Letter from Van Leer Polk to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Alien labor, Chinese, China, Foreign workers, Chinese, France, Great Britain, Labor, Panama--Panama Canal, Sin, West Indies
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Van Leer Polk advocates for the use of Chinese laborers in building the Panama Canal. Polk believes Chinese workers are the most efficient labor force and that workers from areas in China with a similar climate to Panama would be the most suitable choice. Polk describes the nature of recruitment and employment of Chinese laborers by the French government and makes suggestions for how to secure satisfactory results from Chinese laborers. He encloses several documents, including a copy of a Chinese Labor Contract.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1906-03-09
Creator(s)
Recipient
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
12
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 Van Leer Polk to Theodore Roosevelt. [March 9, 1906]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o52764. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Polk, Van Leer, 1856-1907. Letter from Van Leer Polk to Theodore Roosevelt. [9 Mar. 1906]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. July 30, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o52764.
APA:
Polk, Van Leer, 1856-1907., [1906, March 9]. Letter from Van Leer Polk to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o52764.
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. July 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.
