Your TR Source
Theodore Roosevelt apologizes to Millard J. Bloomer for not allowing the use of his name for the Citizens Peace Banquet. He does not know what the banquet’s stance is regarding the arbitration treaties. Roosevelt discusses his opinions on these treaties.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-05
Theodore Roosevelt expresses appreciation for Joseph P. O’Mahony’s letter and editorials, praising his stance on the arbitration treaty and socialism. Roosevelt notes his strong opposition to the treaty and commends O’Mahony for defending American values and popular rights in his editorial work.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-12
Theodore Roosevelt agrees with George LeRoy Brown’s opinion on arbitration. Roosevelt is glad that Alexander O. Brodie is doing well with his riding practice.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-26
Theodore Roosevelt agrees with Arthur Hamilton Lee’s previous letter. Roosevelt guesses that Lee was pleased with how the reciprocity matter has been settled. Roosevelt compares the American and Canadian public opinion on reciprocity and discusses President William Howard Taft’s mishandling of foreign affairs. Roosevelt is interested in Lee’s opinion on the arbitration treaty. Roosevelt hopes that Lee will travel to the United States soon and wishes he was well enough to visit Lee at Scotch Lodges.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-25
Although Theodore Roosevelt believes in arbitration in general, he does not believe that “questions of honor and vital national interest” should be subject to it.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-02
Theodore Roosevelt calls John W. Foster’s attention to several misstatements of fact he made in a recent speech. Roosevelt states that he has always been consistent on the subject of international arbitration, and he explains his positions on the seal industry in the Bering Sea and the Alaskan boundary dispute. Roosevelt does not wish to start a public controversy on the matter but felt that an ex-Secretary of State such as Foster needs to have the record set straight when he publicly misstates facts about an ex-President.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-05-26
Theodore Roosevelt agrees with William Dudley Foulke’s letter and confirms Foulke’s understanding of why Roosevelt declined to take part in a peace conference. Roosevelt feels that before the United States participates in a general international peace movement, it must first “attend to the affairs of our own household.” Roosevelt agrees with William Jennings Bryan only on the point of refusing arbitration with Germany.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-06-16
President Roosevelt urges German Emperor William II to enter into a treaty of arbitration with the United States as an expression of goodwill. Acceptance of such a treaty would provide evidence of friendship between the two countries and pave the way for future cooperation, even though the treaty itself is not as effective as Roosevelt would hope.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-05-06
President Roosevelt approves of the response sent to the Smart Set magazine in response to a request for his endorsement. He says reports of Ambassador Reid’s “ostentation” and other unflattering news reports about official embassy conduct are harmless; he appreciates all the speeches Reid has made in an effort to unite the “right classes” of Americans and English people. Roosevelt agrees with Reid regarding pursuing arbitration in a treaty dispute with Great Britain over fisheries in Newfoundland. He also comments briefly on the result of the trial of Big Bill Hayward, calling it a “gross miscarriage of justice.” Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt appreciates the silver bowl Elisabeth Mills Reid sent as a gift.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-29
President Roosevelt was very interested in Lieutenant Commander Albert L. Key’s view of Senator Eugene Hale. He agrees with Key’s comments on Representative Theodore E. Burton’s speech, and says that while Burton is useful in many ways, his opposition to the Navy offsets all of this. Roosevelt dismisses Burton’s opinion that “he believed in arbitration rather than battleships” with the comment that, “he might just as well say that he believed in arbitration rather than policemen.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-07-17
President Roosevelt hopes the nations at the next Hague Conference will join in framing a general arbitration treaty. Although the nations cannot arbitrate all questions, Roosevelt believes it is a good idea to figure out which questions can be arbitrated and then proceed in such arbitration.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-06-08
President Roosevelt informs Senator Platt that he has instructed Secretary of State John Hay to “endeavor to procure” an amendment to Article 2 of the Bering Sea Tribunal of Arbitration, per the request of several senators. Roosevelt goes on to point out that the original text of the treaty was approved in advance by the members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations prior to to negotiation, and that a joint resolution by the House and Senate requested Roosevelt to negotiate and conclude the treaty governing the hunting of fur seals with Great Britain.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-02-23
President Roosevelt shares his views on the reciprocity treaties recently rejected by the Senate with Silas McBee. Roosevelt points out that George Washington himself concluded a treaty in 1796 that delegated all questions to arbitration. Moreover, the Senate recently ratified a treaty giving the president the power to refer claims to arbitration at the Hague. Roosevelt berates the individual senators as caring more about the “prerogative of the Senate” than the welfare of the country.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-02-16
President Roosevelt writes to Senator Cullom regarding several general arbitration treaties currently before the Senate. Roosevelt notes that as the treaties now appear, it might be possible for claims against individual states for state debts to be considered as matters for arbitration, and that such a thing is entirely inconceivable because of constitutional limitations. He explains that the objection to the amendment on this issue is due to the fact that the other various parties have already agreed on the form of the treaty, and that changing the treaty to add terms that would only affect the United States’ internal policy seems undesirable. In any case, the treaties are only for a term of five years, and will be interpreted as he set out above until the end of that period.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-10
President Roosevelt takes issue with the amendment supposedly proposed by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge which states in effect that each of the arbitration treaties “have no possible effect until other arbitration treaties are concluded.” Roosevelt tells Senator Spooner he believes the amendment is a “sham” and he refuses to go farther with the treaty as it stands with the amendment, although he does not question the right of the Senate to amend a treaty.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-06
President Roosevelt writes to Joseph Gurney Cannon, Chairman of the Notification Committee, to formally accept his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and to approve the platform adopted by the Republican National Convention. In the letter, Roosevelt provides a comprehensive defense of his foreign and domestic policies and outlines what he believes are the major differences between the Republican and Democratic parties in the upcoming election. Roosevelt discusses, among other topics, his position on international relations, antitrust legislation, tariffs, the gold standard, pensions for Civil War veterans, the military, civil service, commerce, agriculture, taxation, and self-government in the Philippines.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-12
Japan regards any attempts at mediation in the Russo-Japanese War as unfriendly in the belief that Russia is trying to delay in order to complete preparations. Japan requires an immediate agreement or further war. Russia wants all proposals to go through Japan. Currently, attempts are being made to guarantee China’s neutrality.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-02-09
President Roosevelt is “utterly against” compulsory arbitration and will bring Edward Everett Hale’s letter to the attention of Secretary of State John Hay.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1901-11-18
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt chides Cecil Spring Rice for not replying to his or Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt’s letters and suggests possible reasons why. Roosevelt enjoys his new position, although he will not see much of his family. He is proud of what he accomplished as police commissioner but reached a point where he could not do anything else.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1897-04-28
Gilbert M. Hitchcock believes there needs to be published opposition to the pending arbitration treaties. He is publishing interviews and speeches made against the treaties and asks Theodore Roosevelt for copies of his published views.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-27