Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt
Subject(s): Arias, Ricardo, 1852-1927, Asquith, H. H. (Herbert Henry), 1852-1928, Complaint letters, Edward VII, King of Great Britain, 1841-1910, Egypt--Port Said, Hotels--Sanitation, International relations, John Bull (Symbolic character), Johnston, Harry, 1858-1927, National characteristics, English, Obaldia, Jose Domingo de, 1845-1910, Panama--Ancon, Panama--Colón, Panama--Culebra (Chilibre), Rainey, Henry Thomas, 1860-1934, Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, Steamboats, Taft, Helen Herron, 1861-1943, United States. Congress. House
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President-elect Taft encloses a letter from Sir Harry Johnston about the dreadful conditions at the Hotel Imperial in Colón, and his own reply. He found Johnston’s decision to complain at length about his personal discomfort to another country’s head of state perplexing. Taft’s wife, Helen Herron Taft, did not share his “intense amusement” at Johnston’s “extremely English” tone. Taft also encloses the self-explanatory letter he wrote to President Jose Domingo de Obaldia of Panama after a call from Obaldia’s competitor, Ricardo Arias. Taft is disgusted by Representative Henry Thomas Rainey’s “diatribes” in the House of Representatives.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1909-02-06
Creator(s)
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930
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
4
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 Theodore Roosevelt. [February 6, 1909]. Library of Congress Manuscript Division.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o60224. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930. Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt. [6 Feb. 1909]. Multi-image.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. July 30, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o60224.
APA:
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930., [1909, February 6]. Letter from William H. Taft to Theodore Roosevelt.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o60224.
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.
