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Bela Tokaji writes to the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Times to refute claims that immigrants will be the downfall of America made by Alfred Paul Karl Eduard Schultz. Tokaji states the peaceful and industrious men and women who come to America have demonstrated their loyalty. The children of immigrants will continue to take care build America for centuries to come.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-10
Bela Tokaji writes to the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Times to refute claims made by Alfred Paul Karl Eduard Schultz that immigrants will be the downfall of America. Tokaji states the peaceful and industrious men and women who come to America have demonstrated their loyalty. Mary Emelia Clark Barnes is quoted from her speech at the international congress for the welfare of children saying immigrant children are the future of the nation. Since four in five children born in New York City are born to immigrant parents, Tokaji agrees with Barnes and cites immigrant’s enormous contribution to the industrial growth in America as proof.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-09
President Roosevelt explains his opinion to Lyman Abbott on several points on which they disagree. First, Roosevelt would interfere on behalf of the Armenians if they were willing to fight. Second, he is currently trying to form an agreement with Japan that would prohibit laborers from each country immigrating to the other. However, he feels that all the Japanese already in the country should be given “the franchise and school facilities,” and treated as well as possible. Third, he is “not well acquainted with the situation in Utah,” but thinks Mormons should be treated exactly as anyone else. He does understand the situation in Idaho, which was not about Mormonism. McLain W. Davis’s claims regarding polygamy among Mormons in Idaho were investigated and found baseless.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-03
Andrew Dickson White tells Vahan Cardashian that he is deeply sympathetic to the issue of Armenians mistreated by Turkey, but at his age of eighty he fears he cannot be too actively involved in Cardashian’s cause. However, he says Cardashian has permission to list White’s name as a member of his committee, if he thinks it will be useful.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-10-14
Vahan Cardashian writes to Andrew D. White expressing his concerns about the persecution Armenians are facing under the Turkish government and his fears the violence will escalate. He hopes White will be one of several other prominent men to form a committee that will weild their power to advocate for Armenian rights.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-10-12
Lyman Abbott is not sure what the United States government can do in the cases of the Armenians or the Congo Free State, but believes there is “a real power” in international public opinion. Abbott believes that giving the Japanese suffrage now would put the control of Hawaii in their hands and doubts the wisdom of it for the same reason he doubts the wisdom of giving political control of the Philippines to the Filipinos. Abbott also gives his opinion that Reed Smoot’s religious beliefs as a Mormon should not exclude him from the Senate, unless his allegiance to the Church is “above” his allegiance to the Constitution.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-08
President Roosevelt chides Governor Guild for being involved with a petition that recently came to Roosevelt’s desk on behalf of Africans in the Congo Free State. Roosevelt receives hundreds of such petitions on a variety of topics based on whatever the current social cause is. If he had absolute power, and the United States were “prepared to embark on a long career of disinterested violence on behalf of all sufferers outside its limits,” then Roosevelt would gladly intervene, but as it stands he does not have any authority to intervene in any of the cases presented to him. Moreover, as the United States would not actually go to war in any of the cases, Roosevelt feels that the government should not “put itself into the ridiculous position of making a fuss which it does not intend to back up.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-02
Theodore Roosevelt writes to James Bronson Reynolds that he cannot speak solely on the atrocities in Armenia, but feels the need to also speak about the Belgians, Edith Cavell, and the horrors in Mexico. Cavell was a British nurse who helped hundreds of Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium in 1915. Roosevelt finds it hypocritical for ultra-pacifists to not be concerned with these other outrages. Roosevelt invites Reynolds and his wife Irene H. Reynolds to lunch.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-11-17
Theodore Roosevelt wishes that he could take effective action on behalf of the Armenians. He also wishes that he had stood up for the rights of the Belgians. If the opportunity comes for him to do anything, he will gladly do so.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-10-20
President Roosevelt writes to Oscar S. Straus about the international situation, and while Russia has promised to take steps to prevent trouble being done to its Jewish population, Roosevelt also comments on the impossibility of interfering in other countries, such as the Congo Free State or Turkey. Issuing petitions can sometimes be harmful unless the United States is able to back up the petitions with military force, which it is unlikely to do. Roosevelt knows he does not have to convince Straus of this, but some of Straus’s friends “need to have these considerations ever clearly before their eyes.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-04-10
President Roosevelt thinks Oscar S. Straus’s suggestions regarding the “Armenian matter” are admirable. Roosevelt will call a second conference at The Hague and all questions and requests regarding Armenia will be brought before that conference.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-28
President Roosevelt is unaware of the Armenian matter of which Julia Ward Howe speaks. Roosevelt has heard of recent Bulgarian atrocities and of the seizure of Armenian church property in Russia, but nothing else regarding the treatment of the Armenians. Roosevelt asks Howe for more information.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-07-13
Business card of Arshak Chʻopanyan (also spelled Archag Tchobanian). Chʻopanyan is the director of Anahit, a monthly literary and artistic review in Armenia, and a handwritten note indicates that he is interested in conditions in Armenia.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-08-18
Krhimean Hayrik, Catholicos of Armenia, asks President Roosevelt to intervene in some way on behalf of the Armenians in Turkey, who are being oppressed. While the plight of the Armenians was acknowledged by the world following the 1878 Congress of Berlin, the past twenty-five years have seen their situation become worse instead of better. If the United States were to issue a protest against the massacre and mistreatment of Armenians, it would have a strong effect in helping improve their condition.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904
Carl Schurz writes to President Roosevelt to clarify points he made in an earlier letter, specifically those related to disarmament and trouble in Armenia.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-14
Oscar S. Straus writes to President Roosevelt to discuss his opinion of Count Sergei Vitte, the Hague Conference, and naturalization issues between Hungary and Armenia.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-12
Oscar S. Straus writes in preparation for President Roosevelt’s upcoming visit with the Armenian Church officials. He informs Roosevelt that he has asked the Armenians not to make specific requests, particularly relating to the Second Hague Conference, and that it is rather a visit to pay respects.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-27
James Bronson Reynolds encloses an English translation of the letter the Armenian archbishops would like to present to President Roosevelt. He inquires of William Loeb regarding the time of a visit with the President.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-26
Acting Secretary of State Adee encloses a letter to President Roosevelt from Arshak Ch’opanyan about the conditions in Armenia.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-09-10
John Bull sits on a rock facing a dilemma. Across a narrow body of water is a man holding a sword labeled “Kurd Atrocities” and a handgun, about to strike a kneeling woman labeled “Armenia.” John Bull has a bag hanging from his shoulder labeled “Turkish Revenues” containing “Turkish Bonds” and “Turkish Loans,” and in his pocket is a paper labeled “Suez Canal Stock.” At his feet is a cashbox labeled “£.s.d. He is worried that if he interferes with Turkish affairs, it might jeopardize their financial relations. Caption: “It’s ‘ard to ‘ave to disturb ‘im – ‘e’s such a good customer!”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1895-01-16