Letter from Hermann Speck von Sternburg to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): California, Chauvinism and jingoism, China--Manchuria, Immigrants--Legal status, laws, etc., International relations--Press coverage, Japan, Korea, Military intelligence, Military readiness, Russia, Scheduling, War--Economic aspects, War--Forecasting
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German Ambassador Sternburg shares information gathered by a German military attaché in Japan with President Roosevelt. Japan has been improving her army and navy in order to defend recent gains in war against Russia and maintain her possessions on the mainland, rather than in preparation for renewed aggression in the short term. The attaché suggests, however, that Japan expects another war with Russia in the next five to ten years. This informant maintains that Japan could not conduct aggressive actions in the near future without substantial “sacrifice of blood and money.” A war with the United States would mean the loss of important trade. If Japan had wanted to go to war over the treatment of Japanese immigrants in the United States, she would have aroused public sentiment to that end in the press, but has not done so. That said, it would be a mistake to believe the Japanese have not been deeply offended by events in California, and could turn public opinion to war in the coming years. The informant concludes that while Japan is not on an immediate footing for war with the United States, it is a concern for the future.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1907-07-29
Creator(s)
Sternburg, Hermann Speck von, Freiherr, 1852-1908
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
26
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 Hermann Speck von Sternburg to Theodore Roosevelt. [July 29, 1907]. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o56594. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Sternburg, Hermann Speck von, Freiherr, 1852-1908. Letter from Hermann Speck von Sternburg to Theodore Roosevelt. [29 Jul. 1907]. Multi-image. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. November 25, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o56594.
APA:
Sternburg, Hermann Speck von, Freiherr, 1852-1908.: , [1907, July 29]. Letter from Hermann Speck von Sternburg to Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o56594.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. 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 Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. November 25, 2025. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
APA:
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Papers. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-manuscript-division.
