Belgium

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-06-01

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

Farrand, Max, 1869-1945

Language

English

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-10-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

Kingsley, Charles L.

Language

English

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-08-14

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Recipient

Blair, William M.

Language

English

President Roosevelt tells Horace G. Knowles that the positions in Mexico and Belgium have been acceptably filled, and that Senator J. Frank Allee should already know this fact. Roosevelt is working on securing a European post for Knowles, and will probably be able to offer a post in Romania soon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

British Foreign Secretary Grey updates President Roosevelt about James Bryce’s plans regarding his upcoming trip to Canada and the ongoing conversations about the best position to take at the International Peace Conference. Grey hopes the diplomatic debacle following Jamaican Governor James Alexander Swettenham’s refusal of American help after the Kingston Earthquake is blowing over, as well as the conflict between the Japanese Government and America regarding California. Grey thinks that King Léopold II of Belgium should relinquish control of the Congo, which he believes should pass to the Belgian Government.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-12

Creator(s)

Grey of Fallodon, Edward Grey, Viscount, 1862-1933

Thomas St. John Gaffney writes to President Roosevelt about several enclosed documents that he wrote: campaign articles and a pamphlet about the Irish that John Gardner Coolidge thought was particularly helpful during the campaign. Gaffney also requests consideration for a consular appointment to a European country. Since he is a Catholic who has contacts in the Vatican, Gaffney mentions Belgium, Portugal, or any Catholic European court.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-19

Creator(s)

Gaffney, T. St. John (Thomas St. John), 1864-1945

Arnold White writes about the international situation in Europe, addressing first Russia’s desire for a warm water port, and then his impression of Germany’s goals with regards to Europe. Germany, White says, is the only nation with something to gain from a European war, and that the push for war is coming from the Jewish influence in Germany. With President Roosevelt’s election and friendship towards Germany, the United States has been removed as a potential deterrent toward German aggression. White ends with a prediction that if war happens, it will come through German aggression towards the Netherlands moving towards a collision with Great Britain, and he admonishes his reader that Germany must be watched.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-04

Creator(s)

White, Arnold, 1848-1925

Theodore Roosevelt has received Kermit Roosevelt’s letter about visiting Sao Paolo, Brazil, and everyone was interested in reading about Kermit and Belle Roosevelt setting up their new home. The book about the Roosevelt-Rondon Scientific Expedition has been sent to all members of the expedition through the Brazilian ambassador. Roosevelt describes the “delightful Xmas” at Sagamore Hill with all of his children, except Kermit, and three grandchildren. He reflects on the war and views Germany as “clearly ahead” and Austria growing stronger. Roosevelt admires German efficiency, which is greater than the efficiency of the Allies, and the Allies are infinitely more efficient than the United States. President Wilson and Secretary Bryan are the “worst creatures” to lead the nation in foreign affairs. Roosevelt believes the United States should have countered the “unscrupulous” behavior of Germany and intervened on behalf of Belgium. He has signed a three year contract with Metropolitan Magazine to publish his social and political views.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1914-12-28

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

A bull dog labeled “England,” a whippet (or greyhound) labeled “Italy,” and a dachshund labeled “Germany” gather around a dish labeled “Preferred Claims” full of food labeled “Venezuela.” Sitting above them on a fence are four cats labeled “Belgium, Spain, France, [and] Holland” with the fur on their backs raised. Both cats and dogs are seeking payment from Venezuela for its international debts.

comments and context

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1903-02-18

President Roosevelt provides Secretary of State Hay with a list of appointments in the diplomatic and consular service after March 4, 1905. Roosevelt includes a handwritten note, “All this is tentative.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt thanks King Leopold II of Belgium for his congratulations regarding Roosevelt’s escape from a carriage accident.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-09-06

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt was “sick at heart” by the end of the campaign. He never had any doubt of opposing Woodrow Wilson. Cornelia Pinchot has not written Roosevelt anything about his article. William H. Taft has been elected the spokesman for the League of Enforcement.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1917-01-09

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt is finding it difficult to be courteous to his Outlook colleagues due to their “unutterably silly” views on the arbitration treaties. They want to agree to arbitrate everything because it is unlikely that the issues that the United States would refuse to arbitrate will ever be submitted for arbitration. Roosevelt compares the issue to the tense situation in Europe that he believes will only be peacefully resolved if Germany concludes that France is willing to fight and Great Britain is ready to provide support. He knows that the German war plans involve flank marches through Belgium and Switzerland even though Germany has treaties with these nations guaranteeing their territories.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-12

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt will be happy to accept F. R. Wingate’s offer of a boat and guide to take him up the Nile River to Khartoum. He clarifies that he would like permission to shoot in officers’ game reserves only if there are animals there that he cannot get anywhere else. He is particularly interested in shooting elephants and a white rhinoceros, and discusses the timing of trips that may allow him to get them. Roosevelt is also excited to visit the Congo to see Wingate’s administrative accomplishments there.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-09-14

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt is determined to shoot a white rhinoceros on his African safari, and would like Ambassador Reid to speak with Lord Crewe about his obtaining permission to hunt in the same places in Uganda as Winston Churchill did. He would like Reid to inquire if the British Museum would like a white rhinoceros specimen if he is lucky enough to shoot three; the first two are promised to the Smithsonian Institution. He discusses a number of international events including the situation in India, and the ongoing controversy between the United States and England that arose during the summer Olympics.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt defends the shipping of munitions to the allies as this is allowed by the Hague Conventions. This provision was demanded by Germany on behalf of the Krupp family. Roosevelt also defends Belgian neutrality and compares Belgium’s situation to the neutrality of Albert Kuhn’s native Switzerland. Kuhn’s duty is to be “American and nothing else.” He should be opposing Germany due to Germany’s warfare against the American people.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-01-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt regrets losing his German friends because of his opinion on the war and feels that his views, compared to Hugo Münsterberg’s, are “as far apart as the poles.” Roosevelt is an American and nothing else. He opposes “hyphenated Americanism.” He believes English should be the language of the United States but Americans must also remain distinct from the people of Europe. Citizens should be treated equally but also held to a high standard of citizenship. Roosevelt judges each nation by their conduct and that is why he is opposing Germany and Austria-Hungary. He admires German ideals but their conduct during the war has been deplorable. Roosevelt’s main concern is that the United States is prepared to do its duty and maintain the nation’s honor.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-01-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt defends his statements in favor of foreign policy action against criticism from an Outlook correspondent.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-12-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Theodore Roosevelt strongly disagrees with Admiral Chadwick’s opinion that the United States should be supporting Germany because of wrongs done to the country by the English and Dutch centuries ago. It is a “foolish doctrine” to do wrong in the present because of centuries-old events. Roosevelt defends his policies towards Morocco during his presidency. He states that any comparison between the Moroccan situation and Belgium is “unspeakably silly” as Belgium was able to keep internal order and did not antagonize Germany.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-12-31

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

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.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1915-11-17

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919