Letter from Richard Harding Davis to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Davidson, James Wheeler, 1872-1933, Davis, Cecil Clark, 1877-1955, Diplomatic and consular service, American, Fox, John, Jr., 1862-1919, Freedom of the press--Censorship, Griscom, Lloyd Carpenter, 1872-1959, Japan, Japan. Rikugun, Journalists, London, Jack, 1876-1916, Marsh, Charles Carlton, 1858-1933, P.F. Collier, Inc., Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), War correspondents, War--Press coverage
Click on image to zoom in
Richard Harding Davis and his wife Cecil Clark Davis are settled in Tokyo like it is home. Davis’ contract with Collier’s Weekly was only for three months, but he does not want to return home without seeing the front lines of the Russo-Japanese War. Davis complains that the newspaper correspondents have been treated poorly by the Japanese authorities who have restricted their access to the front, read their private correspondence and had them spied upon. As an example of the unfair treatment they have been subjected to, Davis recounts the story of Jack London who has been arrested and tried by court martial after getting into a physical altercation with a servant who was caught stealing correspondents’ supplies. Davis knows that President Roosevelt likes to hear of United States representatives abroad, and praises the work of LLoyd Carpenter Griscom, Charles Carlton Marsh, and James Wheeler Davidson.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1904-05-26
Creator(s)
Davis, Richard Harding, 1864-1916
Recipient
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 1st Term (September 1901-February 1905)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
14
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 Richard Harding Davis to Theodore Roosevelt. [May 26, 1904]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o45485. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Davis, Richard Harding, 1864-1916. Letter from Richard Harding Davis to Theodore Roosevelt. [26 May. 1904]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o45485.
APA:
Davis, Richard Harding, 1864-1916., [1904, May 26]. Letter from Richard Harding Davis to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o45485.
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 5, 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.
