Asquith, H. H. (Herbert Henry), 1852-1928 |

The German Emperor and the British Admiralty

It has been confirmed that Edward Marjoribanks, First Lord of the Admiralty, communicated with German Emperor William II in private letters about a variety of topics, including British and German naval policy. It does not seem that the present Navy Estimates were affected by the letter, and it may even be possible that the letters did not directly reference the estimates, but it is unacceptable for the First Lord of the Admiralty to communicate with foreign leaders on questions of British Naval Policy. Full publication of the letters is a matter of urgent national importance.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-07

Newspaper article on letter from William II, German Emperor to Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth

The Standard has learned that before responding to the letter from German Emperor William II, Lord Tweedmouth conferred with Foreign Secretary Edward Grey to see how it should be treated. Grey felt that it should be treated and responded to as a personal letter, and regardless of subsequent events, The Standard praises Tweedmouth’s actions in this respect. While there are benefits to not publishing this letter, as it was treated as a personal letter, The Standard feels that overall it would be more beneficial to publish the exchange. By not publishing the letter, and letting news about it come out through rumors and conjecture, the issue is more muddled than it otherwise would be.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Kaiser’s letter

Both houses of Parliament have rebuked The Times for inciting a furor over the recent exchange of letters between Baron Tweedmouth and German Emperor William II. Opposing political parties united in their disapproval of the way that the newspaper treated the incident, and prominent politicians have expressed their satisfaction with how Tweedmouth handled the situation. Former Prime Minister Archibald Philip Primrose, Earl of Rosebery, stated that the treatment of the issue in the press has made Great Britain the laughingstock of Europe, and more broadly denounced anti-German sentiment and yellow journalism.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Newspaper article on letter from William II, German Emperor to Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth

The Daily Telegraph feels that the sooner the recent business regarding the letter from German Emperor William II to Baron Tweedmouth is forgotten, the better. The letter has been stated to have been personal and private, and will therefore not be published, despite requests for the contrary from some parties. Nevertheless, there is a general feeling that such communication from foreign sovereigns should not be a normal occurrence, as people in positions of power are not able to separate their private lives from their political ones, much as they may wish to do so.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Opinion in the lobby

Most members of the House of Commons seem to want to consider the recent matter of an exchange of letter between Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, and German Emperor William II as finished. No one was quite satisfied with the outcome, but the general feeling was that the issue had been blown out of proportion and that it would be better to accept the assurances of acting Prime Minister H. H. Asquith and Baron Tweedmouth.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

In the House of Commons

Members of the British House of Commons asked H. H. Asquith, Acting Prime Minister, several questions about the letters exchanged between Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, and German Emperor William II.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

The German Emperor and Lord Tweedmouth

The explanation from Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, regarding the letters sent between him and German Emperor William II have not contradicted any of the statements by The Times or added to the explanation Acting Prime Minister H. H. Asquith gave to Parliament. Given the tone of the comments by several politicians, The Times comes to the conclusion that many people think that these sorts of letters should remain entirely private, and that any mention of international relations and naval policy should be done through official channels and not personal letters. While the letters have been treated as personal communication by many people, there is no doubt that William II wanted to influence thinking about British naval policy with them. The Times calls for the publication of the letters, as proof that they did not discuss policy would quiet public anxiety about the matter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

The Kaiser and our navy

The Times has published an account alleging that German Emperor William II has attempted to influence British naval policy by writing a letter to Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, and strongly criticized him for this. Acting Prime Minister H. H. Asquith responded to the charge in the House of Commons acknowledging the letter, but stating that it was purely a personal and private communication, and that it did not seek to influence British naval policy. The Daily Mail provides some additional context for the letter, and how it came to be known to the public.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-07

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Arthur Leland

Theodore Roosevelt believes that Colonel Leland can do the most good at his current munitions position under Prime Minister David Lloyd George. Roosevelt admires Lloyd George’s work and the recent differences between the United States and Great Britain are that the British have Lloyd George and the United States has no one. He has been surprised at the resilience of the Central Powers and feels that Germany is currently “on the whole victorious.” Roosevelt is pleased that Leland supports conscription and Roosevelt has been working in support of obligatory American military training and service. He believes the British were too harsh on the leaders of the Irish Easter Rising and should not have used capital punishment. Roosevelt is disgusted at the policies of the Wilson administration and has been waging a lonely war in favor of military readiness and against hyphenated Americanism. He does not expect to be a presidential nominee and believes the Republicans will nominate Justice Hughes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-06-07