelt Cowles. [3 Feb. 1917?]. Multi-image. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. October 29, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o285163.

APA:

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919.: , [1917, February 3?]. Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Anna Roosevelt Cowles. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o285163.

Cite this Collection

Chicago:

Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/harvard-college-library. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.

MLA:

Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. October 29, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/harvard-college-library.

APA:

Harvard College Library. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/harvard-college-library.