Memorandum for the Secretary of War
Subject(s): Hawaii, Military readiness, Navies, Pacific Area, Pacific Ocean, Pacific Ocean--Puget Sound, Philippines, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919, United States--Pacific Coast, Warships
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The memorandum to Secretary of War Taft raises the question of how long the battle fleet will stay in the Pacific. The memorandum advocates a permanent naval presence in the region. First, because coastal defenses on the Pacific Coast are not adequate to defend against an attack. Second, because of the location of Hawaii and the Philippines, far from home ports and close to enemy ports. Third, because Hawaii can serve as a strategic naval base and needs battle fleet protection to be effective. Fourth, because the United States lacks adequate land forces to guard the coast. A page of addenda shows Taft acknowledging the memo and wishing to confer with President Roosevelt, and Roosevelt’s subsequent assessment that he will consider the Joint Army and Navy Board’s opinion on the matter, but does not wish to divide the battle fleet between two oceans.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-02-07
Creator(s)
Bell, James Franklin, 1856-1919
Recipient
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
3
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:
Memorandum for the Secretary of War. [February 7, 1908]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o58083. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Bell, James Franklin, 1856-1919. Memorandum for the Secretary of War. [7 Feb. 1908]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. July 30, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o58083.
APA:
Bell, James Franklin, 1856-1919., [1908, February 7]. Memorandum for the Secretary of War.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o58083.
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.
