Your TR Source
President Roosevelt recommends Assistant Secretary of State Robert Bacon for membership in the Boone and Crockett Club, as he is an excellent hunter and could assist with an exhibition in Austria.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-10-02
President Roosevelt would be pleased for Count Fries to publish a translation of a chapter from Roosevelt’s book, Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter, in a game club’s journal. Roosevelt has a great admiration for big game hunters of the Dual Empire.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-07-20
Ambassador Francis has read Mr. Conant’s letter to President Roosevelt and asks William Loeb to send to the Department of State for a number of his dispatches to be given to Roosevelt to read. The remainder of the letter examines the Austrian Phoenix Company’s San Francisco losses and the issues claimants are having dealing with the defaulting company. Francis explains he put pressure on the Imperial Minister of Foreign Affairs “to the end that the Austrian Government should, unofficially, force” the company to pay its policy holders in California.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-01-18
Archduchess Valerie notifies President Roosevelt that Countess Josephine Hedwig Schaffgotsch is traveling to the United States from Austria, and would be thankful if Roosevelt could introduce her to some influential members of American society.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-29
Ambassador Francis reports to President Roosevelt on a recent visit he made to Budapest, and notes that he made a similar report, through William Loeb, following an earlier visit. He plans to go again in April or May, unless something should require his attention there earlier. He will also visit northern Hungary and perhaps Galicia in May or June.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-11
Ambassador Meyer writes President Roosevelt about the Russo-Japanese War. Meyer describes Stanley Washburn’s report of dwindling American sympathies with the Japanese. Washburn does not believe the Japanese army will ever beat the Russian army in Manchuria. Meyer mentions his interactions with Camille Barrère, the French Ambassador, and his indication that French and German banks are beginning to side with Russia. Meyer also relates an interaction he had with the Japanese minister, in which the minister stated he was interested in Roosevelt’s thoughts on Manchuria and Japan’s control of Port Arthur.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-20
American diplomat Henry White updates President Roosevelt on efforts to have British diplomat Cecil Spring Rice visit Roosevelt to discuss policy on the “far east.” Spring Rice, who had recently met with King Edward VII, will visit Roosevelt but stay with historian Henry Adams instead of at the White House. White also discusses meeting with Rear Admiral French Ensor Chadwick, who hopes to receive command of a new squadron. White also notes anti-Semitic attitudes in Austria and Italy towards Jewish diplomats.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-13
Maria Storer wrote to President Roosevelt to recommend the appointment of Mr. Joseph Grew as a candidate for third secretary at the embassy in Vienna.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-25
Charles S. Francis asks to be appointed to Austria-Hungary. Francis wishes to emulate his father John M. Francis’s diplomatic career.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-05
Views of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria-Hungary, and an entourage of military officers and civilians walking down a wide avenue; the street is lined with people greeting the Emperor. Interior title notes location as Vienna, Austria, and notes that Theodore Roosevelt was entertained by the Emperor at the palace. Roosevelt visited the Emperor in April 1910; there are no views of Roosevelt on the film.
Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound
1910
The Russian Bear eyes a house of cards. Each card is labeled a different country, “England, France, Germany, Japan, U.S., Austria, China, Italy, [and] Turkey”, and the king on each card bears some facial characteristics of the ruler of the country, including Uncle Sam. A dove of “Peace” has landed on top of the cards. The bear’s right paw and claws are touching the “Japan” card.
In this cartoon, remarkable for its cleverness and caricatural details, Joseph Keppler illustrates the threats to peace in daily news, and the larger situation in international relations. The “house of cards” is dispositive in two ways: the cartoonist has pictured the major nations of the world, and their leaders, when challenges to the world order arose; and the meaning of the phrase — a precarious situation — is perfectly portrayed.
The propriety of picturing the Russian bear at the center of this scenario is proper. There were strong and stable empires among the “cards,” but some, including Austria, China, Turkey and Russia itself were unstable, barely solvent, and beset by internal divisions.
The British Lion, the Russian Bear, a cat labeled Austria, and three dogs labeled “France, Italy, [and] Germany” gather around a table for Thanksgiving dinner. The British Lion is holding a large knife labeled “Dismemberment of Turkey,” but the platter is empty. Looking in from the left is a turkey wearing a fez labeled “Turkey.” Caption: Turkey — Ha! Ha! How disappointed they look! Now I have lots to be thankful for.
In cartoonist Pughe’s drawing the only thing that the symbol of Turkey, the turkey in the doorway, can really be happy about is the frustration on the faces of those neighboring powers who were prepared to gobble it up. The once-mighty Ottoman Empire, reduced to the country of Turkey but slowly chipped away, province by province, people by people, tribe by tribe, for more than a century.
In 1813 the Serbs begun their revolts, ultimately a successful secession. In 1821, Greece declared independence, formalized in 1832. In 1830 Algeria had been ceded to France; in 1831 a war for independence commenced with Egypt. In 1853 the Crimean war began, formally against Russia but, famously, with British participation (“Charge of the Light Brigade”). In rapid succession, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia, and Cyprus slip from control of the Ottoman Empire, scarcely an empire any more. In the days before the Great War, Turkey declared itself a nation (although not an independent Republic until 1923 under Ataturk), and quickly, as “the Sick man of Europe,” lost Libya in Africa, and Albania; and all of its lands in continental Europe except for the city of Constantinople, now Istanbul.
President Roosevelt appreciates Emperor of Austria, Franz Joseph’s sympathy regarding his recent carriage accident.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1902-09-05
Theodore Roosevelt agrees with Serbian Minister Michailovitch’s opinion regarding the importance of July 28, 1914, and argues that beyond simply being the day Germany and its ally Austria-Hungary began the great war, July 28 further raised the question of how the world should deal with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Roosevelt feels there can be no peace unless the Austro-Hungarian Empire is broken up and its constituent nationalities are given their own states, and mentions also that the Ottoman empire should be similarly divided. The United States should do what it can to assist in this effort by encouraging the revolt of subject peoples and pledging to protect them. Future peace depends on Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey being soundly defeated, and Roosevelt believes Europe should be remade “on the basis of the principle of nationalities.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1918-07-11
Theodore Roosevelt agrees with Dr. Rumely that the treaties bind the United States “hand and foot” to Great Britain, France, Italy, and Russia. Roosevelt says the treaties also bind the United States with Germany and Austria in spirit and believes they should be denounced.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1916-01-15
Theodore Roosevelt is puzzled by Ladislaus Hengelmuller von Hengervar’s letter. He has been careful not to make any statement hostile towards Austria and cannot understand Hengelmuller’s attitude towards the sinking of the Lusitania. Roosevelt admires German efficiency but finds them ruthless and indifferent to the rights of other people.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-06-23
Theodore Roosevelt thanks Archduke Salvator for his note and will be sending this note and a volume he wrote on South America to him via Ambassador Frederic Courtland Penfield. Roosevelt expresses his regrets on the start of World War I.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-05-29
Theodore Roosevelt was able to secure wide publication of Ladislaus Hengelmuller von Hengervar’s letter. Roosevelt does not believe there is “substantial feeling against Austria-Hungary in America,” but the public is wary of Germany due to the invasion and occupation of Belgium. He does not see the slightest analogy between his actions in Panama and Colombia while president with the German action towards Belgium. Roosevelt had hoped that Austria-Hungary could develop into a “gigantic Switzerland of South-eastern Europe” with equality for the country’s many ethnic groups. Since the nation became prominent in public life, Great Britain has always been friendly towards the United States. This contrasts sharply with Roosevelt’s feeling that, given the opportunity, Germany would force the United States to accept “utter humiliation or war.” He admires Germany and Germans and has always sought friendship between Germany and the United States. However, Roosevelt sees no justification for German conduct in Belgium and he will always judge foreign nations by their conduct.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1915-03-24
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 thanks Edmund von Mach for his book, which he found to be excellent. Roosevelt agrees about the suffering of the soldiers but does not believe this should divert attention from wrongs done to Belgium. Roosevelt understands that all warring nations believe their cause is just, but he sees no defense for what Germany has done in Belgium. He is a great admirer of Germany and would consider the destruction of the German Empire a great calamity, but he does not believe any good can come from one European nation “smashing” another.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1914-11-07