Your TR Source
Theodore Roosevelt agrees with Senator Lodge’s petition on the arbitration treaty. He can see no argument in favor of a commission which might contain foreigners exercising a power that rightly belongs to the President and the Senate.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-14
Theodore Roosevelt appreciated Senator Crawford’s answer, and shares some thoughts about an arbitration treaty with Great Britain.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-19
Theodore Roosevelt writes to Price Collier and assures him that it is fine they disagree, but notes that he will continue to argue “for what is fundamentally right.” As an example, he cites Coller’s recent book, with which he disagrees with certain implications but ultimately believes it is valuable for explaining the good things about British colonization and for instructing Americans about world affairs. Roosevelt also mentions that he “takes a certain grim delight” in the discovery that his opinions, while vilified by the “peace-at-any-price people,” may have had an ultimately positive impact on the proposed arbitration treaty.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-20
Theodore Roosevelt feels relieved after reading Senator Lodge’s letter regarding the arbitration treaty. He finds the phrase “‘and all questions internationally justiciable'” to be amusing since it “means nothing or everything.” Roosevelt has only seen a draft of the treaty in an editorial and found nothing particularly objectionable. Compared to what he read, Roosevelt views President Taft’s pronouncements on the treaty to be overblown and misleading.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-19
Theodore Roosevelt confirms that he received and read the anniversary edition of The Irish World that Robert E. Ford sent, and thanks him for sending it. He is glad Ford liked what he said about arbitration.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-08
Theodore Roosevelt was very impressed by Price Collier’s recent Decoration Day address, and felt compelled to write to him about it. Roosevelt laments some of the forces at work in the international peace movement because of their “mushy sentimentality” and “maudlin confusion of right and wrong.” He feels that arbitration treaties are largely useless because they are not able to address the problems that plague countries internally, and are unlikely to be invoked in actual issues of international relations where the honor of countries is at play.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-12
Theodore Roosevelt writes to Senator Crawford about a pair of foreign relations questions, and tells him that while he does not wish to be quoted, Crawford can share Roosevelt’s views with other progressives. Roosevelt believes that the treaty with Honduras should go ahead. While countries that develop strong governments like Chile or Argentina should be treated as equals by the United States, some Central American nations with “little disorderly governments” need “a steadying hand.” He has hesitations, on the other hand, about the arbitration treaty with Great Britain, which he lays out.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-12
Theodore Roosevelt is concerned about the arbitration treaty. He views it either as a lie, because the American people will not allow it to be observed, or as a path to “national impotence and degradation.” Roosevelt is concerned about the potential arbitration of some issues if requested by foreign powers, such as unlimited Japanese immigration or Germany’s right to purchase the Danish West Indies. He does not believe that Senator Lodge should support the treaty without several revisions.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-12
Theodore Roosevelt thanks Theodor Korner for the two books he sent and his kind letter. Roosevelt appreciated Korner’s service as his “military guide” while in Europe, and he was particularly pleased to meet Emperor William II. Roosevelt encloses an article he wrote on arbitration, which he believes to be unwise.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-06-02
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 to give Senator Lodge’s article to the editors of The Outlook. He enjoyed seeing Secretary of the Navy George von Lengerke Meyer and encourages Lodge to meet with Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson. Roosevelt expects the arbitration treaty to pass, be very popular, and then be repudiated if it ever needs to come into effect.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-05-31
If it was right to originally sign the international arbitration treaties, then it should now be right to grant Germany’s request to have a commission of inquiry regarding the sinking of the Lusitania. However, President Wilson has succeeded in stalling and the public has forgot. Years of peace propaganda have created an “attitude of sluggishness and timidity.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-06-15
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
Theodore Roosevelt cannot approve of William Hutchinson Cowles’s editorial and opposes universal arbitration. Each nation and community has issues which they would refuse to arbitrate. The Wilson administration has signed thirty arbitration treaties and refused to abide by the treaty with Germany when the Lusitania was sunk. The public approved of President Wilson’s decision. Promises should not be made that the nation, its leaders, or the public do not intend to keep. The nations of Europe are fighting for their existence and will justifiably ignore calls for arbitration and pacifism from America. The United States needs to prepare for war and learn to keep promises.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-06-17
Until the outbreak of war, Albert Apponyi’s correspondence with Theodore Roosevelt was anti-Austrian and Apponyi considered Roosevelt “lukewarm for liberty” because he wanted Hungary to stay within the Austrian Empire. Roosevelt does not agree that the war is against Russia, as Germany stated that the war is primarily against Great Britain and Russia attempted to have the Austria-Serbia conflict placed before the Hague court. He also disagrees about Belgium and does not believe that Britain would have gone to war if Belgian neutrality had been observed. Roosevelt has friends throughout Europe and is working to prepare the United States so they will not suffer a disaster similar to the Belgians or Poles.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-03-05
Theodore Roosevelt appreciates General Crozier’s article in the North American Review. He agrees that nations can arbitrate all matters after reaching “a certain static position in relation to one another,” such as between the United States and Canada. However, pacifists do not face real world facts and harm the country by leading to “tom-fool positions.” Roosevelt agrees with Crozier regarding Mexico but is not yet ready to state his views. He was interested in General Brugere’s letter and wishes he could serve with him in the war. However, Roosevelt is not willing to fight unless he is leading American troops and believes he could raise a division similar to the Rough Riders.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-12-11
Theodore Roosevelt sees a gloomy future due to the war. Most of all, he believes Belgium needs to be given reparations and guaranteed protection from future invasion. He would rather see indefinite war then give up these goals. Roosevelt does not agree with Oscar S. Straus regarding Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan’s arbitration treaties and states that “sheer criminality” requires action and not investigations. He describes President Woodrow Wilson and Bryan as “the very most contemptible figures” that ever controlled American foreign affairs.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-11-23
Theodore Roosevelt will not be attending the Progressive Party conference in Chicago, Illinois. Governor Johnson’s election is the one great Progressive success and Roosevelt hopes Johnson will attend the conference to outline the future course of the party and help quell public quarrels. Roosevelt is concerned about Japanese discrimination in California and the drastic legislation that may be introduced. He suggests that the legislation is being supported by Germans in an effort to sour relations between the United States and Japan. Roosevelt suggests ignoring the “Japanese question” until the conclusion of the European war. He wants to treat the Japanese with courtesy but on the understanding that Americans will not immigrate en mass to Japan and the Japanese will not immigrate en mass to the United States. Roosevelt is distressed at the foreign policy of President Wilson and Secretary of State Bryan. He wants a coherent foreign policy that takes “efficient steps to strengthen us.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-11-16
Theodore Roosevelt was pleased to hear of the publication of Lodge’s “reminiscences,” which he has been enjoying. Roosevelt addressed the military branch of the Historical Association, and he enjoyed explaining that the Bulgarians would have been harmless against the Ottoman Turks if they had been taught that questions of vital interest could be arbitrated.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-12-31