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Senator Lodge’s amendment to the arbitration treaties will allow the United States to ignore any question it does not want to arbitrate as if the treaty did not exist. It is predicated upon the assumption that the president and Senate would never submit certain issues to arbitration, such as the Monroe Doctrine.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-01-13
Senator Lodges’ resolution will leave the arbitration treaties with “nothing but language and machinery.” He tried and failed to prevent public debate on the treaties. He also supports Theodore Roosevelt’s silence in the face of statements from the Taft administration.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-01-17
Senator Lodge enjoyed Theodore Roosevelt’s letter to Mr. Bloomer. He has been receiving “extraordinary” letters regarding the arbitration treaties–sentimental letters from clergy and self-interested letters from businessmen. Lodge does not expect the treaties to pass without some sort of ratifying resolution. The difficulties with the treaties started with a “loose speech” from President Taft followed by a “loose treaty” crafted without consulting the Senate. Taft then blamed the Senate, leading to division within the Republican Party and damage to the cause of peace.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-21
Dean Rogers of Yale Law School has been speaking out on the Russian arbitration treaty and described the Senate as silly. In reality, the Senate saved the situation for President Taft because Taft would have had to veto the House resolution. The clergy and peace associations have frightened several Senators but Senator Lodge expects that a ratification resolution will be part of the treaty.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-27
Senator Lodge requests that Theodore Roosevelt read yesterday’s debate on the Russian arbitration resolution, particularly his own comments. He relates several amusing incidents that took place during the Senate debate. The entire problem could have been avoided months ago with better leadership from the Taft administration.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-20
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-12-10
Jusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules), 1855-1932
Seth Low offers his opinion on how to craft the arbitration treaty in order to protect some issues from arbitration. He agrees that the best option is to remove the last clause of Article 3. However, Low also suggests that each country have the right to reject an arbitration decision and that the propriety of their rejection be judged by the international community. A similar plan was used by the faculty and trustees of Columbia University.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-29
William Jennings Bryan would be pleased to see a “meeting of the parliaments of the world in the United States.” He hopes that the ratification of the arbitration treaties now pending will lead to more treaties to cement the “bonds of peace.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-13
J. Lewis Parks thanks Theodore Roosevelt for the letter. While he knew Roosevelt would agree with him about the arbitration treaties, he did not expect Roosevelt to take time to respond. He comments on an anecdote about Evarts concerning the regard for human life. Parks hopes the Senate will not pass the treaties as currently written.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-13
M. C. Harrison of Iowa College is part of a project reviewing the present status of the peace question. He asks Theodore Roosevelt for his opinion on two issues. First, is an international tribunal possible and advisable? Second, is an international arbitration court, in the real sense of the word, possible and advisable?
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-14
On behalf of the American Peace and Arbitration League, J. O. Johnston requests the clergy of the diocese to observe the Sunday before Thanksgiving as Peace Sunday.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-11
William Jennings Bryan has read Theodore Roosevelt’s editorial on the arbitration treaty and supports the idea of an investigatory commission. Bryan believes the treaty can be passed with such an amendment and offers to act as peacemaker between the two sides. Bryan also urges Roosevelt to publicly support the direct election of senators.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-04
Henry Gannett thoroughly enjoyed Theodore Roosevelt’s editorial on arbitration.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-06
Senator Lodge agrees that the Russian treaty cannot continue unless Russia abides by the terms. Arbitration could strengthen the American position but this would only be an interpretation and the Russians would not change their position. Lodge met with a delegation of Jewish Americans who were reasonable and appreciated Theodore Roosevelt’s efforts. They simply believed that arbitration could never be successful. The campaign in Massachusetts appears promising and Lodge is relieved to hear of Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt’s condition.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-10-31
John St. Loe Strachey is annoyed with the article’s misrepresentation of Theodore Roosevelt’s policy on arbitration treaties that appeared in the Spectator while he was on holiday and apologizes for it. Strachey approves of a general arbitration treaty between Great Britain and the United States but not general treaties with the world at large. He recently stayed with Andrew Carnegie and found his illusions about arbitration “a positive nightmare.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-10-27
Joseph P. O’Mahony thanks Theodore Roosevelt for defending American interests in a recent article on international peace. He recalls a warning from President Harrison about arbitration and criticizes President Taft, praising Roosevelt’s strong stance.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-08
David E. Thompson expresses to Theodore Roosevelt his agreement with Roosevelt’s views on arbitration, stating that any man who thinks sanely should feel the same. He adds that he is pleased to read Roosevelt’s perspective.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-08
Benjamin F. Havens expresses to Theodore Roosevelt his support for Roosevelt’s stance against President William H. Taft’s treaty, praising him as a true American and commending his backbone in defending national rights.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-09
Senator Lodge was pleased with Theodore Roosevelt’s article on the arbitration treaties. Lodge is troubled by the thought that there are issues which the United States will never agree to arbitrate but that this fact is not present in the treaty. The public is not grasping this dichotomy and the portrayal of the treaty as a “peace” treaty sheds the Senate’s opposition in a poor light. The Outlook‘s claim that issues such as immigration or the Monroe Doctrine will never be submitted for arbitration misses the point. If the United States agrees to the current terms of the treaty, these issues can be arbitrated and the decision-making authority will be outside the “treaty-making authorities of the United States.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-09-09
Joseph A. Ford is enclosing a copy of a Continent editorial on the arbitration treaties for Theodore Roosevelt to look at. Ford believes that the final analysis will be of great interest to him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-08-30