Castro, Cipriano, 1856?-1924

President Roosevelt agrees with Secretary of War Taft and has removed the reference to receivership from his speech. The “Philippine question” is the only point on which he remains uneasy. He details his thoughts and concerns about the United States’ continued relationship with the islands, including their strategic importance in the event of a conflict with Japan and the issue of granting autonomy.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-08-21

Ambassador to Italy Henry White tells President Theodore Roosevelt that he will extend hospitality to Frances M. Wolcott at the request of the President and First Lady. White also discusses Roosevelt’s recent meeting with British diplomat Cecil Spring Rice and Roosevelt’s policy towards Latin America, especially the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. White is confident Roosevelt’s actions (part of the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine) will lead to America’s “supremacy in our own hemisphere.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-24

In the first vignette, a man calls to President Roosevelt, who is about to play tennis. Caption: “O, Mr. President, you’re wanted on the long distance ‘phone. Emperor William wants to discuss that Morocco matter with you.” In the second vignette, a woman calls to Roosevelt, who is about to get on a horse. Caption: “O, Mr. President, they want you on the ‘phone. President Castro wants to talk over that Venezuela matter with you.” In the third, Roosevelt is about to get on a boat. Caption: “O, Mr. President, you’re wanted on the ‘phone. The czar wants to ask you something about the peace conference.” In the fourth, Roosevelt stands in a canoe. Caption: “O, Mr. President, can you come in immediately? The mikado wants to talk with you.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-18

President Roosevelt, wearing buckskin and a raccoon hat, sits by a campfire at night, holding a knife, his rifle by his side. In the shadows beyond the light of the fire are a snake labeled “Mormonism,” a bull labeled “Beef Trust,” a strange bird labeled “Merger Bird,” a large fuel tank labeled “Oil Trust” with a snake-like appendage extending from the front with the head of John D. Rockefeller, and a bat labeled “Castro.” A tent is behind Roosevelt, on the right.

comments and context

Comments and Context

As most good political and editorial cartoons do, the drawings in Puck refer to contemporary issues and current events. They are remarkably fruitful for researchers of later times, but sometimes are so local and so timely as to occasionally deal in obscure controversies and forgotten figures.

In a rowdy classroom at the “Pan-American School,” Uncle Sam is the teacher admonishing Cipriano Castro, President of Venezuela, who holds a slingshot, planning a prank. Four other adults are present, “Holland, France, England, [and] Germany.” Three native children are sitting at desks. One is shooting a spitball that hits “Holland” in the face. Caption: In the Pan-American school.

comments and context

Comments and Context

This cartoon by J. S. Pughe in a Puck centerspread might cause present-day readers to wonder whether Uncle Sam has always had difficulties with Latin American leaders named Castro, or with the country of Venezuela. Leaders were different in 1905, but challenges were similar.

Cipriano Castro, President of Venezuela, hides behind a large rock, hoping that the large claw-type animal trap labeled “Monroe Doctrine” he set will prove effective in preventing the British Lion, a cat labeled “Italy” with the face of Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy, and a boar labeled “Germany” with the face of William II, Emperor of Germany, from coming ashore to demand payment of international debts.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The immediate context of this cartoon is the blockade of Venezuelan ports announced by the principal creditor nations England, Germany, and Italy. President Cipriano Castro arrogantly ignored debts owed by the Caracas government and Venezuelan banks and companies; in February 1902 those powers declared a blockade as a first step to extract debt payments. An international arbitration court at the Hague was suggested by President Roosevelt as a venue to find a solution, but it decreed that as principal creditors, those three powers had a preferential claim. However other nations, including the United States, were also owed money. As the cartoon shows, the European states might have hesitated because of the Monroe Doctrine, but Roosevelt made that a moot point one year after this cartoon by establishing the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine: that in instances like this, the United States would act both as protector against foreign presence in the Western Hemisphere, and a manager to mediate, collect debts, etc., in disputes.

President Roosevelt thanks French Ambassador Jusserand for the books he sent. Roosevelt tells Jusserand he is glad to have the distraction of his upcoming African Safari. Roosevelt shares his thoughts about leaving office, and the duty of a president to make the office as strong as possible, while at the same time not grasping for permanent power. Roosevelt discusses the problems with Turkey and Venezuela, adding that he wishes France could solve everything.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-03

President Roosevelt received Caspar Whitney’s letter about Cipriano Castro and the Venezuela situation and jokingly laments that he does not have the power to authorize kidnappings.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-04-16

President Roosevelt tells Secretary of State Root that General Yboni told James F. J. Archibald, the correspondent in Venezuela, that the Venezuelans could not deal with the United States while the ultimatum was in force. Archibald reports about the arms in various locations and says that it would be a serious event to attack them. Roosevelt asks when William J. Calhoun’s report will be made.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-11

President Roosevelt wants to send a reliable man whom he can trust to Venezuela as minister for several months in order to get a clear picture of the situation there, and asks William J. Calhoun if he would be willing to accept the position.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-24

Elihu Root has written to President Roosevelt about appointing a member to the commission that is working out a solution to the Venezuela debt crisis. Secretary of State John Hay has reservations about the proposed arrangement. Roosevelt would like Root, Hay, and himself to discuss Charles H. Tweed’s proposition.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-07

President Roosevelt has received unexpected support in his campaign and wonders if Secretary of State Hay has anything to do with it. Venezuelan President Cipriano Castro appears to be riding for a fall, and if he misbehaves Roosevelt believes the customs house should be put in the hands of the Belgians.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-30

In response to a statement by Venezuelan president Cipriano Castro, Caspar Whitney offers to go to Caracas and “kidnap that son-of-a-gun.” He also tells President Roosevelt that he almost went to an event held for William Jennings Bryan by New York State Senator Patrick Henry McCarren, and comments that the convention is only two months away.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-04-15

William Lawrence Penfield asks if President Roosevelt would prefer the facilities needed for William J. Calhoun’s investigation to come through the regular legation in Caracas. Penfield indicates he would like to take his vacation after he meets with Calhoun and Elihu Root.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-13

Rudolph Forster informs William Loeb that the Venezuelan President objects to Germany giving an account and revision of a contract to the United States that the Venezuelan Government made as if “Venezuela had no legal capacity for contracting.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-07-15

Caspar Whitney, editor of Outing magazine, tells President Roosevelt that he believes special envoy to Venezuela Herbert Wolcott Bowen to be innocent of accusations of slandering Assistant Secretary of State Francis B. Loomis in the newspapers. The scandal involved Bowen blaming Loomis for misrepresenting or compromising American commitments to defend the administration of Cipriano Castro from European intervention. Whitney warns Roosevelt against believing “the Asphalt people,” i.e. the oil interests, in the matter. Whitney also requests that Roosevelt contribute to the Outing magazine a book, article, or papers on deer or bear hunting. Whitney claims his magazine is the only one to preach Roosevelt’s doctrine regarding outdoorsmanship.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-05-23

Assistant Secretary of State Adee writes William Loeb regarding the anger of the Dutch at the stealing of Dutch vessels by Cipriano Castro.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-25

Herbert Wolcott Bowen reports on President Castro’s “disregard of his duties and obligations to foreigners and to foreign Nations.” Bowen describes the French minister’s meeting to show that Castro is “a man without any sense of honor or dignity” and to argue that the United States should insist on having an umpire named if they plan to propose an arbitration. Bowen believes that Castro “should be given a severe lesson” and that the use of force is necessary, outlining a plan to seize two custom houses. Bowen informs Secretary of State Hay that he will take a short vacation unless Hay wants to immediately defend the rights of the Asphalt Company.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-21

Herbert Wolcott Bowen reports the awards of the mixed commissions paid to various countries by Venezuela. He does not believe this rate of repayment will be maintained, since President Castro is likely to violate his agreements with foreign powers. Bowen encloses two confidential reports. The first report, titled “Grievances Formulated Since the Blockade by the Legations Accredited to Caracas,” describes the complaints that several countries have against Venezuela and Castro. Grievances include the withdrawal of exequaturs, failure to pay debts, despoliation of companies, and assassinations. Based on the government revenue and expenditures of Venezuela, it is not clear what has happened to the surplus money, half of which would be a sufficient amount to pay off the debts. The second report, which is from the Italian Chargé, lists the complaints against Venezuela and notes that the Venezuelan people are suffering from monopolies and taxes. It asks, “Where do the 40 millions surplus go which should be in the treasury but are not there?”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-20

President Roosevelt informs Ambassador Jusserand that he is looking forward to his African safari and that he intends to collect specimens for the Smithsonian Institution. Roosevelt also confides that he is pleased that he is on the side of ordered liberty by stepping away from the power of the presidency. Roosevelt also discusses some of the books he has been reading, and he comments on the status of Venezuela and Morocco.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1908-08-03