Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-09-16

Creator(s)

Theodore Roosevelt/Sec,

Recipient

Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-05-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

Spring Rice, Cecil, Sir, 1859-1918

Theodore Roosevelt updates Cecil Spring Rice on the members of the Roosevelt family. Roosevelt feels that British politics are much more interesting than politics in the United States at the moment. He is disappointed in President Taft, and thinks that his leadership has divided the conservative and progressive streams within the Republican Party. However, Roosevelt would like to see Taft elected again. Roosevelt has “no sympathy with [Taft’s] arbitration treaty business” and believes the treaty should be strictly between Great Britain and the United States. Roosevelt also writes about his contentment with his life at the moment, writing for The Outlook.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-08-22

Unless Theodore Roosevelt hears otherwise, he will take the first opportunity of making the letter public. Roosevelt is sorry that the American government has reduced his part and the part of men like him to words and not deeds.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-11-17

Theodore Roosevelt encloses a letter for Cecil Spring Rice to read and then send on to Edward Grey. He also encloses a recent article he wrote for the Metropolitan Magazine, in which he criticizes America’s statesmen for not coming to the aid of Belgium and not preparing the country to defend itself in future crises.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-11-24

In regards to preparedness and hyphenated Americanism, Theodore Roosevelt believes that he has caused the administration to take the reverse action from a year ago. He is not sure how much consequence this has really had, though.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-10-25

Theodore Roosevelt writes a letter of introduction for Edward B. Clark, who will be traveling to Europe for his correspondent work for the Chicago Evening Post.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-03-02

Theodore Roosevelt writes an endorsement of James Drain to Cecil Spring Rice. Drain is a man of “great efficiency and high character.” He specializes in rifle-shooting and ordinance supplies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-02-23

Theodore Roosevelt believes the allies will win the war and that Great Britain and France will greatly benefit. The manhood of these nations has shown “ugly traits” and “should be tried and purged.” He is unsure if victory will bring justice to Belgium or allow the people of middle and southeastern Europe to develop as they should. Ambassador Spring Rice and Ambassador Jusserand are performing a great service to their country when it is most needed. The are standing for their nations, humanity, and mankind. Roosevelt invites Spring Rice and his wife to Oyster Bay, New York, and wants to tell them about his grandchildren. He recently received a sad letter from Winthrop Chanler reminiscing on the old times when they had youth and its “unconquerable spirit.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-02-18

Theodore Roosevelt is humiliated by the Wilson administration and angered by the attitude of “professional German Americans.” However, there are many German Americans who do not sympathize with Germany. Americans do not understand foreign affairs and many will simply follow where the president leads. Roosevelt agrees that each nation must look out for itself but suggests that in twenty-five years Great Britain could be allying with Germany against Russia.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-02-09

The success of German submarines has given Theodore Roosevelt a “very uneasy feeling.” Roosevelt is concerned that Great Britain’s ability to continue fighting might rely on American merchant shipping. As such, the British should be cautious when protesting neutrality rights and confiscating cargoes. Great Britain must decide what is in their own interests, but if they are mistaken the responsibility is upon them. Roosevelt hopes the British will avoid a “clash” with the United States, no matter who is in the right. The Wilson administration is courting the German vote and Roosevelt understands British contempt for the administration.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-02-05

Theodore Roosevelt is concerned that the British and French governments are not doing enough to influence American public opinion. He provides several examples of German actions that could have helped turn public opinion against Germany. Roosevelt is not recommending the violation of journalistic or international ethics, but facts of German wrongdoing exist and should be used to keep the American public on the side of the allies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-01-22

Theodore Roosevelt reviews American public opinion towards the war, which is generally favorable towards the allies. However, German Americans are “furiously on the side of Germany,” and most politicians have more to fear from an interested minority than a “tepid” majority.” Roosevelt believes that the strong German American feeling derives from the fact that American contraband trade is significantly more valuable to the allies. He recommends that Great Britain be lenient on the contraband trade with Germany, as a strict policy will damage American merchants and turn public opinion in favor of Germany. Roosevelt does not want Great Britain to insist on rights that will create hostility, expand its view on belligerent rights to extremes, or be too strict with contraband.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-01-05

An article Theodore Roosevelt wrote on exercising the naval right of search will be published soon and it generally follows Ambassador Spring Rice’s opinion. If he were president, Roosevelt would not let anyone exercise the right of search but he would also have intervened on behalf of Belgium and prevented Americans from violating neutrality. Roosevelt views President Wilson as a timid, unscrupulous, coldblooded, and selfish man. He believes Wilson is attempting to keep the support of pacifists and placate the German and Irish vote. Eventually, Great Britain and France will need American help and Wilson will become the “righteous peace-maker.” Wilson’s current misconduct will then be forgotten.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-11-11

Theodore Roosevelt is glad that Cecil Spring Rice liked his article in The Outlook. If he had been president, Roosevelt would have called attention to the guarantee of Belgium’s neutrality and accepted the Hague treaties as imposing a serious obligation that must be enforced by the United States and other neutral nations. He would have backed up this statement with force and believes the American people would have followed him. However, as people tend to follow the president in a crisis, the majority are now with President Wilson. Roosevelt compares the situation to the negotiations to end the Russo-Japanese War, which required explicit assurances from both nations and months of negotiations, and the presidential election of 1864, where many who favored peace voted against Abraham Lincoln.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1914-10-03

President Roosevelt agrees with Cecil Spring Rice that the love of ease and luxury in the upper classes of the English-speaking world and France is dangerous. Germany does not suffer this problem, but instead is in danger from the vices of industrialism, as is Japan. Roosevelt hopes that Russia may steer a middle course between bureaucracy and anarchy. Roosevelt thinks Spring Rice may idealize the past too much, and says that “it is our business to do everything we can to be both decent and efficient under conditions as we actually find them.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-07-21

President Roosevelt wishes that Cecil Spring Rice and his wife were there to visit with him and Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt. He reflects on the growing German materialism in light of the controversy surrounding the appointment of David Jayne Hill as new ambassador there. The previous ambassador, Charlemagne Tower, was wealthy, and Roosevelt believes that the Germans dislike Hill because he is not wealthy. Roosevelt reflects on the merits of being rich and concludes that while it is good to have the things that money can buy, “from the standpoint of real pleasure [he] should selfishly prefer [his] oldtime ranch on the Little Missouri to anything in Newport.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-04-11

President Roosevelt would like to have Cecil Spring Rice visit him, but advises him to not leave a run in diplomatic service unless necessary. Roosevelt has fundamentally the same philosophy as Spring Rice, and hopes to avoid a race conflict such as Spring Rice worries about in the Pacific. Australia’s population is growing slowly, which worries Roosevelt, but the United States and Canadian populations are growing quickly enough that Roosevelt does not fear the threat of Asian dominance in North America. He does worry, however, about ongoing racial tensions and the weakening of the United States’ navy, which could threaten peace. While European civilization has spread over the globe in the past, it is impossible to say what will happen in the future. Domestically, Roosevelt is having a difficult time with the panic and the resulting depression and stagnation. Roosevelt believes that while the movement against corruption will ultimately succeed, even while those who lead it may seem to fail at present. He sends a copy of his message so Spring Rice might read his thoughts on the army and navy. Roosevelt feels it is abhorrent that many in Spring Rice’s country, and his own, have internalized an idea of peace in which good men should not make war, and in which advancement means a weakening of the fighting spirit.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-12-21

President Roosevelt shares his thoughts on various topics with Cecil Spring Rice. Roosevelt is planning to swap foreign assignments between John B. Jackson and Richmond Pearson, mentioning that Pearson had trouble with missionaries in Persia. While Jackson has done well as Minister to Greece, Roosevelt does not approve of his strong pro-Russia feelings. Roosevelt thinks the Russian people are good, and feels badly that they oscillate between despotism and anarchy. Roosevelt is interested in what Spring Rice says about the movement of Islam in Persia toward more tolerance, and gives his opinion about progress in Islamic countries in relation to Buddhism and Shinto. The violent incidents in San Francisco towards Japanese immigrants concerns Roosevelt. Roosevelt thinks everyone should be in favor of peace and temperance, but he feels professional advocates of both talk a lot without ever getting anything done. At home, Roosevelt is trying to keep a balance between plutocrats and labor unions. Roosevelt hopes to see Spring Rice and his wife soon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-01

President Roosevelt discusses various aspects of his efforts to make peace between Japan and Russia at length with Cecil Spring Rice. He also discusses the current strained relations between England and Germany, and informs Rice that he does not intend to take on the role of regular peacemaker between other countries. It is necessary for him to focus on the affairs of the United States, rather than trying to keep peace in Europe.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-01