Colonies

Letter noted as rewritten. President Roosevelt is sorry to hear that there is only a small chance of Evelyn Baring, Earl of Cromer, being able to travel to the United States. General Leonard Wood will find it hard to travel to Egypt as Roosevelt intends to employ him in Mindanao to take charge of the “Moro problem.” Wood’s route to the Philippines might be able to go through Egypt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-01-15

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt attempts to assuage F. R. Wingate’s embarrassment about previously addressing him by the wrong title, saying that “not one in ten” Americans know his proper title. Roosevelt is touched by the effort so many English people have made to help with preparations for his safari, both his friends and also various officials he is not acquainted with. He sympathizes with Wingate’s feeling about the lack of development in the Sudan, comparing it to American improvements in the Philippines, where ambitions were high, but a lack of funds disrupted the projects. Roosevelt will communicate with Wingate from Nairobi, and relates his plans for traveling and hunting. Roosevelt reflects that he “ought to feel melancholy over leaving the Presidency,” but the excitement of his upcoming safari dwarfs any such feelings.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-27

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt thanks Evelyn Baring, Earl of Cromer, for his blue book report. Roosevelt believes this work is of real interest, especially to people doing colonial work. He is sorry to hear that Cromer’s health forced him to leave Egypt, and asks if there is any chance Cromer would be able to visit the United States.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-05-08

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt sends Ambassador White a letter detailing some of his thoughts on reductions of armaments with the caveat that while White may use the letter when speaking with officials, he must realize that what Roosevelt writes is “tentative and suggestive,” and neither binding Roosevelt nor the United States to any official position. While Roosevelt agrees with British Secretary of War R. B. Haldane that it would be good to put limits on the growth of militaries, he does not think the United States can reduce its army or navy because of their already small size. He clarifies his relations with German Emperor William II, explaining that contrary to Haldane’s assumption his influence over him is very limited, and he does not know if he would be able to convince him of anything. Roosevelt is additionally hesitant about a policy of disarmament coming soon, and believes that while it may be possible to someday reduce armies and navies, he thinks that at present it would be “a great misfortune for the free peoples to disarm and leave the various military despotisms and military barbarians armed.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-14

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt tells Lord Cromer that he looks forward to reading portions of the report, as he thinks Cromer is doing “as interesting a work as any one at this preset time in any part of the earth.” He does not know anything about the Sudan matter, but promises to take it up with Secretary of State Elihu Root. Roosevelt wishes he could see Cromer in the United States while he is still president. A handwritten postscript notifies Cromer that Major General Leonard Wood “handled the Moros in fine shape” in the Philippines.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-05-21

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt will enjoy reading Flora L. Shaw’s book and is particularly interested in the sections on British colonial policy.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-01-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt is grateful for Edwin R. A. Seligman’s letter about Philippine independence and will use the idea in his acceptance letter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-15

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt agrees with Captain Mahan about both Hawaii and foreign policy generally. Roosevelt worries about Japan, and feels that the United States should increase its military presence in the Pacific Ocean. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge has spoken with President William McKinley on this topic and “pressed his views upon him with all his strength.” Roosevelt additionally mentions his worries about the international situation in the West Indies. He believes the United States should increase its presence and make sure that no strong European power is allowed to gain a foothold there. The institutional resistance to the build-up of the Navy annoys Roosevelt. He comments to Mahan, however, that Secretary of the Navy John Davis Long agrees with the two of them about Hawaii, and that he hopes for positive action on that front.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1897-05-03

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Julius E. DeVos and Edward J. Vattmann outline the operations of the Catholic Colonization Society, which frames itself as a philanthropic organization to help Catholics form companies to purchase land and create farming communities in various countries.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901-1909

Creator(s)

DeVos, Julius E. (Julius Emile), 1848-1937; Vattmann, Edward J., 1840-1919

President Roosevelt responds to a request from Senator Lodge that he comment on an article about Egypt written by Charles Francis Adams. Roosevelt observes that Adams was apparently not aware of many of the issues related to holding colonies before traveling to Egypt. Comparing the British occupation and control of Egypt and India with the relationship of the United States to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and particularly the Philippines, Roosevelt asserts that the goal of the United States must be to administer the islands for the good of the natives with an eye towards eventual self-government (whereas this has not always seemed to be the goal of the British). Roosevelt also quotes a letter from General Leonard Wood regarding the condition of British colonies and the topic of Chinese labor. Roosevelt believes that the United States has acted much more benevolently towards its island holdings than the British have towards their colonies, and praises the efforts that the United States has made in reducing corruption and increasing the effectiveness of the governments of these dependencies.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-04-30

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Ambassador Reid updates President Roosevelt on a number of matters happening in England, including the nervous breakdown of Lord Edward Marjoribanks Tweedmouth, whose recent trouble relating to a letter from German Emperor William II was only the latest in a long string of misfortunes. He also offers insight into the English interest in the American Presidential election, and explains that he has told questioners that he believes Roosevelt will answer the call if his party ultimately nominates him against his wishes. Reid also discusses the lack of a profitable liberal newspaper in England.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-06-01

Creator(s)

Reid, Whitelaw, 1837-1912

Charles Henry Brent writes to President Roosevelt to discuss Secretary of War Taft’s visit to China. Brent also describes the English as colonists.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-02

Creator(s)

Brent, Charles Henry, 1862-1929

Thomas A. Hendrick, Roman Catholic Bishop of Cebu, writes to Civil Governor Wright to provide an account of his travels in the Philippines, where he is surprised to find widespread anti-Americanism and a poor reception of Roman Catholicism, especially in areas where the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Aglipayan church) has a strong presence. Services are sparsely attended, parishes lack priests, church buildings are in disrepair, and Catholics are being threatened. Local government officials in several towns are Aglipayan church members, and Hendrick believes they may be intimidating the citizens. Hendrick feels that the Aglipayan effort is actually an attempt to drive out Americans rather than a religious difference and that government intimidation has also slowed economic output of the villages. He suggests an investigation into local government officials.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-09-15

Creator(s)

Hendrick, Thomas Augustine, 1849-1909

President Roosevelt tries to place as many of his fingers on the switchboard: “arbitration,” “spelling,” “nature fakirs,” “national resources,” “railroads,” “GOP,” “foreign relations,” “Navy,” “Army,” “Taft,” and “business.” His left foot is has just hit the “our colonies” bell and his right foot is on the “legislation” lever. Roosevelt says, “I said no!” A handwritten addition reads, “Keep up the good work! You are doing all right.”

comments and context

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-05-14

Booker T. Washington writes about the poor conditions currently existing in the Congo Free State. Léopold II, King of the Belgians, has created a state of extreme cruelty by removing African’s ability to independently gather and trade goods, essentially enslaving an entire nation. Washington quotes a passage from a report by William H. Sheppard to illustrate this, in which Sheppard has met with a tribe of cannibals who had been employed by the state to raid villages who had not harvested the required amount of rubber. Washington hopes by writing this article to call the attention of civilized nations to this treatment in order to improve conditions.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-08-04

Creator(s)

Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915

Theodore Roosevelt discusses the United States’s involvement in the Spanish-American War and its ongoing commitment to the new republic of Cuba in his 1910 speech at the Nobel Peace Committee Dinner. Roosevelt also describes other incidents of U.S. intervention.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1910-05-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

British Foreign Secretary Canning writes U.S. Minister to Great Britain Rush regarding the possibility of their countries coming to an understanding on the Spanish colonies in America.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1823-08-20

Creator(s)

Canning, George, 1770-1827

U.S. Minister to Britain Richard Rush updates Secretary of State John Adams on the possibility of a joint declaration regarding the Spanish colonies in America.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1823-10-02

Creator(s)

Rush, Richard, 1780-1859

U.S. minister to Great Britain Rush updates Secretary of State Adams on the possibility of a joint declaration regarding the Spanish colonies in America.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1823-09-03

Creator(s)

Rush, Richard, 1780-1859

British Foreign Secretary George Canning continues the negotiations toward a joint declaration with the United States regarding the Spanish colonies in America.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1823-08-31

Creator(s)

Canning, George, 1770-1827