Letter from William H. Taft to William H. Moody
Subject(s): Alien labor, Asian--Government policy, Ethnic relations, Foreign workers, Asian--Government policy, Isthmian Canal Commission (U.S.), Labor laws and legislation, Panama--Panama Canal, Peonage
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On behalf of the Executive Committee of the Canal Commission, Secretary of War Taft requests that Attorney General Moody formulate rules and restrictions regarding the employment of Asian laborers in the Canal Zone. Taft is concerned that the practice of contract labor does not “bring about a condition of peonage under the authority of the United States.” Taft has already advised the Committee to ignore political considerations in the hiring of Asian laborers because it is obvious that without those laborers work on the Canal would be delayed.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1905-05-15
Creator(s)
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
Recipient
Moody, William H. (William Henry), 1853-1917
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 William H. Taft to William H. Moody. [May 15, 1905]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o49278. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930. Letter from William H. Taft to William H. Moody. [15 May. 1905]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. February 5, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o49278.
APA:
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930., [1905, May 15]. Letter from William H. Taft to William H. Moody.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o49278.
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.
