California--San Francisco

James D. Phelan sends Theodore Roosevelt and his family best wishes for the new year.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-12

President Roosevelt writes to San Francisco Board of Education President Boyle and accepts the position of Honorary Vice President of the San Francisco Public Schools Athletic League. Roosevelt supports the League’s goals of providing athletics and physical development for young boys. He writes that athletics should come after the development of the mind, but are important to the overall development of character.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-10-13

President Roosevelt sends Lawrence F. Abbott several letters and telegrams about the Standard Oil Company case that are for his information only. He also answers Abbott’s questions about the Great White Fleet, emphasizing that the fleet must always stay together as a unit whether in Atlantic or Pacific waters.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-13

President Roosevelt thanks Senator Lodge for mentioning the Fort Riley incident and says he will get a full report of it. Roosevelt also shares Lodge’s opinion regarding the Vancouver incident and states that what occurred in Vancouver, Canada, was much worse than what occurred in San Francisco, California. Roosevelt believes it will force the British to take the same attitude as American regarding the Pacific.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-11

President Roosevelt thanks John D. Kernan for his letter and informs him although he may commit other errors, “there is no danger of my failing to persevere in the conflict we now have on hand.” Roosevelt thinks that one of the “serious incidental evils of the present regime” is that subservience of metropolitan papers to moneyed interests and to demagogues.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-11

President Roosevelt thanks John St. Loe Strachey for his letter and comments that both of them agree with the great questions between Great Britain and the United States. Roosevelt worries about the rise of socialism in Britain. He also discusses issues of immigration, particularly comparing the race riots in Vancouver, Canada, with those in San Francisco, California.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-09

President Roosevelt shares a quote from Mayor Edward Robeson Taylor of San Fransisco regarding the spread of the bubonic plague in that city, and tells Surgeon General Wyman to take the suggested action immediately.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-05

President Roosevelt instructs Acting Secretary of the Navy Newberry to ensure there is enough coal for the Great White Fleet’s trip, and says the Bureau of Equipment is “on trial in this matter.” He likes the idea of “having one first-class man. . .represent all the newspapers.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-17

Acting Secretary of the Navy Newberry’s letter helped President Roosevelt better understand the situation. Roosevelt believes the best itinerary for the Great White Fleet to follow is through the Straits of Magellan and returning through the Suez Canal, but he seeks advice from the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, Admiral Willard H. Brownson. Roosevelt also believes several reporters should accompany the fleet.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-10

President Roosevelt sends Secretary of State Root several enclosures regarding escalating tensions with Japan. Roosevelt says Senator Eugene Hale, who has opposed repairs to the American fleet, will not be allowed to dictate the movements of the fleet, and Roosevelt believes it is useless to communicate with him. In a postscript, Roosevelt proposes a suit against officials in San Francisco who refuse to grant business licenses to Japanese immigrants, and says that though he does not expect war with Japan, he does not believe the United States could hold Manila if war did break out. Roosevelt laments the “yellow press” in Japan is just as bad as in America.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-31

President Roosevelt is glad Melville Elijah Stone of the Associated Press is sending a man to Tokyo to gain information on the “real design” of Japanese statesmen and to prevent aggravation of existing tensions between the two countries. While the crimes against Japanese immigrants in San Francisco and sensationalist press coverage of these crimes are “outrageous,” Roosevelt says they do not give Japan the justification for hostile actions against the United States. Roosevelt asks if Stone is a friend of Senator Eugene Hale, and if so, requests that Stone explain to Hale that his actions to thwart funding for the Navy do not keep the peace, but threaten it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-26

Diplomatic opinion in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany is that the United States will lose a war with Japan if one breaks out. President Roosevelt believes that the only thing that can prevent a war is making the Japanese believe they will be beaten, which can only be done by making the Navy more efficient. Roosevelt is inclined to warn officials in San Francisco of the injury created by their discriminatory policies against Japanese immigrants.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-23

President Roosevelt tells President of the University of California Benjamin Ide Wheeler that he agrees with the sentiment of his recent letter. Roosevelt desires a peaceful understanding with Japan wherein both governments ban laborers from one another’s countries. Roosevelt notes the recent situation in San Francisco where Japanese children were barred from attending a public school based on their race will make a labor exclusion agreement with Japan difficult to obtain.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-20

Harrison Gray Otis recommended Stephen F. Kelly for the position of collector of internal revenue at San Fransisco, California. Kelly’s appointment is supported by both California senators.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-09-27

Charles C. Bull writes to Theodore Roosevelt about progress on the Panama Canal construction, which he says is going well. He states his opinion that though he opposes “white slaves traffic,” as by law women cannot be brought across country lines for “immoral” purposes, he says there is a problem in Panama where there are too many canal workers and too few prostitutes, and the prostitutes that are there have venereal diseases. Bull thinks there needs to be a way to bring (specifically white) prostitutes who have freely chosen the vocation to Panama and to have better health monitoring. He discusses San Francisco politics and greater U.S. politics, stating he will not support William H. Taft and he does not think the Republican Party will do well the next couple of terms, so he hopes the Democratic Party runs a presidential candidate he does not dislike too much so he does not have to vote Socialist. Lastly, he believes part of the Panama Canal construction area is not well fortified and is vulnerable to potential attack.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-14

Moses A. Gunst emphasizes his loyalty to Theodore Roosevelt. In Gunst’s opinion, William H. Taft will be nominated for U.S. President but will not win the election. Gunst summarizes recent San Francisco and wider California election results, and says he hopes to see Roosevelt in San Francisco soon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-10-13

T. Flaherty writes to Theodore Roosevelt following the mayoral election in San Francisco, California. The Union Labor Party had a “brief hour of local triumph,” but the election was won by the Republican candidate, James Rolph.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-28

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-11

Creator(s)

Hawley, James O. (James Overton), 1840-1914

Recipient

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Attorney General Bonaparte informs President Roosevelt about a variety of telegrams he has received pertaining to current issues, such as the trial in Idaho concerning Senator William Edgar Borah, the work of Special Assistant U.S. District Attorney Grace Humiston (Mrs. Quackenbos), and a revised constitution for the Territory of Oklahoma.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-10

Acting Secretary of the Navy Newberry submits a report to President Roosevelt about the coal situation. The Navy Department wants to approve what Admiral Wm. S. Cowles has written about this subject. Newberry concludes by listing three propositions the Navy Department could adopt if the transcontinental railroads offer a lower rate than the New England Coal and Coke Company has already proposed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-09-06