Letter from William H. Taft to Harry Johnston
Subject(s): Breakwaters--Design and construction, Breakwaters--Economic aspects, Drinking water--Purification, Egypt--Port Said, Goethals, George W. (George Washington), 1858-1928, Harbors--Environmental aspects, Hotels--Sanitation, Imperialism--Government policy, Panama--Colón, Panama--Panama
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President-elect Taft was sorry to hear about Harry Johnston’s unpleasant stay in Colón, and he addresses Johnston’s grievances in detail. The natural geography of the Colón harbor would make the kind of breakwater Johnston suggests both difficult and expensive to construct, but the board of engineers does plan to address the matter. The weather conditions that stranded Johnston in Colón were unusual, so travelers rarely have to stay at the Hotel Imperial. Although Taft agrees that the hotel is “dreadful,” it will probably be impossible to open the government’s hotels in Colón to ordinary travelers. These government hotels anger local hotel owners who must compete with them for customers. The Hotel Tivoli in Panama City is an exceptional case. Colón’s water supply has already improved greatly, but a filtration system is currently being added.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1909-02-06
Creator(s)
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
Recipient
Language
English
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Page Count
6
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 Harry Johnston. [February 6, 1909]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o60219. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930. Letter from William H. Taft to Harry Johnston. [6 Feb. 1909]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. January 30, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o60219.
APA:
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930., [1909, February 6]. Letter from William H. Taft to Harry Johnston.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o60219.
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 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.
