Letter from James Franklin Bell to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Alaska, Armed Forces--Officers, California--Presidio of San Francisco, Cuba, Duvall, William Penn, 1847-1920, Military art and science--Competitions, Philippines, Philippines--Manila, Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930, United States. Army, Wood, Leonard, 1860-1927
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United States Army Chief of Staff Bell thanks President Roosevelt for the opportunity to read General Leonard Wood’s correspondence and states that he has always had a high respect for him. Bell agrees with Wood’s letters and orders, particularly one paragraph that highlights a system of military competition used by the French Army with much success. Although Bell would like to see more of this type of competition, he has not advocated for this in the entire Army due to a lack of officers in the United States, as most are stationed overseas. He concludes by informing Roosevelt that he has kept these matters strictly confidential as the president requested.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1907-09-12
Creator(s)
Bell, James Franklin, 1856-1919
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
7
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 James Franklin Bell to Theodore Roosevelt. [September 12, 1907]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o57006. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Bell, James Franklin, 1856-1919. Letter from James Franklin Bell to Theodore Roosevelt. [12 Sep. 1907]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 22, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o57006.
APA:
Bell, James Franklin, 1856-1919., [1907, September 12]. Letter from James Franklin Bell to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o57006.
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. January 22, 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.
