British newspapers | - Theodore Roosevelt Center

French Comments

Several French newspapers have commented on recent actions by the British Parliament relating to the letters between German Emperor William II and Lord Tweedmouth. While English political parties have their differences, they are united in their desire to remain free from foreign influence, which is what it seems that Emperor William II was attempting to do. Nonetheless, Parliament seems to have handled the situation tactfully, and the French press should consider the matter closed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Creator(s)

The Times

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

Creator(s)

The Standard

The end of it.

The Daily News proclaims that the incident of German Emperor William II’s letter to Baron Tweedmouth can be considered as closed, as Tweedmouth has addressed the House of Lords and presented the facts of the case. After receiving the letter from William II, Tweedmouth conferred with Edward Grey, who agreed that the letter should be treated as a private letter, and not an official one. After learning of the letter, however, The Times blew the issue out of proportion and drove public outcry, and the Daily News speculates on what would have driven this sort of irresponsible journalism.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Creator(s)

Daily News

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

Creator(s)

Daily News

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

Creator(s)

Unknown

Emperor’s attitude

German Emperor William II feels that the British press has treated his letter to Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, very unjustly. He resents the implication that he would try to influence British naval policy, but feels that relations between Germany and Great Britain are undisturbed by the recent furor over the letters.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Creator(s)

Unknown

Kaiser’s letter

Edward Marjoribanks, Baron Tweedmouth, Henry Charles Keith Petty-FitzMaurice, Marquess of Lansdowne, and Archibald Philip Primose, Earl of Rosebery recently gave speeches on the letters exchanged between Tweedmouth and German Emperor William II. Lansdowne feels that Tweedmouth has broadly handled the events well, although there are broader questions about whether these extra-official communications are proper. Rosebery worries about Great Britain becoming a laughingstock in the international community due to the handling of the subject by the press.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-03-10

Creator(s)

Unknown

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

Creator(s)

The Times

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

Creator(s)

Daily Mail

The United States and Japan

An article in the London Times reports on the response from various British newspapers to allegations made by Secretary of War William H. Taft that the press was responsible for fomenting hostility between the United States and Japan. Several newspapers instead place the blame on the movement of the Great White Fleet through the Pacific Ocean, described as a “rash naval adventure,” which could be interpreted as a sign of aggression. The clipping had been sent to President Roosevelt specifically so he could read how the Times reported on American and Japanese relations, but the page also includes a report on Secretary of State Elihu Root’s visit to Mexico, Canadian wheat yields, a rise in anti-Asian sentiment within the United States, and a reprint of a speech given by Roosevelt on improving water transportation along the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10

Creator(s)

Unknown

Letter from John St. Loe Strachey to Theodore Roosevelt

John St. Loe Strachey is in favor of amnesty and does not think the government will be harsh in the matter, although he is not in favor of giving back the vote. Strachey also approves of President Roosevelt’s firm stance on Cuba, as it shows that he is not bound to his party simply because he is part of it. Some Americans have told Strachey that because he, a British editor, praises Roosevelt so highly, Roosevelt must be pro-British and a bad American. Strachey offers to start being more critical of Roosevelt in his paper. Finally, Strachey tells Roosevelt about a visit from Corinne and Douglas Robinson, and says that he and his wife hope to visit the United States soon and would like to visit Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-07-05

Creator(s)

Strachey, John St. Loe, 1860-1927

Letter from Mrs. C. Campbell to Theodore Roosevelt

Mrs. C. Campbell encloses an article from Pearson’s Weekly, a London publication, that may interest President Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-12-09

Creator(s)

Campbell, C., Mrs.

Shipbuilding for the Navy

In a letter to the editor, T. A. Brassey argues that the British Navy should not focus on producing Dreadnaught-class battleships. He cites the recent sinking of large ships, especially during the Russo-Japanese war, to show that even heavily-armored ships are vulnerable to submarine mines and torpedoes. Furthermore, the costly large battleships are vulnerable to accidents at sea, and the more expensive guns on a ship the greater the financial loss when it sinks. Finally, Brassey argues that having more, smaller ships will allow for the great training and promotion of young captains.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-28

Creator(s)

Brassey, T. A. (Thomas Allnutt), Earl, 1863-1919