Arms control

Various scenes of Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany, in different locations: clear view of the Kaiser walking towards camera, with German officers on his left, and a postal delivery service building in immediate background; view of Wilhelm and an unidentified man entering a carriage, the Kaiser with a group of men on horseback, the Kaiser greeting a line of dignitaries, and a final long shot of Wilhelm posing for the camera with a large group.

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1910-1920

A female figure labeled “Peace” stands in a barber shop, holding a large pair of shears labeled “Disarmament.” Sitting in the shop are the heads of state from “Spain, U.S. [Uncle Sam], Austria, Japan, Italy, France, England, Germany, [and] Russia,” each with bayonets and artillery as hair. A sign on the wall states “No hair tonic used here.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Disarmament. Yes, the word existed in pre-nuclear times. Theodore Roosevelt, as president and before, sought to increase America’s arms, and especially its naval defenses, yet knew that the world was in jeopardy of hurtling toward a major war, probably on the European continent. His diplomatic interventions in the Russo-Japanese War and in Venezuela, but especially in the German-French tension that led to his Algeciras Conference were in the belief that a European land war could be delayed or averted.

Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks as Don Quixote stands with shield and lance next to a well on which stands a suit of armor labeled “Indiana Organization.” To the right of Fairbanks, in the background, is a hobby horse. The full moon above shows the face of President Theodore Roosevelt. Caption: The flower of Indiana knighthood keeping watch over his boiler-plate.

comments and context

Comments and Context

To history, Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks is a largely forgotten figure, both as senator from Indiana and as Theodore Roosevelt’s vice president, 1905-1909.

President Roosevelt sends Ambassador White a letter detailing some of his thoughts on reductions of armaments with the caveat that while White may use the letter when speaking with officials, he must realize that what Roosevelt writes is “tentative and suggestive,” and neither binding Roosevelt nor the United States to any official position. While Roosevelt agrees with British Secretary of War R. B. Haldane that it would be good to put limits on the growth of militaries, he does not think the United States can reduce its army or navy because of their already small size. He clarifies his relations with German Emperor William II, explaining that contrary to Haldane’s assumption his influence over him is very limited, and he does not know if he would be able to convince him of anything. Roosevelt is additionally hesitant about a policy of disarmament coming soon, and believes that while it may be possible to someday reduce armies and navies, he thinks that at present it would be “a great misfortune for the free peoples to disarm and leave the various military despotisms and military barbarians armed.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-14

The fifteenth Universal Peace Conference will be meeting in Milan from September 15, 1906 to September 22. There is a great deal of hope for the promise of peace in the wake of the Russo-Japanese War and the the Algeciras Conference, as well as the Third Pan-American Conference. Nations are no longer as belligerent towards each other as they once were, leading to an increase in trade, which in turn shows the necessity for international cooperation. Many nations recognize the need for peace, led by the recent British proposal for an international reduction of armaments.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07

The rulers of European and Asian countries are gathered around a table for peace negotiations during the conflict on the Balkan Peninsula. Winston Churchill proposes multilateral disarmament, which is met with anger, dismay, and humor among the rulers.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1913-11-12

The Inter-Parliamentary Conference occurred recently, with delegates attending from across the world. Of particular note was British Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman’s speech welcoming the delegates and setting out some of his hopes for the unofficial gathering of nations, including that diplomacy and arbitration can help contribute to a lessening of the need for military conflict.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-07-27