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Theodore Roosevelt, in dress suit with coat over arm at rear left, marches in the funeral procession for King Edward VII of the United Kingdom.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
1910-05-20
The Birmingham Peace Society congratulates and thanks President Roosevelt for his part in bringing peace between Japan and Russia.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-09-23
Observations of Theodore Roosevelt writing to Ambassador Bryce regarding the prospect of a peace agreement between the United States and Great Britain.
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site
1912-06-02
The Russian Bear, as a soldier with rifle, has been turned into a scarecrow. A crow labeled “Japan” bites its nose. Another crow labeled “England” is perched on its cap. A crow labeled “Germany” is flying around its head. A crow labeled “Turkey” is on the ground at its feet. A crow labeled “China” is perched on the rifle butt. All these crows, and several others on a fence nearby, are cawing with laughter at the scarecrow.
The term “Sick Man of Europe” has been applied through centuries of international diplomacy to several countries — the Ottoman Empire and Turkey during periods of decline, and Great Britain when parts of its empire fell away. In the years prior to World War I, Russia surely wore the mantle.
The Russian Bear eyes a house of cards. Each card is labeled a different country, “England, France, Germany, Japan, U.S., Austria, China, Italy, [and] Turkey”, and the king on each card bears some facial characteristics of the ruler of the country, including Uncle Sam. A dove of “Peace” has landed on top of the cards. The bear’s right paw and claws are touching the “Japan” card.
In this cartoon, remarkable for its cleverness and caricatural details, Joseph Keppler illustrates the threats to peace in daily news, and the larger situation in international relations. The “house of cards” is dispositive in two ways: the cartoonist has pictured the major nations of the world, and their leaders, when challenges to the world order arose; and the meaning of the phrase — a precarious situation — is perfectly portrayed.
A bull dog labeled “England,” a whippet (or greyhound) labeled “Italy,” and a dachshund labeled “Germany” gather around a dish labeled “Preferred Claims” full of food labeled “Venezuela.” Sitting above them on a fence are four cats labeled “Belgium, Spain, France, [and] Holland” with the fur on their backs raised. Both cats and dogs are seeking payment from Venezuela for its international debts.
This cover cartoon expands upon Joseph Keppler’s cartoon of the previous week in Puck, which showed only England, Germany, and Italy as animals hungry to collect financial claims again the outlaw government in Venezuela. Here, Pughe adds four cats, on the fence, howling for their own just claims. The only nation both cartoons ignored was the United States, which had its own claims. Cartoons on the same topic in the weekly magazine indicate what a hot topic the Venezuelan debt crisis was, and it led to President Roosevelt formulating the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.
Illustration showing Britannia wearing a robe decorated with shamrocks, an armor breastplate, helmet, and with a large sword at her side, wooing a figure representing Ireland sitting in a chair. Caption: Britannia. — I love you so! Pat. — Begorra, Ma’am, this is very suddint!
1900 was one of the high-water marks in the choppy seas of centuries of English-Irish conflicts. Independence from England was to be granted to the majority of Irish counties in 1922, after increasing riots and the momentous Hunger Strike of Irish freedom fighters in 1916. While Ireland was a constituent part of Great Britain, it sent representatives to the Parliament at Whitehall and members were variously wooed and shunned by British parties. In 1900 there was a movement in Dublin to reunite a political party that tilted toward Republicanism — independence. As the cartoon shows, Lady Britannia flirted with the gullible Irish, a ploy that was in fact growing less successful.
Theodore Roosevelt hopes the enclosed suits W. Robert Foran. He is disappointed that William F. S. Edwards was not appointed Lieutenant Governor of Uganda. Roosevelt feels that Edward L. Sanderson and his wife, Helen M. Sanderson, will do better with a school in England than Nairobi. Kermit Roosevelt had two successful hunts.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1911-11-10
President Roosevelt provides Secretary of State Hay with a list of appointments in the diplomatic and consular service after March 4, 1905. Roosevelt includes a handwritten note, “All this is tentative.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-17
President Roosevelt sends Secretary of State Hay a confidential letter he received from Hermann Speck von Sternburg for Hay to read. Roosevelt says it sounds as though German Emperor William II is concerned about France and England. He also notes the recurring phrase: “the integrity of China,” which Roosevelt is glad he suggested Hay use in a recent communication to other nations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-01-12
President Roosevelt sends Secretary of State Hay an amusing letter.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1905-02-27
President Roosevelt thanks Cecil Spring Rice for his telegram and wishes he were an ambassador in the United States. Roosevelt would like to discuss the “fifty matters” that have come up with Spring Rice, predominantly about affairs in the far East.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-11-11
President Roosevelt begins his letter to Cecil Spring Rice discussing the presidential election and how Alton B. Parker and the Democratic Party chose to campaign. Roosevelt mentions his plans to send Ambassador to Italy George von Lengerke Meyer to St. Petersburg, and spends the rest of the letter discussing Japan and Russia. The Japanese government treats Americans well, while Russia has treated the United States, England, and Japan poorly. However, Roosevelt believes the Japanese Army groups all white men together and considers such men inferior to themselves, as evidenced by the experience of American military attachés in Japan. The president opines that Russia is the main enemy of Japan, as long as it focuses on China, Korea, and Manchuria. However, if Japan desires to become a maritime power, it could threaten the United States, England, and the Netherlands. Roosevelt concludes his letter by saying, “[W]e must trust in the Lord and keep our powder dry and our eyes open.”
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-27
President Roosevelt tells Sir George Otto Trevelyan of his happiness regarding the recent 1904 presidential election, and remarks that he is glad people decided to support the positive message of the Republican Party, rather than the negativity of the Democratic Party. The president attributes his victory to the clear-cut message in his speeches and addresses as well as those canvassing for him. Roosevelt discusses the differences between the American president and other political leaders and believes the American president is more like the British prime minister than the French president. he additionally reflects on his intention not to run for a third term. Even without the convention of only two terms, the president believes it would be better for Secretary of War William H. Taft or Elihu Root to succeed him; they are similar in policy, but would have fresh thoughts and ways. Roosevelt concludes by discussing his recent reading. He praises a section from one of Abraham Lincoln’s speeches after his reelection and equates certain American political leaders to characters in Charles Dickens’s works.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-11-24
President Roosevelt reluctantly accepts Ambassador Choate’s resignation. He believes that no one since John Quincy Adams was Ambassador to England has been as dedicated as Choate. Roosevelt would like Choate to be able to stay in England until he is able to dedicate the memorial window to John Harvard in the St. Saviour’s Church personally, and will have Choate’s resignation take effect shortly after this occurs.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1904-12-24
Theodore Roosevelt invites Ambassador Bryce and Elizabeth Marion Bryce to visit before they return to England.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-11-12
Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary is trying to locate a recent book for Roosevelt. The book was written by either Sir Chiozza Money, or by Mr. Money-Penny (perhaps William Flavelle Monypenny, who wrote two volumes on the life of Benjamin Disraeli). If Money did not write the book, the secretary asks him to forward this letter to Money-Penny. The latter was with the Free Trade League three years before, and did work for the National Liberal Federation, so Money may be able to obtain his address through those organizations.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-08-14
Theodore Roosevelt asks Jane Addams to provide him with an explanation of an enclosed telegram that may pertain to Millicent Garrett Fawcett. He requests that Addams write a few articles on the progressive movement, especially as it relates to social justice for women and children.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-08-16
Theodore Roosevelt hopes that Edward B. Moore will do all he can for Cherry Kearton, a photographer Roosevelt knows well and has done admirable work in Africa and England.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-06-07
Theodore Roosevelt discusses the differences between British and American laws and politics. Roosevelt also feels he will not be nominated in Chicago.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1912-06-04