Memorandum

Memorandum from Smith S. Leach to James Franklin Bell

Corps of Engineers Lieutenant Colonel Leach summarizes James F. J. Archibald’s letter to President Roosevelt regarding the weak defense of the Hawaiian Islands. In general, the Pacific Ocean is very poorly defended and should be considered a vulnerability. Leach discuses the logistics of introducing submarine weapons into naval defenses and previous attempts to acquire such weapons. While Leach concedes that Hawaii is lacking in defense, he strongly disagrees with the position that the Pacific Ocean is vulnerable and proves this by listing the local forts and their weaponized capacity.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-21

Memorandum about the Navy Personnel Bill

This memo urges naval officers and midshipmen to contact their senators, congressmen, and any other influential people they know and express their support of the Navy Personnel Bill, which, the memo states, would “add to the efficiency of the personnel” and “save the country nearly a million dollars each year as compared with existing law.” The memo also quotes a Special Order issued by the Navy Department.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-27

Memorandum from Charles F. Preston to Edwin C. Pendleton

Lieutenant Commander Preston informs Captain Pendleton that work has been stopped on the Hamburg-American Steamer Princessen Victoria Luise and the wreck abandoned. The Prinz Waldemar is being discharged and it is expected that she will be saved.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-19

Memorandum from Dennis H. Mahan to C. H. Davis

Captain Mahan reports to Rear Admiral Davis the extraordinary work of Navy men in responding to the earthquake crisis in Kingston, Jamaica. Mahan names individual sailors who have performed remarkably well in the dangerous conditions. They commanded the work done on shore, quelled a mutiny at the penitentiary, and repaired the Plumb Point Lighthouse.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-19

Memorandum from Dennis H. Mahan to C. H. Davis

Captain Mahan updates Rear Admiral Davis on the work done by sailors on Friday, January 18, in Kingston, Jamaica, following a devastating earthquake.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-18

Memorandum from Charles J. Bonaparte to Theodore Roosevelt

Attorney General Bonaparte relays to President Roosevelt the language of the immigration law enabling the President to prevent the Japanese government from issuing passports for immigrants to the continental United States who first travel through other countries or United States territories and the draft executive order. Bonaparte suggests changes to the order to make it conform with the immigration law.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-03-14

Memorandum for the secretary

Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt would like to get a photograph of Mary Ledwith, called Mame. She does not want Mame to know about it, but the first time a good photographer comes to the White House, she will arrange for the photograph.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-19

Memorandum of events in connection with a visit to Kingston, Jamaica, after its destruction by earthquake and fire

Lieutenant Gilmer of the USS Missouri provides a detailed description of the United States naval response to the January 14, 1907, earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica. Gilmer explains that the Navy landed in Kingston on January 17, setting up a hospital, landing forces, and providing aid. Gilmer describes the destruction of the city both from the earthquake and the subsequent looting and the various dead victims he sees and living victims he interacts with. After the governor of Jamaica asked the Navy to leave the island, Gilmer interacts with many who request that the Navy stay and insist they are badly needed. The Navy withdraws on January 19, back to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-19

Memorandum from Kellum Duane Grant to Edwin C. Pendleton

Warrant Machinist Grant reports that he and others were removing damaged structures and reinforcing existing structures following the devastating earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica. He also reports that he helped in handling the sick and wounded at Winchester Park Hospital.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-19

Memorandum from H. A. May to Dennis H. Mahan

Assistant Surgeon May recounts the medical treatment he and other Navy sailors dispensed in responding to the earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-18

Memorandum from Dennis H. Mahan to C. H. Davis

Captain Mahan provides a detailed chronology of events that occurred and work completed by U.S. forces in Kingston, Jamaica, following the earthquake.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-17

Memo. on child labor

Commissioner of Labor Charles P. Neill explains the importance of passing either the Beveridge bill or the Lodge bill to eradicate child labor in the United States. Two-thirds of states and territories already have laws regulating child labor, with a wide variety of laws in place. The lack of uniformity in these laws creates unfair competition between industries and states, and the passage of one of the federal bills would help solve this problem. Neill concludes by asserting that children under fourteen should be pupils, not breadwinners; child labor is indefensible; and intelligence and education are vital to maintain a high standard of citizenship in the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-15

Memorandum from George Dewey to Theodore Roosevelt

Admiral Dewey writes to President Roosevelt about the ineffectiveness of armored cruisers. Dewey says that while there are some specific uses for armored cruisers, generally either an unarmored cruiser or a battleship is a preferable choice. The General Board does not recommend building any armored cruisers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-15

Memorandum for the Secretary of War relative to the alleged summary disbandment, by General Robert E. Lee, Confederate States Army, of a battalion of infantry, in October, 1864.

A memorandum from the War Department discusses the historical accuracy of an alleged order from the Civil War used by President Roosevelt as an exhibit accompanying a message to the Senate concerning the discharge of soldiers in Brownsville. The alleged order is from Robert E. Lee disbanding the 22nd Virginia Battalion in 1864 for poor conduct. A search of the Confederate archives does not substantiate this order, instead showing that a request to redistribute members of the Battalion was never followed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-01-03

Concerning attempts to enforce compliance with the eight-hour law

This memorandum contains reports on two cases of companies violating the eight hour work day law. The first case, in West Virginia, did not result in indictments and so the case was moved to Ohio. The second case was along the Columbia River in Oregon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906

Department of the Interior memorandum directing no patents for land issues until after examination in the field

The Department of the Interior issues a memorandum containing President Roosevelt’s orders to not issue patents on any land before a special agent can physically examine the land. The memorandum goes on to list the different type of lands applicable and inapplicable under this new memorandum.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12

Memorandum from Theodore P. Shonts to William H. Taft

Theodore P. Shonts writes to Secretary of War Taft about a pamphlet titled “The Crisis at Panama” written by Lindon Bates, which is seen as an attack on the Panama Canal. Shonts asks General Hains, a member of the Isthmian Canal Commission, for a dignified reply to the criticisms in the pamphlet. Shonts also says The New York World wrote a long article about the pamphlet. Shonts had a reporter of the newspaper come to his home and told him although he could not quickly give an answer to the pamphlet, he could explain the motive of it and point out how the conclusions in it are incorrect.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-11

Memorandum from Albert H. Howe to William Loeb

Albert H. Howe is frustrated by Commander John Allen Dougherty’s delay in sailing to his position as naval attaché in Tokyo. Dougherty has been directed three times to leave, and his living quarters have been established and set up, yet he still has not physically made his way to Tokyo. This is causing distress and slowing down normal work procedures.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-11

Memorandum relative to the Secretary of the Interior’s explanatory letter to the President

G. W. Woodruff, Chief Law Officer of the Forest Service, reports on a controversy concerning Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock. President Roosevelt withdrew ten million acres of land from disposal under public laws to protect the coal it contained, but asked that no land be withdrawn until he received Geological Survey field reports. Hitchcock claimed that he did not know which lands were inside the reserves and “materially misquoted the President’s clearly expressed intention.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-17

Memorandum regarding William Nelson Cromwell

A letter from Henry S. Brown to William Loeb was forwarded to the Acting Secretary of War with instructions to further send it to Secretary of War William H. Taft. The letter discussed lawyer and lobbyist William Nelson Cromwell, and included an endorsement of President Roosevelt instructing Taft to minimize Cromwell’s connections with Panama. Cromwell’s lobbying efforts were instrumental to getting the Panama Canal constructed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-01