Durand, H. Mortimer (Henry Mortimer), 1850-1924

Appendix A to the TR-Trevelyan letter of November 9, 1911

List of thirty-two edits and inserts made by Theodore Roosevelt to his November 9, 1911, letter to George Otto Trevelyan. The edits and inserts were made in the original in Roosevelt’s handwriting. This list prints the alterations so that they can be easily read. Each edit or insert is followed by the page number of the letter in which it can be found.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1911-11-09

Lord Lansdowne and the American Impact on British Diplomacy, 1900-1905

Lyle A. McGeoch examines the state of relations between the United States and Great Britain when Lord Lansdowne served as Britain’s foreign secretary from November 1900 to December 1905. He highlights the negotiations concerning the Hay-Pauncefote treaty, the settlement of a boundary dispute between Canada and the United States, and a crisis stemming from Venezuela’s debt to Great Britain and Germany. McGeogh also looks at how Lansdowne struggled with the appointment of an ambassador to the United States, his difficulty at times in dealing with the personal style of diplomacy employed by President Theodore Roosevelt, and Lansdowne’s recognition of growing American power in the first decade of the twentieth century.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1979

Book notes

The “Book Notes” column has two separate articles dealing with the historiography of Theodore Roosevelt. In “Paperbacks on T.R.,” John A. Gable looks at seven works, mostly biographies and mostly published in the 1960s, about Theodore Roosevelt and notes the contributions that each makes to the study of Roosevelt. Frederick W. Marks reviews ‘A Good Innings’: The Private Papers of Viscount Lee of Fareham in “A Special English Friend: Arthur Hamilton Lee.” Marks traces the history of the Roosevelt-Lee friendship, examines the editing of the volume by Alan Clark, and remarks on Lee’s descriptions of prominent Americans. 

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1977

Letter from Alvey A. Adee to William Loeb

Assistant Secretary of State Adee sends William Loeb information for President Roosevelt regarding recommendations about the delimitation of the boundary in Alaska. The concurrent recommendations were made today under both Adee’s and British Ambassador H. Mortimer Durand’s signatures.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-25

Letter from Henry White to Theodore Roosevelt

Ambassador White discusses Sir Cecil Spring Rice’s plans to travel to the United States and the issues related to the trip. He also shares information and various updates with President Roosevelt.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-13

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Whitelaw Reid

President Roosevelt writes to Ambassador Reid about ongoing negotiations between France and Germany about Morocco. Beginning with background information about the situation, with Germany wishing to call a conference to reform the government of Morocco—in opposition to France—Roosevelt then includes the text of numerous letters and telegrams in English and French from various parties related to this issue. Roosevelt says he will send copies of this letter to Henry White and George von Lengerke Meyer, and will show it to Secretary of State Elihu Root, as well, but no one else, as it is to be strictly confidential. He closes with some personal remarks to Reid, responding to a previous letter from him, and thanking him for presenting Milla Shonts and her daughters. The envelope appended at the end suggests that this is the copy of the letter which was sent to Meyer.

Collection

Massachusetts Historical Society

Creation Date

1906-04-28

Partial letter from Bellamy Storer

Ambassador Storer is glad that he is able to speak “the English tongue” with H. Mortimer Durand, the British ambassador to Spain. He might oppose the British Empire but can “love and admire an Englishman and gentleman.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1901

Letter from Whitelaw Reid to Theodore Roosevelt

Whitelaw Reid writes to President Roosevelt to discuss Roosevelt’s correspondence with the Japanese, Russian, and British governments during the peace negotiations. Reid commends Roosevelt and asks permission to share the correspondence with Lord Lansdowne and King Edward.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-18

Letter from William Loeb to John Hay

William Loeb informs Secretary of State Hay that President Roosevelt received the letters from Ambassador H. Mortimer Durand and Minister Lawrence Townsend and now returns them. October works best for Roosevelt to receive Rear Admiral Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquis of Milford Haven, and his officers.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-03-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry White

President Roosevelt is sure that he will enjoy seeing H. Mortimer Durand and looks forward to discussing several matters with Henry White. The Alaska and Panama settlements have made a “good showing” and Roosevelt intends to pass Cuban reciprocity as well.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-11-26

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to John St. Loe Strachey

President Roosevelt was impressed with what John St. Loe Strachey had to say about Berlin and Paris and discusses his thoughts on the war scare between England and Germany two years prior.  He tells Strachey that there are those who object to “keeping up the Navy” while also persuading him to come to terms with Japan, which he sees as “inviting trouble” and refusing to prepare if conflict with Japan became a reality. Roosevelt believes that the United States will have to adopt a similar policy on Japanese immigration as Australia but is confused as to why a country with a much smaller population and birth-rate adopted such a policy so soon.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Whitelaw Reid

President Roosevelt thanks Ambassador Reid for his letter. He is glad that Edward Grey has decided to no longer have H. Mortimer Durand as ambassador. Roosevelt asks about Sir Gerard Lowther, a possible candidate for Durand’s replacement. Roosevelt hopes they send Sir Cecil Spring Rice or Arthur Hamilton Lee instead.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-11-06

Letter from Rudolph Forster to Elihu Root

Rudolph Forster relays information to Secretary of State Root about the upcoming visit to the White House from British Ambassador to the United States H. Mortimer Durand.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-10-03

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Whitelaw Reid

President Roosevelt thanks Ambassador to Great Britain Reid for the letter. He finds that Canada’s actions strain foreign relations with Great Britain. Roosevelt asks Reid to deliver the enclosed letter to the hospital that aided the Americans involved in the Salisbury train-wreck.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-27

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Whitelaw Reid

President Roosevelt was only concerned about the letter he had sent Ambassador Reid because of its nature, but permits him to show any portions he deems proper to King Edward VII of Great Britain or Sir Edward Grey. He also recommends Reid make Roosevelt’s dislike of British Ambassador H. Mortimer Durand known, emphasizing that if he had been a man Roosevelt liked, he would have consulted with him more. Roosevelt reflects on the strategies he uses in foreign relations, particularly with the Germans and German Emperor William II, but also with the English and Japanese, which he describes as “to be scrupulously polite, to show a genuine good-will toward her, but to keep our navy in such shape” so as to deter any aggression. He sends his greetings to Reid’s wife, Elisabeth Mills Reid, and remarks that he enjoyed reading about the social news from England.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-27

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Cecil Spring Rice

President Roosevelt discusses various aspects of his efforts to make peace between Japan and Russia at length with Cecil Spring Rice. He also discusses the current strained relations between England and Germany, and informs Rice that he does not intend to take on the role of regular peacemaker between other countries. It is necessary for him to focus on the affairs of the United States, rather than trying to keep peace in Europe.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-01

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Whitelaw Reid

President Roosevelt tells Ambassador Reid that he sent British Ambassador H. Mortimer Durand communications relating to the peace negotiations between Russia and Japan. He explains to Reid that he did not communicate with Reid because he was communicating freely with the British, French, and German ambassadors and legations directly.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-29

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Whitelaw Reid

President Roosevelt tells Ambassador Reid that he agrees with Robert Harry Munro Ferguson’s recommendation about how to communicate about the treaty between Japan and England. He also discusses the background of the situation currently going on regarding ownership of the Hankow railway in China. At China’s insistence, J. Pierpont Morgan and other American financiers are willing to accept a concession payment and give up their stake in the railway, although Roosevelt told them that the American government was willing to back up their rights to the contract they had signed.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-16

Telegram from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles J. Bonaparte

If Secretary of the Navy Bonaparte agrees, President Roosevelt will direct that the British squadron’s visit be postponed until November, and that they visit Annapolis first before going to New York. Roosevelt further instructs Bonaparte to contact British Ambassador H. Mortimer Durand accordingly.  

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-04

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Henry Cabot Lodge

President Roosevelt sends Senator Lodge the complete texts of various cablegrams he sent and received in his efforts to broker peace between Russia and Japan. He includes cablegrams to and from George von Lengerke Meyer, Ambassador to Russia, to show his role in it, as well as congratulatory notes from Kaiser William II, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Emperor Meiji of Japan, and British Ambassador H. Mortimer Durand.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-02